Turnover of early childhood education (ECE) professionals negatively impacts program costs, staff morale, and relationships with children. We determined whether the presence of work as a calling was associated with less intention to leave the ECE field. From an online survey administered to 265 ECE professionals in Pennsylvania, a calling score…

The early childhood education teacher workforce is consistently relied upon to bolster children's academic and socioemotional development in preparation for kindergarten and long-term outcomes. This is especially true of children who, historically overlooked and marginalized, are labeled "at risk." While research has focused on pervasive…

The importance of early science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities for all young children has become increasingly documented by research and recommended practices. In addition, high quality inclusive settings where all children can access and benefit from learning activities continues to demonstrate optimal outcomes…

Research studies and national education standards support the importance of young children acquiring narrative skills for early language and literacy development. Less is known, however, about teachers' beliefs about how essential it is to provide young children with narrative instruction. Using a person-centered approach, the current study…

The COVID-19 crisis presented teachers and families with the challenge of educating young children online. This study explored the experiences with virtual education of 51 parents and 53 teachers of young children. The results have shown that families and educators were aligned in their goals for early childhood education. Nevertheless, teachers…

In this study, we aimed to explore early childhood educators' conceptualisations of physical literacy and how these are integrated in their teaching practice. To this end, we used a mixed-methods embedded design, with a primarily qualitative component that is supported by quantitative data (QUAL + quan). Participants consisted of class teachers (n…

Issues of Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) shortages, recruitment, and retention are of concern in many nations, with ECT attrition being a contributing factor. Simultaneously, scholars argue that neoliberal influences are restricting the agency of ECTs. This article explores the relationship between ECT attrition and agency by re-examining…

Early childhood teachers play a central role in children's learning and development. Yet, they encounter stressors that can negatively impact their well-being, relationships with children, and, ultimately, job retention. To inform efforts to support early childhood teachers' work-related well-being, the current study examines positive factors that…

Co-teaching has been proposed as a meaningful method in addressing the challenges that can accompany classroom diversity. In the present study teachers' attitudes were investigated regarding co-teaching and the inclusion of students with disabilities in general classes. A total of 104 early childhood educators responded to a questionnaire (51.9%…

A rich literature describes the efficacy of coaching programs for early care and education (ECE) teachers. ECE teachers can provide unique insights into the coaching process and several studies have described the coaching experience from the perspective of ECE teachers serving preschool-age children. However, limited data are available to describe…

Character strengths improve performance and well-being but are rarely studied among early childhood educators. This qualitative study describes how in-service early childhood educators (n = 17, United States) resolved workplace challenges following a character strength application intervention. During professional development, teachers learned to…

Despite increasing understanding of the importance of including children and families from diverse backgrounds and family structures within early childhood education (ECE) programmes, little attention has been paid to how children and parents from Rainbow Families are included. This article draws on findings from two studies in Aotearoa New…

This study examined the challenges of pedagogical documentation from the perspectives of Turkish early childhood teachers. Pedagogical documentation was initially introduced as a teaching, learning, and assessment tool in early childhood education settings in Turkey through a three-year project. A total of 22 early childhood teachers working in a…

This Early Childhood Education (ECE) study explores the impact of changing from a teacher-centered to a child-centered curriculum, on the professional perceptions of ECE educators working in a private ECE facility in Lebanon. The researchers conducted two rounds of focus groups and individual interviews to explore the perceptions of the…

With increasing rates of childhood obesity in the United States, it is important to develop effective curricula that helps children learn and practice healthy habits. Given the large percentage of children who spend time in away-from-home care, childcare centers are opportune contexts to implement such curricula. We sought insight from 35 teachers…