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The start of each school year should be one of excitement and joy for learning. However, year to year, there is one subject that elementary students and their teachers dread: math. This study focused on collecting data from teaching candidates on their math self-efficacy beliefs and the perceived competence in their ability to implement three specific high-leverage practices (HLPs) during student teaching. This qualitative case study explores the experiences of teaching candidates enrolled in a university teacher preparation program. Within previous method courses, content focused on the planning, instruction, and assessment of high-leverage practices. The overarching question of this study is: How did implementing three specific HLPs during a twelve-week student teaching experience in an elementary classroom environment impact a teaching candidate's self-efficacy with mathematical content? A conventional sampling was used to select four to six elementary and/or early childhood teaching candidates for this study. The data collected tracked if teaching candidates' math self-efficacy views changed during the twelve weeks of student teaching. Surveys, interviews, lesson planning, and instruction data were collected and coded to reveal if teaching candidates' instructional comfort and math self-efficacy beliefs changed with the implementation of high-leverage instructional practices. The three HLPs of focus in this study are leading a group discussion, explaining and modeling content, practices, and strategies, and eliciting and interpreting student thinking.

This study examined how vicarious trauma can impact young children in a military family. Vicarious trauma is the effect of living with a person who was directly impacted by trauma of war combat moral injury. Moral injury is described as cognitive dissonance and a shattered moral covenant due to the violation of deeply held beliefs and values, and a breakdown of trust. Through an in-depth series of interviews with a parent of children who have experienced vicarious trauma due to combat-related physical and moral injury, findings reveal the direct negative social and emotional impacts on young children through their relationships in their home and school environments. An overview of how moral injury affected the primary caregiver is examined, along with the description of negative impacts on the young children in their daily routine. The parental perspectives reflect on the children’s personal experiences, which include discussions of frustrations, avoidance, violent physical abuse, yelling and screaming, anxiety, fearfulness, expressions of anger, and impulsive and violent actions with a non-violent intent of the young children in their daily routine, all of which appear to be a result of moral injury experienced by a primary caregiver. The discussion also examined what can be done to change the negative impacts by using strategies including love and nurturance, community resources, and networking implemented for policy change in communities for the families in need, who have experienced domestic abuse or vicarious trauma. Finally, this case study identifies emotional intelligence training along with other strategies for intervening with young children who need help with vicarious trauma, arguing that advocacy for young children is needed to strengthen their moral courage when their lives are impacted socially and emotionally by vicarious trauma.

Three Australian Government commissioned reports from 2011-2017 convey a longstanding child development theory-practice gap in early childhood education. This study explores what informs mentors’ discussions of theories of child development with early career preschool teachers. Grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, themes relate to the wide role of the early childhood teacher, variation in initial teacher education, developing teacher identity, emotional connections, and consolidation and extension of university learning of child development theories. Critical discussion of themes from a Freirean perspective illustrates how mentors conveyed experiences of oppression, marginalisation, and liberation. We offer that though the child development theory-practice gap is historically presented as problematic, those interviewed suggest it is a natural and necessary part of the journey for beginning teachers. Although implications for Australian initial teacher education policy and practice are presented, this study serves as a case example for future comparative international research in this field.

Teacher educators face many challenges related to workload and government-mandated reforms in Initial Teacher Education programs. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 has exacerbated these challenges as universities must become more cost-effective and improve research outcomes and impact, often resulting in heavier workloads. While these challenges may be faced in other disciplines, teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout is an under-researched field, and little is known about if and how teacher educators maintain their wellbeing during times of uncertainty. This collaborative autoethnographic study applied an arts-based research method to explore the wellbeing challenges faced by four Australian teacher educators through the lens of the PERMA wellbeing framework. Data was collected through conversations, written reflections and field texts. While tensions often emerged, opportunities for success and positive changes also became known. The importance of agency and self-determination of teacher educator wellbeing became an important foundation for continuation in teacher education.

