Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development in Chilean State-Funded Early Childhood Education

Autor/inn/en	Gómez, Mariel; Ford, Laurie
Titel	Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Development in Chilean State-Funded Early Childhood Education
Quelle	In: International Research in Early Childhood Education, 8 (2017) 1, S.21-37 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1838-0689
Schlagwörter	Teacher Attitudes; Faculty Development; Early Childhood Education; Foreign Countries; Case Studies; Qualitative Research; Preservice Teacher Education; Preschool Teachers; Work Environment; Semi Structured Interviews; Chile + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lehrerverhalten; Early childhood; Education; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik; Ausland; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Qualitative Forschung; Lehramtsstudiengang; Lehrerausbildung; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Erzieher; Erzieherin; Kindergärtnerin; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Arbeitsmilieu
Abstract	This article presents the results of a study on professional development in Chilean state-funded early childhood education. Based on a multiple-case study design and drawing on qualitative methods we explored teachers' perspectives on professional development at two early childhood educational centers. Two centers' directors and four early childhood teachers employed at the two major institutions offering initial education in Chile described and discussed their experiences in a variety of professional development activities. Findings reveal that, although participants value professional development and have access to a wide range of activities, their experience of professional development could be improved in several ways. Conditions identified as critical to maximize the benefits derived from professional development include (a) access to ongoing training activities for a greater number of teachers, (b) greater duration and depth in professional development sessions, (c) more opportunities to receive training guided by experts, (d) more training focused in topics related to language and socioemotional development, (e) improvement of teacher's preservice education, and (f) improvement of working conditions. The article concludes with suggestions for teacher education programs, professional development designers, and policymakers, offered in the light of the results. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Monash University Faculty of Education. McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria, Australia 3199. e-mail: edu-irece@monash.edu; Web site: http://www.monash.edu/education/research/publications/journals/irece
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01