ERIC Number: EJ839293
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Oct
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1027
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Tradition and Change: The Voyage of Revising an Early Childhood Studies Preparation Program
Marchel, Mary Ann; Keenan, Karen M. S.
Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, v26 n4 p331-345 Oct 2005
How does a university teacher education program stay afloat in a continuous sea of change? The purpose of this paper is to exemplify a university early childhood studies program revision experience. It identifies internal motivational change forces, such as personnel and cultural change, and external forces, such as federal mandates, best practices, and socioeconomic needs. Diverse expertise, common vision, accommodating structures, and administrative leadership as supportive resources are examined. Decision-making and action-planning strategies to assist the change journey are explicated. Results from student surveys, early childhood faculty reaction, focus groups with early childhood field-based practitioners, and interviews with college administration provide validation data. The outcome, a Unified Early Childhood Program (UECP), is described, followed by future directions to monitor and promote best practices in early childhood professional preparation. (Contains 7 figures.)
Descriptors: Preservice Teacher Education, Teacher Education Programs, Focus Groups, College Administration, Student Surveys, Young Children, Higher Education, College Faculty, Tenure, Early Childhood Education, Administrators
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Minnesota
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A