THE INTERPLAY OF TEACHERS’ BELIEFS-ATTITUDES, JOB MOTIVATION, AND DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE VISUAL ARTS PRACTICES IN PRIVATE PRESCHOOLS IN SELANGOR

Abstract

Early childhood education provided a critical foundation for children’s holistic development, with visual arts contributing to communication, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Teachers played a central role in the effective implementation of visual arts instruction, as their beliefs, attitudes, and job motivation influenced developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). However, limited resources and the undervaluation of visual arts constrained effective implementation. This study examined whether job motivation mediated the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and attitudes and the implementation of DAP in visual arts teaching in private preschools in Selangor. A survey was conducted with 400 private preschool teachers selected through a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire administered via Google Forms and refined through expert review and a pilot study involving 84 teachers from selected districts in Selangor and nearby Kuala Lumpur areas. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS v26 and SmartPLS v3. The results revealed significant positive relationships among teachers’ beliefs and attitudes, job motivation, and DAP implementation, with job motivation acting as a partial mediator. The study proposed a context-specific model to strengthen DAP-oriented visual arts teaching in private preschool settings.