The purpose of this study was to gather information on Early Intervention (EI) practices and the implementation of the Special Education High Leverage Practices (HLPs) with parents and children ages birth through age two. In the past, EI staff took the lead as they provided a medical model of services where the staff went into the homes of parents and “fixed” problems the child was having, essentially leaving the parent out of the equation (NICHCY, 2022). The programs involved parents, but many of the parents seemed to take a back seat and watch what was going on with their child (NICHCY, 2014, Edwards, 2019). In recent years, EI services have moved toward a family-centered approach where EIs are expected to interact with the child during daily routines but also coach parents during this time. The Council for Exceptional Children CEC (2023) focuses on including the HLPs in current EI practices. This project describes how reflected on my coaching and then used HLPs to better communicate with parents and coached them in implementing interventions into their child’s daily routines. It consisted of creating forms and using a coaching practices checklist to keep track of coaching fidelity. Through this reflection and analysis, I more effectively organized and facilitated meetings with professionals and families, prioritized long- and short-term learning goals, and enhanced coaching through explicit instruction.

International literature highlights that a perennial challenge for initial teacher educators is to guide Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) to develop a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between theory and practice. Whilst there is a growing body of research that examines the relationship and/or the gap between theory and practice in teacher education, there remains a paucity of research that examines this phenomenon in the teaching of English and literacy units in higher education. This pilot study examined how PSTs from two Australian universities made connections and/or links (nexus) between their academic knowledge (theory) and professional experience (praxis) for the teaching of English and literacy in the early years (birth to eight years of age). This article reports on the study’s findings and offers propositions for future and ongoing research in this field.

Early childhood education is foregrounded in change. In Australia, this has encompassed the introduction, review and updates of national quality and curriculum frameworks from 2009, and changes to qualification requirements. Within the state of Victoria, further impacts have occurred due to the simultaneous introduction of a parallel curriculum framework. This paper draws on a qualitative study to examine how diverse teacher education discourses available to Victorian long day care educators have shaped their subject positions, discursive practices and reform engagement. Utilising Foucault’s concepts of discourse, knowledge and power, and Foucauldian Discourse Analysis [FDA], findings offer insight into how diverse teacher education discourses and privileged content knowledge influence how educators engage in reform and the changing knowledge base of the field. Recommendations are put forward for consideration to better accommodate the diverse positionalities occupied by educators and ease the enduring hierarchies and tensions within the early childhood field.

The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study was to determine how doctoral students in a formal leadership program conceptualize followership. The methods used to conduct this analysis included distributing a Qualtrics (released in August 2022) survey and conducting one-on-one interviews with a sample of degree-seeking doctoral students within a formal leadership program. The researcher collected quantitative and qualitative data addressing students’ followership style, leadership attitudes and beliefs, and perceptions of followership. These data were analyzed concurrently using a triangulation design. A total of 67 students completed the survey, and seven students were interviewed. The findings revealed that the participants employ an exemplary followership style, exercise systemic thinking, and hold a prototypic and antiprototypic view of followers. As followers, the participants described themselves as actively supporting the leader, organization, and team while taking the initiative to go above and beyond in problem-solving and executing their roles. Further, they emphasized the importance of developing rapport with their leader(s) and colleagues because they view leadership as a collective process that is relationship oriented. Moreover, they believe they add value to that process regardless of the role they hold. Although their perceptions of followership encompass a continuum of negative and positive follower attributes, they assume that most followers are proactive and interactive in their work with the leader(s) and members of the organization. Keywords: follower, followership, leadership, higher education, mixed-methods

