Abstract
This study aimed to identify possible optimal models of early childhood teacher (ECT) education by highlighting academics’ perspectives of the early childhood teacher programs in Australia and three Nordic countries Academics provided their views regarding the structure, design, delivery and assessment of their programs. Across the world and within Australia there exist multiple, approaches to the structure, design and delivery of ECT programs. While it is known that the qualifications and training of the early childhood teacher are the most influential factors in the provision of quality education. The optimal model for preparation of early childhood teachers is unclear. Chapter 1 identified that the early childhood workforce is not of good quality which calls for an investigation into the current ECT programs and recommendations for future decisions regarding ECT programs. The first section of this chapter analyses the literature regarding early childhood teacher programs and highlights key factors that may influence the quality of ECT programs. The second section explains the research aims, the theoretical orientation to frame the research and the methodology and the rationale for the sampling of the 27 Australian academics and 5 academics from Nordic universities, as the key participants in the study and the analysis using a post-structural approach. This study’s findings make a significant contribution to understanding the diversity of ECT programs in Australia, and when compared with three Nordic countries, possibilities for future ECT programs’ structure are illuminated.
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Boyd, W. (2020). Research of Early Childhood Teacher Programs. In: Australian Early Childhood Teaching Programs. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5837-5_2
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