Early Childhood Teacher Education Research Articles

Occupational therapy embedded in early childhood education (OTEEC): Developing a population-focused, place-based approach to early intervention through occupational therapy and early childhood education center partnerships

ABSTRACT Occupational therapy practices supporting population health are emphasized in the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 2025 statement, yet limited examples of how practitioner’s design, construct, and evaluate health promotion practices exist in the literature. This manuscript describes how occupational therapy providers collaborated with early childhood education administrators, teachers, and parents to create a novel approach to supporting young children’s development and learning called the Occupational Therapy Embedded in Early Childhood Education (OTEEC) Partnership Model. Educational design research informed how the OTEEC Partnership Model was developed and refined via the integration of scientific inquiry within the context of program development. We completed literature reviews, conducted in-depth interviews with key decision-makers, hosted stakeholder focus groups, and engaged in critical reflection as an occupational therapy provider team to arrive at the foundational principles and unique practices of the OTEEC Partnership Model. Early childhood education center administrators, teachers, and parents believed the strengths of the OTEEC Partnership Model included universal access to an occupational therapy provider, collaborative partnerships with teachers and parents, and integrating occupational therapy practices within an early childhood classroom context. Occupational therapy providers can use the procedures described in this manuscript to develop innovative practices focused on population health and may consider if elevating their own classroom involvement, interprofessional collaboration, and partnerships with parents can enhance their current practices. Occupational therapists may also consider how to create new access pathways for children who might benefit from occupational therapy yet do not qualify for services within current practice guidelines.

FORMAÇÃO DE PROFESSORES DA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL EM NÍVEL LATO SENSU: PENSAR O PROCESSO FORMATIVO NA PERSPECTIVA HISTÓRICO-CRÍTICA

The text aims to reflect on the training process experienced by Early Childhood Education teachers in a lato sensu postgraduate course, highlighting its implications for pedagogical activity with children. The specialization course in Early Childhood Education and Child Development is based on formative actions aimed at creating possibilities for teachers from the perspective of human formation. The course is part of the teacher training policy for Early Childhood Education and is supported by the Common National Base for Basic Education Teacher Training (BNCFP), the National Curriculum Guidelines for Early Childhood Education (DCNEF) and the Common National Curriculum Base (BNCC). Our analysis is based on Historical-Cultural Psychology and Historical-Critical Pedagogy, both grounded in the epistemology of Historical-Dialectical Materialism. The reflection developed here highlights the concern to guarantee the humanization of teachers in a training process that continues to be guided by liberal educational policies. The results indicate that the learning developed through the course has relevant implications for teachers' pedagogical activity. However, there is a pressing need to ensure that teacher training for Early Childhood Education is an ongoing public policy and that the public authorities provide the objective conditions necessary for this learning to reverberate in consistent practices, so that teachers and children experience humanization, in other words, develop towards the human race.

BRINCAR NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: CRIANÇAS, COTIDIANO, POLÍTICAS E FORMAÇÃO

This text brings issues related to play decisions within early childhood education institutions, specifically with children aged between 3 and 5 years. The aim is to investigate, in the reports of early childhood education teachers, at what moments children decide how, where, with what and with whom to play in the daily life of school institutions. As defined in the National Early Childhood Education Guidelines (2009), the playing is the axis of pedagogical practices (just like interactions); it is also a prerequisite for this work, that defends playing as a child’s free action. This qualitative research used semi-structured as its data collection tool, in an attempt to understand the motivations and actions of the research subjects. It results come from a master’s thesis; through the analysis, it was possible to infer that educational practices are the result not only of the actions of educators, but they are inserted in a complex institutional mechanism, which covers other spheres that directly interfere in the activity of teachers. We consider that even with advances in the academic production of childhood studies and in legislation for a conception of children as active and participants, in everyday life we realize that actions in early childhood education institutions are still conditioned by an adult-centric vision.