This study investigated a heutagogy-informed teacher professional education model designed to assist Indonesian teachers in achieving the competencies established by the Indonesian government to address teacher quality issues. The critical concepts of the model include self-determined learning, metacognitive reflection, collaborative learning, and capability development. An embedded design methodology, grounded in pragmatism as the overarching research paradigm, was employed for this investigation. The findings of this study provide significant insights for enhancing teachers’ professional education in Indonesia, particularly in terms of the effectiveness of heutagogy-informed approaches compared to traditional approaches of teacher training, with additional benefits stemming from heutagogy-informed, technology-facilitated learning impacting both their professional development and intended classroom practices.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be used by an individual to supplement or support communication modalities when there is difficulty with verbal communication. ASHA, n.d.a delves further into the true meaning of AAC and defines the terminology of augmentative as adding to a person’s spoken language and alternative as other methods used to produce verbal communication. The purpose of this research study was to explore the perceptions of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) concerning the involvement and/or role of caregivers or family members when their loved one is utilizing an AAC device for communication across the preschool setting. Four semi-structured interviews with SLPs were conducted, transcribed, and coded. Results revealed the successful implementation of AAC is influenced by four factors related to SLPs and other professionals, parents and/or caregivers, children, and available resources.

This paper explores the interconnectedness between Australian teachers’ literacy practices and their pedagogic identity during the global pandemic. In doing so, the paper presents pedagogic identity as a dynamic, ever-evolving construct involving teachers and their teaching environment. Findings are reported from a case study of early years and primary teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data. From teachers’ self-reported teaching experiences, we identify three orientations to pedagogic identity: The Driver; The Collaborator; and The Apprentice. Drawing on analytic work, the paper finds that the online delivery of literacy teaching brought opportunities for teachers to shift between pedagogic identities, allowing for rich pedagogic variation, and in consequence, demonstrate the pluralistic nature of pedagogic identity. This paper is of benefit to teachers, specifically beginning teachers as well as early career teachers, to help them better understand the changing nature of, and influences on, their pedagogic identity

In spite of debate, ambiguity, and tension around teacher dispositions, in the past over two decades, the place of dispositions in initial teacher education (ITE) has been widely supported among policy makers and researchers. Specifically, debate on whether dispositions are teachable has largely given way to action to foster dispositions. Adopting a two-cycle participatory action research design, this study explored ways to teach the first-year teacher candidates’ dispositions in an early childhood ITE programme in New Zealand. The intervention included eight focus dispositions and corresponding strategies to teach each focus disposition. Data collection methods included student self-assessment surveys, individual and focus group interviews with students and teaching staff, team meetings, and a variety of pedagogical documentation. Ethnographic content analysis generated three themes: legitimacy of the intervention, experiential orientation of the intervention, and effect of the intervention. The study exemplifies how dispositions intervention can be incorporated in ITE programmes.

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of a group of U.S. public schools, kindergarten through fifth grade teachers, certified in general education with experience teaching inclusion--a federally mandated practice requiring schools to educate students both with and without disabilities in the same classroom. Much of the literature surrounding inclusion focuses on the perceived benefits of the program and children with disabilities' legal rights. The literature has a limited number of references describing the perceptions and experiences of teachers who are required to provide the educational services necessary for inclusion in the classroom. In this study, 35 participants answered survey questions about inclusion. Ten of the respondents additionally participated in follow-up interviews, providing nearly ten hours of dialogue and sharing narrative accounts of perceptions and experiences. The finding indicated that all participants verbally expressed support for the concept of inclusive education. However, with deeper probing, no participant relayed a positive personal account from teaching inclusion, yet, every participant identified multiple problems and/or experiences.

Provision of quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) supports children’s learning with strong agreement that early childhood teachers (ECTs) are central to quality provision. In many countries, it is mandatory that ECEC services employ ECTs. However, Australian ECT employers report that early childhood graduates are not always well-prepared to work in ECEC settings. This may be because what constitutes optimal early childhood initial teacher education programs (EC ITE) is unclear. To investigate the design of EC ITE programs this research reports on (i) design of EC ITE programs across international contexts; and (ii) 19 Australian ECT employers’ perspectives on EC ITE program design. Findings indicate little consensus on the design of EC ITE programs, with inconsistencies across and within countries. Australian employers identified shortcomings in graduates knowledge. This research highlights recommendations to understand how programs prepare ECTs, by conducting research tracking preservice teachers from EC ITE programs into ECEC teaching.

