The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate gendered play in early childhood settings by examining how preschool educators' perceptions of gender create spaces that support gender exploration and expression. The study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What are pre-k teachers' perceptions of gender? 2. How do pre-k…

The problem addressed by this study is an increasing deficit in unstructured play in education due to the intensification of academics in younger grades, leading to immature social-emotional skills. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teacher perceptions of benefits of unstructured classroom play on the impulse control of…

The purpose of this case study is to explore effects of digital gamification on engagement and achievement in a third-grade social studies course for students of multiple nationalities and with varied native languages attending the English language international branch of a private, affluent school in eastern China. The case study is framed by…

The number of children attending state-funded early childhood education (ECE) programs, centers, or school-based preschool programs has increased over the last two decades and continues to rise steadily. These ECE programs use play as the main learning tool for their young students. Research illustrates the many benefits of using play as a…

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore ways in which educators can provide space for critical literacy and transactional responses with literature in early childhood classrooms. This approach to early literacy involves bringing the following three theories into practice when teaching young children: Transactional Theory of Reader Response,…

This study uses narrative inquiry to explore the stories of Black women who have successfully navigated the professional career ladder in early childhood education. The study examines four narratives, written by Black women in early childhood education through the lens of Critical Race Theory as well as Feminist Theory to understand what role race…

This dissertation examines the meaning-making of children (ages 2-5) as they read and play with picture books related to social justice themes, such as identity and diversity, in a preschool and childcare center. The study goal is to investigate the analysis of children's meaning-making of picture books to understand the social world around them…

Early childhood educators play a significant role in attending to the whole child by nurturing, caring, educating, and molding the young minds in their care. To be effective educators, early childhood educators must be well-rounded with the knowledge to attend to the children with utmost care and consideration. Early childhood teachers must be…

The field of early childhood special education faces a significant teacher shortage that is in need of solutions (Bruder, 2010; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). An unaddressed area of examination in resilience research is the role that professional relationships play in enhancing teacher resilience, career longevity, and job…

As English becomes an international language in the world, there is a growing interest in developing English skills from early childhood. In Korea, the demand for English as a foreign language education for young children has increased considerably in the past decade. However, little is still known about the professional knowledge of an early…

The prevalence of autism is on the rise and this population of students is not academically thriving, thus leading to strained resources and more intervention services across the lifespan. The educational problem is that teachers report being ill-equipped to address the diverse academic needs of their students with autism. The purpose of this…

The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to investigate early childhood teachers' perceptions of how technology integration contributes to the development of young children's literacy. I sought to understand their perspectives on the differences between traditional and digital literacies, the benefits of using technology for this…

Males comprise less than 2% of the early childhood classroom teacher population. This research explored the experiences of male teachers from career exploration to classroom teaching. The purpose of the study included discovery of the influences motivating choice to teach in the early childhood education field. Five male teachers who have taught,…

Developmentally appropriate practices aim to promote success in students and provide a framework for teaching for teachers (NAEYC, 2009). These developmentally appropriate practices are found in research and support the growth and development of young children. One of the most important developmentally appropriate practices for the birth to 8…

Until recently, many early childhood educators, particularly those in nontraditional preschool spaces, leaned on a color-evasive approach to their work, largely ignoring systemic racism and bias, claiming love and acceptance of all children in their care. While well-intentioned, these practices left young children to construct their own…