The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for students seeking clinical internships, and faculty have felt those obstacles trying to mentor students. The problem addressed in this study were the challenges child life specialist faculty at a local colleges face in supporting child life specialist candidates in locating internships upon degree…

Although home visiting is growing as a service for families with young children, the field does not adequately prepare the home visiting workforce, and higher education courses on home visiting are rare. Many home visitors are prepared through higher education as teachers, social workers, or nurses, which provides knowledge but few of the skills…

Due to the pervasiveness and negative impacts of trauma on students, it is essential for teachers to be prepared to use trauma-informed practices. Few studies focus on the preparation of preservice teachers for trauma-informed practices in teacher education programs. This manuscript presents findings from a mixed-methods study surveying…

The purpose of clinical courses in teacher education programs is to reflect on practice. Yet there is little research on how best to structure critical self-reflection with early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher candidates. Following a review of research promoting ECSE teacher candidate reflection and a discussion of critically…

This study is focused on a collaboratively designed clinical experience that leverages peer coteaching alongside the pedagogies of practice framework to create Third Spaces for teacher candidates (TCs) as they implement reading lessons with elementary students. Using TC reflections, exam scores, and lesson plans, this quasi-experimental…

Background/purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify strengths and deficits of alternative teacher certification programs, with particular emphasis on approaches to strengthening mathematical content knowledge and pedagogy. Materials/methods: Six participants included both teacher candidates enrolled in internship in the…

Successful educator preparation programs rely on partnerships with K-12 schools. The literature emphasizes the importance of strong partnerships, but illustrates limitations in creating and maintaining partnerships that meet the needs of all parties--the partnering school and its students, the college/university and teacher candidates. The purpose…

Peer tutoring has been implemented for two academic years (2017-18 and 2018-19) to a course and the internship of a postgraduate program of the Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood of the Democritus University of Thrace. Until now fourteen students (eight students and six tutors) have been involved to the method. The purpose of this…

In 2010, Illinois passed legislation making significant changes to its principal preparation and licensure policies. With the goal of improving student outcomes and closing achievement gaps, the state updated standards for principal preparation programs with a focus on instructional leadership. Illinois's reforms were ambitious, requiring all…

The authors describe a major program reform study of an early childhood teacher education program in a large, urban, state university in the United States. Over a 4-year period, our team of early childhood faculty undertook an intentional and reflective program reform study to better advocate for quality early childhood educational philosophy and…

This paper explores Illinois's shift from a general administrative license, called a "Type 75" license, to a "PK-12 Principal Endorsement." It includes both a history of the reform efforts and a look at how implementation has fared nearly a decade after the legislation was signed into law. It also offers lessons and…

The efficiency of the education systems fundamentally depends on the quality of teaching and learning in classrooms, workshops, laboratories, and other educational spaces. Perfect teachers, well-designed courses, and proper facilities, provision of necessary resources are required for an excellent education, but not enough. This study aims to…

Education in the United States is a different experience depending on where students live and go to school. The achievement and opportunity gaps illuminate disparities in the quality of education students of color and students living in poverty receive. When research is embedded within the practice of teaching, or practitioner inquiry, it has…

Literature has identified varied internship models yet preparing early childhood pre-service teachers (ECPSTs) to confront the realities and challenges of learning-to-teach during internship remain scarcely examined. The qualitative single-case study sought to uncover ways to optimize ECPSTs' latent knowledge and skills given a limited time for…

In the survey conducted among graduates of pedagogical faculties of four universities: in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ukraine, differences were found in the self-assessment of professional competence acquired in the course of studies. This study contributes to future deliberations, emphasising the importance of curricular and systemic…