This explanatory mixed methods study investigated the role digital literacies play in the collaborative online learning of early childhood educators (ECEs). Through reporting quantitative survey and qualitative interview data, study results describe the attitudes and skills that contribute to ECEs' abilities to fluently use different modes of…

"I think I can, I think I can' puffed "The Little Engine That Could." The American folktale taught the value of optimism and hard work reflecting a growth mindset belief about abilities. A growth mindset positively impacts academic achievement, motivation, and children's agency for learning. Few studies have explored how early…

Practicum experiences, a critical feature in educator preparation programs, provide preservice educators opportunities to incorporate theory and practice in classrooms while under the supervision of a mentor educator. Although general descriptions of high-quality practicum experiences are provided by professional organizations and accrediting…

This study addresses the dearth of research on preparing pre-service early childhood educators to support young children's language development. Taking a design-based approach to an undergraduate course for early childhood majors, qualitative data analysis examined the seven participating pre-service teachers' knowledge of, perspectives on, and…

A critical component of blended early childhood/early childhood special education teacher preparation programs is preparing future educators who have the knowledge and skills to work with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families. International field experiences that immerse pre-service teachers (PSTs) in another culture can…

The article describes a systematic review of 109 studies using the data-informed decision-making framework to understand the sources of assessment data and the main purposes for assessment use among early childhood educators. Findings revealed assessment use is driven by the purposes of measuring and monitoring children's learning and development,…

This reflection on practice explores dehumanizing educator talk as an explicit topic within multicultural/diversity/anti-bias and anti-racist teacher education. Dehumanizing educator talk is defined as formal or informal conversation during which targeted individuals or groups are openly demeaned with offensive generalizations in the absence of…

Families are critical to children's learning and play a vital role on their children's team. As such, preparation standards across the Division for Early Childhood, National Association for the Education of Young Children, and other key entities include family practices as part of their recommendations. This content analysis examined how states…

Education professionals' conceptions of assessment can influence how they enact assessment with children. In this study, we explored the factor structure of a previously validated survey instrument, Brown's Conceptions of Assessment Questionnaire (COA-III), when administered to a social-media-based sample of 241 U.S. early childhood professionals.…

Teaching is a stressful profession given teachers' competing demands. Due to COVID-19, teachers struggle to balance maintaining a safe classroom environment and the traditional child-directed focus of early education. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an adaptation of Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation…

The qualifications that early childhood (EC) teachers attain vary across the 50 states. This variance is likely associated with the differences in state-level childcare licensing policies governing the qualification attainment of EC teachers. This research explores the relationship between childcare licensing policy and the qualifications that EC…

Policymakers' demands for standardization and increased academic achievement have led various stakeholder groups to call for more professional development (PD) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Federal initiatives and state agencies' quality improvement initiatives also position PD as a key component to improve access to…

There is an extensive history of collaboration with respect to policy initiatives between the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). In pursuit of promoting high quality inclusive education for all young children, DEC and NAEYC have…

Two instructors collaborated across programs in a School of Education to bring mixed reality simulation to preservice early childhood educators in an effort to utilize content knowledge to practice challenging conversations. The scenario chosen was a parent-teacher conference focused on supporting a child with disabilities in an inclusive early…

Initiatives aimed at improving STEM education have largely focused on school-based programs, with the majority of STEM professional development targeting primary and secondary school educators. However, there is growing interest in STEM education in the early childhood years. This paper reviews the available evidence to explore the extent to which…