https://scholars.fhsu.edu/all_oer/1001/thumbnail.jpg, This book is for the early childhood pre-service teachers, which includes the period from infancy until eight years of age. Mathematics skills must be taught in early childhood and children should be provided a foundation to succeed in elementary school and beyond. Mathematics Methods for Early Childhood was designed to help early childhood teacher candidates develop an understanding of why lessons in early childhood should focus on mathematics in order to help children be successful. Young children are naturally curious, and the best time to begin mathematics is at a time while the young child's brain is rapidly developing. Mathematics in early childhood helps children develop critical thinking and reasoning skills early on and it’s the key to the foundation for success in their formal schooling years. This book references the Kansas Mathematics Standards. These standards are closely aligned to the Common Core Standards for School Mathematics.

The implementation of a teacher education strategy in a decentralised Finnish education system is analysed. Altogether, 31 pilot projects, involving teacher educators from all universities, were funded to support the implementation of the strategy and professional learning of autonomous teacher educators in the context of the strategy. In this mixed-methods research, the directors and active partners of the pilot projects were asked how they perceived the characteristics of the pilot projects that have been recognised as supportive for the implementation of the strategy. The directors were also asked to evaluate the impact of the projects. The projects have supported the achievement of the strategy’s aims. Research and goal orientation, active learning, collaboration, contextualisation and reflection were emphasised in the pilot project activities. Common goal setting and evaluation of the pilot projects should be emphasised more in the implementation of the strategy.

Snider (2021) A Guide for Preschool General Education Teachers to Identify and Support Children with Developmental Delays It is essential to identify areas of professional development that educators need in order to effectively teach children. Professional development strengthens teachers knowledge and equips them with skills that will improve teaching practice and child achievement. This study looked at preschool general educator areas of weakness. The information that was obtained was used to create a professional development guide to enhance weakness areas. The results show that preschool general education teachers needed further information on identifying and supporting children with developmental delays. In order to enhance teacher confidence and competence in meeting the needs of students with disabilities, it is important to include teachers in the planning and development process. Ensuring that teachers understand how information connects to their work within the classroom will ultimately benefit student learning.

Throughout their initial teacher education training in Australia, students are informed about the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) and the necessity of gathering evidence to achieve these for teacher registration. Whilst the use of digital technologies as tools for reflection has become increasingly popular, there remains a paucity of research around the types of digital technologies that students use to document their ability to achieve accreditation requirements. This study presents details of how PebblePad, a specialised ePortfolio platform, can assist teacher education students to gain increased awareness about the 37 APST descriptors through the use of tagging. Results demonstrate that students found tagging an invaluable practice and that they recognised the importance of using this ePortfolio platform after graduation to build on their growth as educators in alignment with the APST. In this way, the study addresses a significant gap in teacher education literature in this era of accountability.

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) has set forth a list of high leverage practices that have significant impact on children with special needs from birth through early childhood. One of these impactful strategies is building family capacity, which can be effectively addressed using a coaching framework for service delivery. Research in the field has not yet clearly defined coaching terms, definitions or characteristics, which impacts the fidelity of the practice and requires research and consensus moving forward. This body of work seeks to look at current research around the topic of coaching and it’s effectiveness in meeting student and family outcomes. In addition it includes a personal experience using the components of the coaching framework and its coordinating fidelity tool with a family in early intervention. Keywords: early childhood, early intervention, family capacity, service delivery, coaching, caregivers, triads

This paper reports on a study of the children’s book preferences of 82 Preservice teachers (PSTs) at one Western Australian University. The study found PSTs preferred older books published during their own childhood or earlier. Further, representation of people of colour was limited to only 8 of 177 titles listed by PSTs. Key influences on their preferences were their personal favourite books and those used by mentor teachers during practicum experience. The outcomes of this study have implications for curriculum development and implementation of Initial Teacher Education courses, and in turn, for equitable outcomes of the future students of PSTs.

