Angela C. Baum

Preservice Teachers' Beliefs About Family Involvement: Implications for Teacher Education

Teacher educators have long recognized the importance of adequately preparing preservice teachers for their work with families. Preservice teachers express many concerns that they believe may impact the development of comfortable and collaborative relationships with members of childrens families. In a previous study, the authors found that preservice teachers expressed concerns about the quality of the teacher–family relationship, meeting childrens basic needs in school, and the role of parents in education. These concerns, along with some recommendations for incorporating family involvement across the teacher education curriculum, are the focus of this article.

Preparing Classroom Teachers to Be Cooperating Teachers: A Report of Current Efforts, Beliefs, Challenges, and Associated Recommendations

A significant focus in the literature related to the preparation of early childhood teachers is the increasing emphasis on quality field-based experiences. Central to the effectiveness of these experiences is a cooperating teacher who is prepared with the necessary skills to provide prospective teachers with a powerful learning opportunity. Despite this recognition in the literature, research is limited on what early childhood teacher education programs are actually doing to prepare classroom teachers to function in this capacity. The nature and purpose of this preparation and support must be carefully examined in order to identify key features that will truly enhance the ability of these teachers to provide the type of mentoring that leads to quality field experiences. Thus, the purpose of this study is to report survey results from 62 early childhood teacher education faculty regarding their efforts in preparing cooperating teachers to work with preservice teachers. Recommendations based on these findings and the professional literature are offered.

INFUSING SPECIAL EDUCATION CONTENT INTO TEACHER EDUCATION COURSES

A recent national trend involves unifying curricula from the fields of early childhood education and early childhood special education. The intent of this trend is to comply with position statements written by prominent professional organizations, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC/ CEC), and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). These organizations advocate for inclusion of children with special needs in programs traditionally serving typically developing children.

Improving early childhood teacher education: Preservice teachers' beliefs about inclusion

Abstract The purpose of this study is to describe early childhood preservice teachers’ beliefs about the inclusion of children with special needs in early childhood settings. Nineteen female undergraduate early childhood education preservice teachers participated in one of five focus groups. Students were divided into three groups based on the courses they were enrolled in or had completed: Beginner (sophomore and junior courses), Intermediate (senior courses), and Advanced (student teaching). Additionally, 6 of the 19 students participated in individual interviews. Data analysis resulted in themes related to students’ beliefs and philosophies of inclusion, as well as their thoughts concerning practice in inclusive programs. This paper describes students’ beliefs within each group and compares responses across the different groups. Implications are discussed in relation to teacher education programs and directions for future research.

Powerful allies: Arts educators and early childhood educators joining forces on behalf of young children

ABSTRACT Arts educators and early childhood educators espouse similar philosophies and purposes surrounding young childrens educational lives, yet continue to function in largely separate worlds. This article calls for the creation of intentional alliances between the two disciplines, by first recognizing and embracing these alignments. In addition, this article provides recommendations for arts educators and early childhood educators to consider as they join forces to ensure that all young children have access to high-quality arts-based education.