The future has arrived: An exploration of computational thinking readiness among Chinese early childhood education teachers

The future has arrived: An exploration of computational thinking readiness among Chinese early childhood education teachers

A review of trauma-informed neuroscientific theory to unpack the early childhood education teacher’s pastoral role in South Africa

A review of trauma-informed neuroscientific theory to unpack the early childhood education teacher’s pastoral role in South Africa

A Network Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in Chinese Preschool Teachers

Emotional intelligence significantly influences various aspects of teachers’ professional and personal lives, notably affecting preschoolers’ social skills and emotional development during formative years. This study utilizes a network analysis approach to explore the complex relationships among four components of emotional intelligence: emotional labor, emotional regulation, professional well-being, and professional identity. Participants included 2069 frontline Chinese teachers (34 males, 2035 females; M = 28.64, SD = 5.98; M years of teaching = 6.88, SD = 5.29) with no leadership roles, categorized into three stages of their careers based on years of teaching experience: novice (0–3 years; n = 612), advanced beginners (4–6 years; n = 537), and competent (7–40 years; n = 920). Findings revealed that joy of teaching, role value, and professional value were identified as the most critical elements within the emotional state network of early childhood education teachers. The strongest connections in teachers’ emotional networks were found between school connectedness and joy of teaching (r = 0.474), surface acting behavior and natural acting behavior (r = 0.419), and professional value and professional behavior (r = 0.372). Furthermore, teachers across different career stages exhibited similar characteristics and intrinsic connections among emotional state components. These findings deepen our understanding of the emotional state networks of ECE teachers, highlighting shared features and interconnected mechanisms, and suggest that enhancing teachers’ emotional intelligence through targeted professional development can improve both teacher well-being and preschoolers’ social–emotional outcomes. Policies that foster strong school connectedness and reduce emotional labor are key to promoting sustained joy in teaching, particularly for novice and advanced beginner teachers.

Early childhood memories of animals: reflections and considerations in relation to posthuman education

ABSTRACT This study focuses on literary arts education, especially childhood memories of pets and other more-than-humans. Memory writings were collected as data using the Pritney method among students in early childhood teacher education. The written memories were analysed through the lens of bibliotherapy. Practices with reflections provide also perspectives on posthumanities and offer a sense of wellbeing. Bibliotherapy approach and posthuman theory allow exploring our position as humans and more-than-humans in the educational system. Students (n = 200) are recalling their primary memories related to animal/pet contacts, toys, play, and characters in literature. Memories through close readings illuminate how the animal theme and bibliotherapy approach are employed in this project. Students may develop an awareness of the value of animal geographies and literary arts in education, thus moving towards posthuman education and fostering different ways of caring and wellbeing, ethics, and education that also encompass more-than-humans.

Motivation, attitudes, and beliefs of public vs. private early childhood education teachers in Kosovo toward science and continuing education

Purpose This study aims to examine the factors influencing early education teachers’ motivation, attitudes and beliefs toward science and continuing education. It also explores perceptions of parental involvement and cooperation among public and private institutions in Kosovo. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a quantitative and cross-sectional design. Study variables were assessed using questionnaires with validated measures administered to 460 early education teachers from both public and private institutions. Findings Education teachers in the public sector had higher professional development, work experience and salaries, while private school teachers had higher education levels and worked with fewer children per class and more teachers per class. Public school teachers displayed better attitudes toward science and greater parental involvement. Attitudes toward science positively correlated with salary in both sectors. In the public sector, work motivation was correlated with experience, while in both sectors, it was linked to salary. Attitudes toward science were predicted by parental cooperation, teachers’ attitudes toward continuing education and work motivation. Originality/value This study provides insights into the distinct challenges and opportunities of integrating science into the curriculum in public and private early education institutions. The study emphasizes assessing needs and designing tailored, data-driven strategies to address barriers and leverage opportunities to improve teacher attitudes and parental engagement, ultimately strengthening science education and improving the quality of early education.

