Critical Issues in Early Childhood Teacher Education

Volume 2-International Perspectives

Edited by:
Ithel Jones Ed.D., Florida State University
Miranda Lin, Illinois State University

A volume in the series: Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association Book Series. Editor(s): Guofang Wan, Loyola University Chicago.

Published 2020

In recent years there have been significant changes in education across the globe, largely as a result of changing demographics, technological developments, and increased globalization. Relatedly, the changing needs of societies and families, along with new research findings, provide new directions in early childhood education. Consequently, early childhood teachers today are faced with higher and more complex expectations to help ensure that their students achieve their full potential. Such expectations suggest that early childhood teachers should be professionals who are able to draw on a robust knowledge base in making educational decisions. It follows that teacher education programs should develop and implement innovative programs that can potentially enhance the quality of our future teachers.

An awareness of pressing issues in the field of early childhood teacher education led the editors to develop this volume. The chapters in these two volumes bring together scholars from across the US and the globe who are interested in improving the quality of early childhood teacher education. The chapters present their experiences, perspectives, and lessons learned as they addressed some of the challenging issues concerning the education and preparation of future early childhood teachers. The various issues and perspectives from different states in the US or countries across the globe provide insights into current issues and dilemmas facing the field. The contributions of these scholars should inform the discourse on early childhood teacher education and help those who work with preservice teachers improve the quality of their work.

CONTENTS
Volume 2—Introduction: Critical Issues in Early Childhood Teacher Education, Ithel Jones and Miranda Lin. Resisting the “Schoolification Epidemic” in Early Childhood Education: Why the “3 Rs” of Rights, Research, and Reflection Must Continue to Be the Propellers for Reconceptualizing Initial Early Childhood Teacher Education, Emer Ring, Lisha O’Sullivan, and Eugene Wall. Quality in the Early Years: An English Perspective, Kathryn Peckham. The Educator is Political: Exploring the Role of Postsecondary Early Childhood Education Programs as Places of Political Inquiry and Practice in the Contemporary Canadian ECEC Context, Brooke Richardson, Jane Hewes, and Monica Lysack. Blended Learning in Initial Teacher Education: Creating a Community of Reflective Learners, Lorraine Duffy. The Vicious Circle of ECEC Dichotomy: How Dichotomy in and Focus of Initial Professional Preparation Programs Preserve the Segregation Between Care and Education, Konstantina Rentzou. Practicum or Field Experiences as a Critical Aspect of Early Childhood Teacher Preparation: What Works, What Requires Attention? Mary Moloney. Learning to Do Reflective Practice: Does an Intensive Preservice Practicum Help Educator-Candidates Become Reflective Practitioners? Nathalie Bigras, Joanne Lehrer, Julie Dion, Lise Lemay, Cynthia Gagnon, and Rodrigo Quiroz. Preparing Global Educators: The Development of Intercultural Sensitivity and Cultural Empathy During an International Student-Teaching Internship in Nepal, Samara Madrid Akpovo, Nikki Baldwin, and Shashidhar Belbase. What Educational Practices Concerning the Development of Oral Communication Promote the Use of Complex Language Structures by 3 to 5-Year-Old Children? Nancy Allen, Nathalie Bigras, and Johanne April. Perception of Children’s Language Diversity and Their Acceptance Among Teachers in Slovakia: Research Findings, Zlatica Jursová Zacharová, Miroslava Lemešová, Lenka Sokolová, and Marian Groma. Media Educational Consciousness of Early Childhood Student Teachers: A Critical Case-Description and a Suggestion for a Cross-Curricular Framework, Pekka Mertala and Saara Salomaa. About the Authors.