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In this study, we investigated whether the “Interpersonal Relationship Skills with Co-Workers” component of a computerized simulation influenced pre-service early childhood teachers' perception on issues and strategies for implementation of interpersonal relationship skills with co-workers before and after four weeks of field experience. Quantitative analysis such as Chi-square, Somer's d, Gamma, Correlation, and Regression were used to analyze the difference in their perception between before and after their field experience. As a result, significant differences were found with Somer's d (.455, p = .000), Gamma (.717, p = .000), Pearson's R (.507, p = .019), Spearman correlation (.577, p = .006), and regression analysis (b = .385, p = .019, R2 = .257). These results indicate that pre-service early childhood teachers who have experienced simulation about interpersonal relationships tend to perceive the effectiveness of simulation programs as an instrument for them to acquire teaching and learning experiences related to interpersonal relationship skills. Qualitative analysis results also indicate that the computer simulation was a promising tool for pre-service early childhood teachers to become prepared for the teaching profession, particularly on interpersonal relationships with co-workers. However, for a better computer simulation, as early childhood teachers mentioned, the problems and events with various grade levels should be developed more concretely and realistically in computer simulations.

Problems related to disruptive behaviors of children in schools continue to be a topic of public debate and empirical inquiry among teachers and researchers across America. Although this problem is historic, it has resurfaced, with momentous attention during recent years. This article focuses on a computerized simulation used as an integrated component of a curriculum course. The simulation includes discipline issues with certain situations as one of six categories of emphasis. The researchers attempted to ascertain the extent to which the simulation influenced selected disciplines styles of preservice teachers before and after field experience. Chi-square, Somers'd, Gamma, Correlation, and Regression were applied to the data using after field experience as a dependent variable. Significant difference was found on “rating of simulation on discipline before–after field experience” with Chi-square analyses (χ2 = 27.196; df = 12; p < 0.007), and with regression analyses ( b = .249). Thus, preservice teachers who experienced a computerized simulation on discipline before field experience perceived the computerized simulation on discipline as an effective tool to learn discipline after their four-week field experience. Computerized simulation is shown to be helpful to preservice early childhood teachers prior to field experience. Therefore, integrating technology-based simulations into preservice teacher education programs can potentially and effectively influence solving discipline problems in real classrooms by helping preservice teachers construct their own beliefs and philosophy about discipline. Emergent themes and direct quotes from preservice early childhood teachers are shown on the aspect of discipline.

During the past decade, com uterized simulation and six related CBI lessons on the NovaNET (formerly %LATO) inStnrctional delivery system have been ionccred into ao early childlpd preservioe teacher education program at a rarge southeastern University. Related research has shown that this mode of instruction is high'y effective in under duate teacher education. Approximately 450 subjccts (experimental a n~o t r o l l e d ) have already taken five CBI Itssons or responded to an attitudinal survey related to computers in education. These Itssons were carefully selected because of their relationship and sequence of a prerequisite curriculum colv~lc to student &%inP&itive results related to inte@ng CBl into o m section of a curriculum course over seven years, have lnspircd the expansion of this mode of instruction to thrte to four other I OM of the same c o w . Implementation of CBI into other arcas of the early childhood curriculum is also Optimistic.

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