Teacher self-efficacy to teach reading is positively associated with teacher effort and persistence as well as student performance. To provide effective reading instruction that meets the needs of students with reading difficulties, theoretical and empirical evidence suggests teachers need to believe they have the necessary knowledge and skills to…

Teacher self-efficacy to teach reading is positively associated with teacher effort and persistence as well as student performance. To provide effective reading instruction that meets the needs of students with reading difficulties, theoretical and empirical evidence suggests teachers need to believe they have the necessary knowledge and skills to…

Handwriting instruction is often seen as less important in the curriculum, particularly due to pressures of passing high stakes assessments and the need to develop technology competencies, as technology in education and society has become commonplace. Current research shows that literacy skills are supported through the direct instruction of…

This study examines two longstanding but thinly evidenced claims regarding credentialing requirements for teachers in the early grades (pre-K, K, 1, 2, and 3): 1) that elementary education (ELED) educator standards, under which many U.S. early grade teachers are prepared, address early instructional practices less adequately than early childhood…

This paper examines the ways in which multilingual educators view the development of their own professional identity as teachers of reading and literacy. Teachers who themselves possess biliteracy knowledge and skills are well-positioned to leverage their own understandings of language and literacy to engage their students' development in making…

This paper focuses on the concept of intersectionality, which has been used to account for multiple forms of identity and inequality. It argues that intersectionality is a powerful theoretical lens that could be used in analyzing language teachers' identities and their various contexts. It is also deeply connected to an orientation and…

With focus on teachers' experiences and understandings of manual-based programmes, this article explores the implications for teacher professionalism. It locates teachers' use of manual-based programmes in the intersection of two currents of ideas in contemporary society and within education: therapy culture and the evidence movement. The article…

The Illinois Educator Preparation Profiles (IEPP) system, housed at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), provides public information on the performance of Illinois teacher preparation programs (TPPs) across the state. TPPs are scored on 11 indicators grouped into four domains--candidate selection and completion, knowledge and skills for…

In 2020, COVID-19 disrupted schooling disproportionately affecting economically disadvantaged learners, students of color, and those living in rural spaces. Nearly three years following its initial onset, the world has entered a "post-pandemic" era. Consequently, all teachers need continued professional support and training related to…

Since 1996, hundreds of teacher preparation programs and thousands of schools, school districts, and government agencies have turned to the Framework for Teaching for a better understanding of excellent instruction. The Framework's four domains, 22 components, and 78 key elements provide an expansive, holistic definition of what teachers across…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in inclusive settings in which students with and without disabilities learn and gain knowledge. Five teachers from Kuwait participated in the study. Twenty-five consecutive observations were conducted to derive the primary data for this study.…

This article examines the shared experiences and understandings teachers draw on to teach children with an awareness of linguistic diversity. To do so, we analyzed interviews from Turkey and the United States and drew on philosophical hermeneutics as a way to develop a disruptive understanding of teachers' views regarding the role of languages in…

In this article we report on the development and implementation of a professional development programme for teachers of the kindergarten curriculum (4-5 year olds) in Ghana. Kindergarten teachers in Ghana have little experience and meagre training in implementing a play-based pedagogy as recommended in the national curriculum. An indigenous…

Accountability mandates linked to state education standards and assessments have largely replaced play in early childhood classrooms. This approach limits educators' opportunities by preventing them from using play as a means of identifying and expanding children's diverse range of competencies. In this ethnographic case study, we explore how…

Having a set of standards, whether they are common core or state standards, appropriate for kindergarten children is a concern raised by many early childhood educators and parents. Given that at this point and time standards are recognized by many other stakeholders as a way of ensuring children are ready for the future, it is time to further…