Shifting Images of an Ideal Early Childhood Classroom: Intra-Actions in an Integrated Creative Arts Class

• In Event: Effective Pre- and In-Service Early Childhood Professional Development

Abstract

Drawing on Baradian notion of intra-action, we investigate pre-service (PS) teacher perceptions of ideal early childhood classrooms during an integrated creative arts course at a Southeastern university. The analysis of 52 PS teachers’ pre- and post-class drawing prompts revealed that whereas pre-class drawings were dominated by materials observable in conventional elementary classrooms, post-class drawings showed overall positive shifts in the participating PS teachers’ perspectives on classroom environments for young children. The findings also showed that some post-class drawings still retained or added more traditional images (e.g., a teacher desk). These findings illustrate ways in which university coursework both compliments and comes into tension with field experiences at local pre-kindergarten. We conclude with implications for early childhood teacher education.

Authors

• Kyung Hwa Lee, University of Georgia

• Leslie Rech Penn, University of Georgia - Athens