Teacher shortage in Croatia – a challenge for educational policy, initial teacher education and educational institutions

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to analyse teacher shortage in Croatia and ways in which educational policy reacts to teacher shortage in early childhood education and primary education. This paper presents descriptive study of current national shortage situation and a content analysis of national education policy documents. The data analyses reveal a significant shortage of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers. In the first phase of compulsory education there is no shortage of class teachers, while in the second phase of compulsory education exists a permanent shortage of all subject teacher profiles, predominantly from the STEM area. Key educational policy documents analysis reveals the lack of a national strategy for attracting teachers to the profession. Pending a systemic solution, preschool institutions and schools are forced to solicit and employ unqualified staff for teaching positions, whilst the consequences of employing non-professional staff remain uncertain.

Professional development opportunities and a newly built daycare center: incentives in ECEC teacher job advertisements in Finland

ABSTRACT Attracting and recruiting qualified, high-quality teachers is a global challenge. In Finland, the recruitment of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) teachers has been particularly problematic, especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area. This paper investigates the incentives used in job advertisements to attract ECEC teachers in Finland and the differences in incentives between urban, semi-urban, and rural municipalities. The analysis of 322 ECEC teacher job advertisements revealed that the most frequently highlighted incentives were related to professional development opportunities and physical work environment. Urban municipalities featured more incentives compared to their semi-urban and rural counterparts, reflecting the observation that, unlike many other parts of the world, the teacher recruitment challenge in Finland is most acute in urban areas. This study contributes to the limited research on teacher recruitment and enhances the understanding of incentives used in recruitment beyond financial ones.

Inclusive Early Childhood Teacher Education: A Paradigm for Envisioning and Enacting

This article describes the processes and timeline of developing our Inclusive Early Childhood Teacher Education Program (IECTE). In doing so, we describe collaborations that have a dynamic unfolding that took place over 10 years and united early childhood education (ECE), early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE), and bilingual/English as a second language (ESL) programming. Foundational to our collaborative work is the transformation that occurred within these individual areas of teacher education that eventually led us to the evolving paradigm of inclusivity in early childhood education. In our IECTE work we detail our paradigm of critical inclusivity that includes three tenets: (1) a dialogic approach, (2) curriculum revision, (3) student guidance, and (4) mentoring support. We conclude by offering implications for continuous growth through descriptions of radical collaboration and advocacy in inclusive early childhood settings, such as intervention agencies, Head Start programs, childcare centers, community programs, and public schools.

Addressing the Issues of Global Digital Divide: How Digitally Competent are Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers?

Digital technologies such as programmable toys, camera, android phones, IPad, lab tops, educational robots, industrial robots, videos, video games, VCDs, Internet, Photoshop suites, and the likes have become essential tools that support instructions at all levels of education. Access or otherwise may influence the way technologies are used either to support classroom instruction. This study investigated in service degree early childhood education teachers ‘competence in integrating digital technologies in implementing the early childhood education curriculum. The descriptive survey design was aused for the study. The population for the study was 194 students in NCE two in the 2024 session in Federal university of Education, Pankshin, Nigeria. The sample for the studies consisted of 150 students who were selected using simple random sampling. Five research questions guided the study. The instrument used was the Tech Check Questionnaire (TCQ). Data was analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions raised. Findings indicate that teachers’ competence in using technology in areas of presentation of instructions, educational robotics and internet usage was low. It was recommended among others that hands on training on use of relevant digital technologies in presentation, educational robotics and internet use be mounted for teachers to improve competency for digital curriculum implementation.

Inclusive and Equitable Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs: Recruiting and Retaining Teacher Candidates with Disabilities

Inclusive early childhood education teacher preparation programs are tasked with preparing teacher candidates to work with young children with and without disabilities. Yet, many teacher preparation programs continue to function in a medical model of disability, where teacher educators teach candidates to “fix” or “cure” young disabled children. Working from a medical model of disability positions young disabled children as problematic and ostracizes disabled teacher candidates as they see themselves in the very children spoken of by their teacher educators. Instead, practices can be implemented to build on the unique strengths and assets disabled teacher candidates bring to the early childhood field. This call to action has been co-authored by disabled teachers and candidates to highlight the practices teacher educators can instill in their programs with the goal of recruiting and retaining disabled teacher candidates.

