ERIC Number: EJ1397818
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1027
EISSN: EISSN-1745-5642
Novice Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions of Their Professional Development Experiences: An Interpretive Phenomenological Approach
Hooper, Alison; Potts, Courtney; Walton, Melissa
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, v44 n3 p310-329 2023
Professional development is an important tool for supporting early childhood teachers in implementing developmentally appropriate practices and child-guided instruction in the classroom. This phenomenological study explored five U.S. novice early childhood education teachers' experiences with professional development. Specifically, we explored how these teachers' perceptions of their professional development experiences were interwoven with individual-level characteristics and organizational-level features. Findings suggest that participating teachers' self-efficacy and perceptions of school climate strongly influenced their perceptions of professional development. Participants described valuing hands-on learning opportunities and social support. All reported feeling unprepared for certain aspects of their role as an early educator; however, participants responded to these feelings differently. Findings have implications for improving induction and professional development for novice early childhood educators.
Descriptors: Beginning Teachers, Early Childhood Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Faculty Development, Teaching Experience, Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Kindergarten, Educational Environment, Teacher Characteristics, Institutional Characteristics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A