Initiatives aimed at improving STEM education have largely focused on school-based programs, with the majority of STEM professional development targeting primary and secondary school educators. However, there is growing interest in STEM education in the early childhood years. This paper reviews the available evidence to explore the extent to which…

Despite the developments and examples of effective practice, it is asserted that early childhood teachers encounter difficulties while utilizing formative assessment in their classrooms and the debate about how to achieve this continues. It is widely acknowledged that preservice teachers need research-based professional support to have sufficient…

"I think I can, I think I can' puffed "The Little Engine That Could." The American folktale taught the value of optimism and hard work reflecting a growth mindset belief about abilities. A growth mindset positively impacts academic achievement, motivation, and children's agency for learning. Few studies have explored how early…

A large number of trained Young Learners of English (YLE) teachers leave the language academies soon after being employed. These teachers usually suffer from high levels of stress and anxiety during their career which might lead to burnout. Considering the impact of vision in motivating teachers, this research was designed to study the development…

Policymakers have underscored the importance of professional development (PD) opportunities for supporting the early childhood education workforce. Yet little is known about how the scope and delivery of PD opportunities impact the extent to which the content provided informs classroom practice. In the present study, we explored how teacher…

Childhood psychological trauma is currently gleaning attention in many fields of study. Subsequently, Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP) is becoming integral to many organizations that service children and families. A gap, however, is noted in literature between this approach to practice and pre-service early years professionals who study to work in…

Practicums as part of teacher education are important for teacher students' professional development. Co-operative teachers support students' learning during practicums, but in the early childhood education (ECE) context the work community of the ECE center is also seen as an essential part of the practicum environment. This study investigated ECE…

Teacher educators are charged with supporting adult learners as they prepare to collaborate with diverse families and colleagues. In this research, we examined how a cohort of teacher candidates (N = 29) developed over a semester in their understanding, dispositions, and knowledge of strategies for partnership through the "dilemmas"…

Reflective practice is foundational in what preservice educators should know and be able to do as noted in professional preparation standards for Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE). Reflection aids preservice educators in connecting course content with field and clinical experiences…

Early childhood education is a demanding profession, and teachers' stress is inversely associated with the quality of their interactions with young children. In order to provide stress management tools to preservice teachers prior to entry into the field, there has been growing interest in the use of reflective practices as part of higher…

This study examined the distance teaching practices that early childhood preservice teachers chose for working with kindergarten students during the COVID-19 lockdown. The study involved 32 female preservice teachers studying at teacher training institutions in Israel. The study used the qualitative research method. The data analysis revealed that…

Over recent decades, the demographic composition of children in the United States has rapidly shifted, culturally and linguistically. Concomitantly, there has been an increased need for early childhood education (ECE) teacher preparation programs to develop a culturally competent ECE workforce who are equipped to provide equitable learning…

Early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers report high levels of stress, but little is known about the well-being of educators working with young children with disabilities. This study explores latent class analysis of early childhood special educator well-being, based on multidimensional measures of mental health and well-being to…

Education professionals' conceptions of assessment can influence how they enact assessment with children. In this study, we explored the factor structure of a previously validated survey instrument, Brown's Conceptions of Assessment Questionnaire (COA-III), when administered to a social-media-based sample of 241 U.S. early childhood professionals.…

Professional development is an important tool for supporting early childhood teachers in implementing developmentally appropriate practices and child-guided instruction in the classroom. This phenomenological study explored five U.S. novice early childhood education teachers' experiences with professional development. Specifically, we explored how…