Soft Skills and Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Job Performance in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study investigated the relationship between soft skills and early childhood teachers’ job performance in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between communication skills, conflict management skills, stress management skills, time management skills, and early childhood teachers’ job performance. To achieve the purpose of this study, four specific objectives, four research questions and four null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at.05 level of significance. Literatures pertinent to the study were reviewed under theoretical, conceptual and empirical frameworks. Correlational research design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 600 early childhood teachers and 390 head teachers were selected for the study using multistage sampling technique. Two instruments were used for data collection and they were; Soft Skill Instrument (SSI) and Early Childhood Teachers’ Job Performance Instrument (ECTJPI). Teachers responded to Soft Skill Instrument (SSI) while school head teachers responded to Early Childhood Teachers’ Job Performance Instrument (ECTJPI). R and R2 values of Simple Linear Regression Analysis were used for answering the research questions and for testing the hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between soft skills and early childhood teachers’ job performance in Akwa Ibom State. It was concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between communication skills, conflict management skills, stress management skills, time management skills and early childhood teachers’ job performance. It was recommended among others that early childhood teachers should seek personal development of their soft skills through workshops, seminars and conferences.

Backward Design in Pre-Service Teacher Education to Enhance Curriculum Knowledge

This action research aimed to enhance the curriculum knowledge of 37 pre-service teachers in early-childhood education through backward design (BD) as an innovative framework. Participants enrolled in an online curriculum development course focusing on curriculum elements and underwent BD-based instruction for five weeks. Multiple data collection tools were employed, including pre- and post-achievement tests and curriculum literacy scales, digital learning journals, performance tasks, course observations, and interviews. The results showed a significant improvement in the curriculum knowledge of the pre-service teachers. This was evidenced by a notable increase in curriculum literacy scores, a moderate improvement in achievement test scores, and positive performance task outcomes. These findings highlight the effectiveness of BD-based instruction in enhancing the curriculum knowledge of pre-service teachers. This study provides valuable insights for teacher educators to effectively tailor their instructional approaches. Further research is needed to validate these results and advance instructional practices in pre-service teacher education.

Engagement in Activity Settings of First and Second Language Learners in Preschool – The Role of Qualified Preschool Teachers and Classroom Structure

ABSTRACT Research Findings: In Swedish preschools, second-language learners often display lower engagement in activity settings than first-language learners. This study used a multilevel model to examine the association between children’s language status, classroom structure, teacher qualifications, and engagement in preschool activity settings. The sample included 148 children, aged three to five, from classrooms with varying proportions of first and second-language learners. The Child Observation in Preschool (COP) instrument measured engagement levels. Our findings reveal that the presence of highly qualified teachers significantly increased the duration of high engagement for all children, regardless of language status. While second language learners initially appeared to show lower engagement, this difference was insignificant in the full model after accounting for classroom structure and teacher qualifications. Classrooms with a higher proportion of qualified teachers demonstrated improved engagement across the board. Policy and Practice: These findings underscore the importance of ensuring a high proportion of qualified teachers in early childhood education and care settings. Creating a supportive, high-quality educational environment is essential for fostering engagement among all children but may be particularly crucial in classrooms with diverse language backgrounds.

Tensions, coherence, and/or progress in early childhood teacher education (ECTE) in the Nordic countries

This special issue provides some needed insight into the tensions, coherence, and/or progress in early childhood teacher education (ECTE) in the Nordic countries. These topics warrant exploration due to complex, and at times contradictory educational landscapes, which must deal with the question of how to generate comprehensive, coherent, and interdisciplinary education programs. Drawing on studies utilizing different theoretical perspectives on tensions, coherence, and progress in higher education, and with the use of a variety of research methodologies, the Nordic authors in this special issue expand our knowledge on current issues and tendencies in ECTE in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. In light of the great importance of and real challenges in the field of early childhood education and care, the question of how to educate early childhood education teachers is highly relevant, and requires more research in, and reflection on, how these teachers are educated. This special issue draws specific attention to opportunities and challenges in ECTE, which has so far received limited research attention.

