ERIC Number: EJ1285980
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1027
EISSN: N/A
These Aren't the Kids I Signed up For: the Lived Experience of General Education, Early Childhood Preservice Teachers in Classrooms for Children with Special Needs
Stites, Michele L.; Walter, Heather L.; Krikorian, Jacqueline G.
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, v42 n1 p1-19 2021
Effective inclusive teaching practices continue to be an area of uncertainty for preservice and practicing teachers. This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of three, general education, early childhood, preservice teachers (PST) completing a field experience in preschool classrooms for children with significant disabilities. All three PSTs in the study were completing a semester long requisite field experience while concurrently completing an introduction to special education course. Both the field experience and the introduction to special education course were required for their early childhood, general education certification program. While the PSTs initially acknowledged anxiety related to working with children with significant disabilities, the levels of anxiety decreased during the experience. Additionally, PSTs noted the importance of the pedagogical skills they acquired from their special education mentor teachers. Highly skilled, special education mentor teachers were noted being critical to a successful experience.
Descriptors: Inclusion, General Education, Early Childhood Teachers, Preschool Teachers, Regular and Special Education Relationship, Students, Students with Disabilities, Student Attitudes, Severity (of Disability), Experiential Learning, Teaching Skills, Special Education Teachers, Mentors, Field Experience Programs
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A