The study presents a historical background of teacher education in Jordan and outlines the components of the present teacher education program at Hashemite University. This includes admission policy, academic study plans, practicum programs, selection of cooperative schools, selection of cooperative teachers, stages of training, and assessment of…

Through this study researchers sought to evaluate the effects of qualification on instructional delivery modes of practicing preschool teachers in Nigeria. The sample consisted of 93 preschool teachers and 2,859 pupils aged 4 to 5 years. Schools were selected through stratified random sampling to ensure adequate representation of private, public,…

The training of early childhood development and education (ECDE) teachers in Kenya remains a priority in recognition of the vital role well-trained professionals play in the quality of early childhood experiences for children ages 0+ to 5+. This article provides a detailed overview of the current structure and training of ECDE professionals,…

Preparing students in the early childhood field to work with children both with and without disabilities and to collaborate with different professionals is an important endeavor for colleges and universities. The purpose of this paper is to articulate a unique model of program collaboration between early childhood special education and early…

Mathematics is a natural part of daily life for young children as they explore and investigate the world around them. To build on these experiences, and to begin establishing a mathematical foundation, early childhood educators must not only be knowledgeable about mathematical concepts, they must also be aware of the most developmentally…

Intentional, systemic philosophical change on an educational program level and on an individual level is often a slow and cyclic process. In this article, we reflect on the journey of philosophical change and growth from a traditional philosophy to an inquiry-based, Reggio-inspired one that occurred on both levels in an early childhood teacher…

Early childhood education (PK-2) has become a site of increasing accountability, with the attempt to normalize instruction through "scientifically based" reading programs. The use of authentic children's literature for early literacy instruction is often pushed aside in lieu of highly scripted commercial programs. As early childhood teacher…

This qualitative study evaluated the belief systems and professional practice of program graduates of an early childhood special education teacher preparation program regarding collaboration with families of children with disabilities. Eleven graduates were interviewed over the course of a school year to identify perceived challenges to their…

Prospective teachers' shifts of pedagogical beliefs over time were examined in this study. There were significant differences found between beliefs reported at the onset of a teacher education program when compared to beliefs reported at graduation and after one year of employment. Prospective teachers had higher mean scores on learner-centered…

We reviewed 31 articles that explored issues related to gender and sexuality in early childhood education (ECE) settings. This body of literature suggests that ECE programs and elementary schools often reinforce the homophobia, heterosexism, and sexism that characterize contemporary U.S. society. A number of the articles described strategies that…

The work of teacher candidates matters in particular ways to the quality of children's experiences and environments when they teach in preschools. We conducted a mixed-method study with survey, interviews, focus groups, and photographic documentation of classroom spaces, and theorized findings through Bahktin's dialogism and the notion of figured…

The purpose of this study was to assess the beliefs of students and faculty in a 4-year birth-kindergarten teacher preparation program using the Teacher Belief Q-Sort (TBQ). Data were collected over one academic year from a total of 63 students, 35 students at the beginning of their coursework and 28 students at the end of their program,…

The purpose of the current study was to investigate child and teacher characteristics associated with closeness and conflict in prekindergarten teacher-child relationships. Child gender and temperament were significantly associated with closeness and conflict. Specifically, higher levels of shyness correlated with closer relationships for boys…

The need to collaborate in the fields of business, health care, and technology is not a new concept. Educational institutions, however, have been slow to recognize the need to teach collaboration skills (Brownell & Walther-Thomas, 2002; Jackson, 2004). This article focuses on the development of the Collaboration Self-Assessment Tool (CSAT). The…

Disadvantaged children--those in poverty, minorities, or whose first language is not English--often come to kindergarten several years behind their more advantaged peers, especially in the areas of literacy and oral language development. A logical place to begin making a difference in children's literate lives is in the years before kindergarten.…