Preparing Culturally Responsive Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Professionals

• In Event: Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding and Analyzing Program Effectiveness in Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to examine the cultural responsiveness of a graduate level preservice teacher education program sponsored by a federally funded grant project. The focus of the paper was a systematic evaluation of 13 course syllabi. Specifically, three components of each syllabus was reviewed and rated using a project-developed evaluation form including the course objectives, readings, and assignments. Five indicators of cultural responsiveness were identified. The evaluation process involved 5 phases consisting of internal and external review of course documents. The results indicated that cultural responsiveness was mentioned in all course syllabi suggesting the awareness of cultural responsiveness; however, in-depth understanding of cultural responsiveness was less evident because the weak connections between readings and assignments.

Authors

• Yaoying Xu, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Heather Megan Coleman, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Taryn Marie Goodwin, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Liping You, Wuxi Institute of Commerce