The influence of emotions on science teaching: a case study with three early childhood education teachers

Teaching science in early childhood education (ECE) is crucial for fostering essential scientific thinking skills, which are vital for young learners’ development and formative trajectories. While this educational level presents exciting opportunities for integrating science teaching, it also poses challenges related to teachers ́ cognitive, pedagogical, and emotional constraints. Recognizing the pivotal role of teachers’ emotions in shaping their practices, we aim to specifically examine the influence of teachers’ emotions on science teaching in ECE, an area that remains underresearched. We conducted a multiple case study involving three ECE teachers in La Plata, Argentina, who demonstrated a strong interest in improving their pedagogical practices despite acknowledging their difficulties and insecurities in teaching science. We explored their emotions and how they relate to science lesson planning and implementation through surveys, in-depth interviews, and observations. Data collection was designed in three stages: pre-active, interactive, and post-active teaching. First, we surveyed the range of negative and positive emotions that teachers experienced toward sciences, rooted in their personal and formative prior experiences, and examined how these emotions influenced their planning (pre-active stage). Subsequently, we investigated the emotions associated with science teaching in the interactive stage and recorded classroom observations to document how they implemented their plans. Finally, we conducted in-depth interviews with the teachers while they watched the recorded class videos, allowing them to reflect on their decision-making and implementation characteristics (post-active stage). Our findings reveal a dichotomy: negative emotions derived from past experiences reduce engagement, while positive emotions enhance motivation and enrich the learning environment. Negative emotions arising from the implementation of science activities in real classroom contexts may lead to canceled classes, whereas positive emotions foster persistence and optimism. We discuss the significance of emotional awareness in teaching practices, emphasizing the importance of understanding and managing negative emotions through teacher training and professional development programs. This approach can enhance teacher confidence and satisfaction, ultimately contributing to improved early childhood science education.

Aesthetic Learning Spaces: An Investigation into the Status in Danish Early Childhood Teacher Education

The aim of this article is to delve into and discuss the past and present conditions of aesthetic learning spaces in the Early Childhood Teacher Education (ECTE) program in Denmark, and how these conditions impact its learning environment. The investigation encompasses a variety of data sources and research methods aimed at capturing both the intricate and broader aspects of the focal question. The investigation includes (1) a discussion of educational reforms and how they affect aesthetic learning spaces, (2) a discourse analysis examining the descriptions of new iterations of aesthetic learning spaces, including makerspaces and playlabs, and (3) qualitative interviews with students and educators conducted during a building workshop. The study’s key discovery is that aesthetic learning spaces in ECTE have undergone a shift, becoming spaces that emphasize generic skills and academic abilities, as opposed to domain-specific tools and techniques. In the article, this transformation is connected to broader societal trends and analyzed through the lenses of sociological, educational and creativity theories, drawing upon the work of scholars such as Richard Sennett, Lene Tanggaard and John Krejsler. At the article’s conclusion, future topics for study are suggested.

‘We have a great deal of influence’: Finnish early childhood in-service teachers’ agency for culturally sustaining pedagogy

ABSTRACT This qualitative study focused on the role of teacher agency and critical reflection in the context of an in-service training programme for early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers in Finland. The programme emphasised culturally sustainable pedagogy and aimed to support teachers in an increasingly multilingual society. This study aimed to investigate how teachers displayed agency as they tried to promote culturally sustaining pedagogy, and how critical reflection interacted with teachers’ professional agency. The data of the study were versatile, as they consisted of influential texts implemented via the creative writing process, two questionnaires, and interviews with the participants. The data were analysed theoretically and empirically through inductive-deductive reasoning. The investigation revealed four levels at which in-service teachers manifest agency in culturally sustaining pedagogy: individual, child-oriented, institutional, and societal. The results revealed that by writing influential texts, ECEC practitioners significantly challenged their assumptions about their agentic capacity and inspired them to reflect on their practices critically. The findings also revealed that in terms of the targeted audience, participants were not confident in their agentic role in influencing systemic change. These findings highlight the importance of discussing multiple aspects of agency in teacher education by using guided critical reflection.