Computational thinking (CT) has great potential for enhancing mathematics and science lessons in K-12 education. Numerous studies demonstrate that under the right circumstances, CT integration in math and science can improve student learning and promote deeper understanding. However, teacher education currently does not include preparation for…

Purpose: Reflective journal writing is considered as a form of reflective practice. The research studies suggested that journal writing allowed the teacher to reflect on their practices, improved their self-awareness and supported their professional development. Even though the research showed that journal writing as an effective tool for…

The importance of early care and education (ECE) to children's lifelong learning and to our nation's economic well-being is recognized up to the highest levels of government and in businesses, schools, and living rooms across the country. Like many states in recent years, Mississippi has committed public and private resources toward multiple…

The importance of early care and education (ECE) to children's lifelong learning and to our nation's economic well-being is recognized up to the highest levels of government and in businesses, schools, and living rooms across the country. Florida is home to more than 1 million children under the age of five, nearly 70 percent of whom attend some…

This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Florida, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics, as well as the extent to which Florida ECE higher education programs are incorporating early math, family engagement, and working with dual language…

Knowledge and skills regarding policy and advocacy are important expectations for today's early childhood workforce, yet policy and advocacy content and processes have not traditionally been emphasized in teacher preparation programmes. This article describes an innovative undergraduate course that goes beyond traditional foci on developmental…

Language teacher education is widely identified as one of the most important areas that needs addressing in order to improve early language instruction, yet research into teacher education for early language teachers remains relatively sparse. This volume responds to this gap by compiling studies with diverse methodological tenets from a wide…

Alternative instructional and curricular models are regarded as more comprehensive and suitable approaches to providing quality physical education (Kulinna 2008; Lund and Tannehill 2010; McKenzie and Kahan 2008; Metzler 2011; Quay and Peters 2008). The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of the Early Steps Physical Education…

The "Effective Classroom Interactions" (ECI) online courses were designed to provide an engaging, effective and scalable approach to enhancing early childhood teachers' use of classroom practices that impact children's school readiness. The created courses included several versions aimed at testing whether or not certain design aspects…

Children whose native language is one other than English face formidable challenges when they enter English-dominant schools. The task of learning English, progressing in one's native language, and acculturating to the school environment is a complicated one that requires the child to develop many new skills. In the past, children who were English…