Preparing Latinx early childhood educators

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores common themes in recruitment and retention practices of Latinx undergraduate and graduate students that emerged across interviews of faculty in leadership positions at Institutes of Higher Education (IHE). In-depth interviews were conducted of six faculty holding leadership positions in their early childhood education programs (i.e. program chair or ECE coordinator). Faculty were selected after initial identification of the IHE as serving high percentages of Latinx students and achieving high retention rates of Latinx students. Findings include IHEs implementation of key practices faculty believe as effective, including use of culturally sustaining pedagogy and accommodation for specific challenges and barriers that Latinx students may face. These findings add to a growing base of recruitment and retention practices for IHE faculty to consider when improving and developing programs that could attract and retain Latinx students into the early childhood education field.