In Australia it is well documented that teachers continue to struggle with implementing Aboriginal content, pedagogies and engaging with Aboriginal communities. This paper describes a research project analysing place-based learning for preservice teachers at an urban university led by Aboriginal community members. We argue that place-based learning is critical in developing preservice teacher’s knowledge and confidence in Aboriginal education. Surveys, individual and group yarns provided in-depth data from 64 participants completing elective courses including place-based ‘Learning from Country’ (LFC) experiences. Three key findings emerge from the data. Firstly, the utility of an experiential ‘learning by doing’ approach, secondly, the profound shifts in participant understandings of the diversity of Aboriginal cultures, histories and communities and thirdly, how these experiences highlighted the strength and presence of the local urban Aboriginal community. These findings suggest that LFC holds promise as a pedagogical strategy to improve teacher capacity in Aboriginal education.

Raising the quality of initial teacher education can make an important contribution to raising the overall quality of the school system. In Australia, the National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching is used as a common framework to set standards for the accreditation of teacher education programs. However, institution-wise assessments need to be carried out regularly to explore the quality of preparation pre-service teachers receive and to what extent they feel well prepared to enter teaching. This will enable teacher education programs to implement strategies to strengthen the link between university coursework and professional practice of pre service teachers. This paper discusses the development and validation of a scale to measure pre- service teachers’ perceptions of preparedness to teach, readiness to engage with the teaching profession and self-efficacy in teaching. The study also proposes a model describing the relationship among these variables. Data was collected from 235 final year pre-service teachers using a newly developed questionnaire at an Australian university. Data shows that the Pre service Teacher Professional Experience (PTPE) scale is a theoretically sound, gender invariant and psychometrically valid instrument. The implications of using the scale in teacher education programmes are discussed in the context of the findings.

This literature review explores the history of art therapy in education. By understanding the history it is clear that art therapy has always been a positive force for students. By learning from the successes and challenges in our history we are better able to plan for future programing and expansion of art therapy programs. Because art therapy was developed in part by educators, the history of art therapy itself is linked with the history of art therapy in schools. In today’s application of art therapy in education there are three models most typically used. The research discusses the strengths and limitations for each. The intersection between the arts in education and art therapy in education is explored. The data supports the use of art therapy in schools and provides a framework for future use. Limitations and suggestions for potential research are provided.

The objectives were to study and develop metacognitive skills of 1,616 early childhood in-service teachers in Child Development Center, Thailand. The quasi-experimental design were implied. Research Tools were Metacognitive Self-Assessment Questionnaire and scoring rubrics for early childhood students’ assessment. Data were analyzed through fundamental statistics and inferential statistics. The research results were as follows: The teachers who joined with the program had got higher metacognitive skills score for both knowledge of cognition and knowledge of regulation than the other one. The teachers who had different supportive factors, different attitude towards pedagogy and different self-efficacy, would have got statistically significant difference in metacognitive skills in each dimension at the 0.01 level. Metacognitive skill score after participation in were higher than before in each dimension at the 0.01 level. Posttest score of early childhood students’ metacognitive skills were statistically significant higher than pretest score in each dimension at the 0.01 level.

The purpose of this study is to ensure that our early childhood classrooms are trauma sensitive for our students that have been exposed or are experiencing trauma. Roughly 26 percent of children in the United States witness or experience a trauma before the age of 4( Briggs- Gowan et al.2010). The study was conducted in three different phases. In the first phase, data was collected on what strategies are presently implemented for students who have been exposed to trauma. In the second phase, strategies, techniques and tools were introduced to help during stressful situations that happened during class. In the third phase, data was collected on what strategies, techniques and tools were the most useful, or did not work. Signs and symptoms of early childhood trauma can easily be mistaken for those of other developmental issues, such as ADHD or autism spectrum disorder. Data was collected to see if the correct supports were being implemented. I believe that by implementing the correct strategies, techniques and tools in the classroom, and teachers understanding trauma and knowing what signs to look for, we will be able to support our students in our classrooms and possibly misdiagnosed students by providing them with the services and interventions they need.