The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented crisis. Worldwide, preschool teachers were invited to develop the students’ learning experience in a new digital environment for mathematics. This research investigates preschool teachers’ mathematics practices during remote teaching and the use of digital tools in teaching mathematics after their return to actual classes. Views from sixteen Greek preschool teachers were collected with semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that mathematical activities such as Numbers and Operations, Geometry, and Measurement occurred during distance learning in digital preschool classrooms. They made little reference to activities related to Algebra, while they did not refer to Data Analysis and Probability. They also seemed to prefer mathematical activities based on Connections and Representation processes in their digital classrooms. Preschool teachers reported that parents supported this process by their presence, and digital learning communities supported learning activities by providing guidelines and innovative approaches to them in digital times. However, after returning to face-to-face schooling, preschool teachers seemed to use digital tools to a lesser degree. They also mention that in face-to-face schooling, they prefer to utilize the authentic communication frameworks emphasizing problem-solving activities to enhance all mathematical processes. Implications for preschool teacher professional development are discussed.

Although web survey has been a popular method of data collection in the academic community, it presents meagre response rates, which primarily affect the validity of the results as well as the reliability of the outcomes. Surveys worldwide that study the response rate only of teachers have not been found in the relevant literature. In this survey, with a sample of 263 Greek teachers, we investigate possible factors that explain teachers’ intention to participate in web surveys that are conducted by online questionnaires indicating, therefore, the factors that probably influence the response rate of web surveys. Our findings support those factors such as (a) authority, (b) incentives, (c) survey structure/form, (d) ethical issues, (e) reminders and pre-notifications, and (f) survey time received, which seem to explain the teachers’ intention to participate in web surveys with questionnaires. Based on the findings, methodology implications and limitations for researchers are discussed.

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the perceptions of kindergarten teachers and first-grade primary school teachers on the integration of kindergarten and first-grade of primary school language curricula. This research is part of a broader study of the relation between natural/early and conventional/school literacy, the teachers' perceptions of the possibility of integration of language curricula, as well as practices resulting from the study of curricula. The data were collected through a questionnaire sample of 326 kindergarten teachers and 306 teachers who were teaching at the time of this study the first-grade of primary school in two Greek prefectures. Research data has shown that first-grade teachers appear to be more positive than kindergarten teachers towards integrating the two curricula. Both kindergarten teachers and first-grade teachers seem to partially agree with the creation of a curriculum with common goals and objectives. Nevertheless kindergarten teachers appear more hesitant, expressing their concerns and fears of a potential “schoolarization” of the kindergarten.

Introduction. This paper reports the results of a study concerning the views and the expectations of primary teachers for the transition from kindergarten to primary school. Goal. In a recently new educational environment, in which all educators “forced” to continue their educational practices as to ensure for their students a smooth transition from one level to another, two transitions processes implemented. The first one concerns the move from in-person to virtual delivery of the language classroom and the second one concern the preschoolers’ transition from kindergarten to primary school. Methods of the Research. In this context, 16 Greek first grade primary school teachers' views about their (previous preschoolers) students' literacy development and elements of literacy knowledge after remote teaching (in a preschool setting) were collected with semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The Results. The results showed that support for the transition of young children from preschool to primary school settings and literacy development was inevitably affected into this new educational environment. Therefore, teachers propose the continuity between early childhood and primary school literacy programmes as the key for a smoother transition. Based on evaluations of experiences, a smooth transition and continuity from one level to another could be also facilitated and intermediated by collaboration of preschool and primary school teachers and other stakeholders. Furthermore, discontinuities in early childhood literacy education and development could be disappeared if policy makers try to bridge and sculpt “distances” via effective transition programmes. Conclusions. The knowledge of current practice, priorities, challenges, and opportunities will help language educators to adjust their education offer, their syllabi, expectations, or pedagogical approaches to facilitate a more positive and smooth transition process for each and every learner.