Bringing Professional Development to Teachers' Homes: Pilot of an Online Course With Colombian Early Childhood Educators

• In Event: Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators in Latin America: Three Experiences Across the Continent

Abstract

Theoretical framework.
High-quality teacher-child interactions in early childhood education (ECE) settings are associated with improvement in children’s social and academic development and outcomes (Araujo et al., 2016; Burchinal et al., 2010; Leyva et al., 2015; Maldonado-Carreño et al., 2018). However, these interactions have been characterized by low-to-mid levels of quality in Latin America (LATAM) settings (Araujo et al., 2016; Leyva et al., 2015, Maldonado-Carreño et al., 2018), suggesting the need for effective professional development (PD) programs focused on improving teacher practice. Despite governmental efforts on this area (e.g., De Cero a Siempre, 2015), the effective implementation of PD at a national level in LATAM can be challenging given the complexity of ECE settings across the continent, which can have poorer infrastructure conditions, more disproportionate teacher-student ratios, and more difficult community dynamics than settings in the US (Leyva et al., 2015). Thus, there is a need to identify high-quality, scalable, and feasible PD for ECE teachers in LATAM.

Objectives.
Considering the continent’s rich history with distance education (Scagnoli, 2009), and the positive impacts that online courses in the US have shown (Sheridan & Wen, 2020; Snell et al., 2019), this strategy could fulfill LATAM’s PD needs. The current study examined this possibility by evaluating the change in teachers’ beliefs and perceived practices after participating in an asynchronous, online course focused on supporting effective classroom organization (Hamre et al., 2013).

Methods.
Teachers were recruited to participate in the course via email and social media. Along with the course, participation included pre- and post-test surveys that assessed teachers’ classroom management self-efficacy, and beliefs about children, teacher authority, and student autonomy; and interviews that inquired about perceived changes. Data about teachers’ engagement and performance in the course was also collected by the online platform and will be available prior to the conference.

Data sources.
156 teachers consented to participate in the study. Out of this sample, 88 teachers completed both the pre- and post-test surveys, while 18 teachers were selected using stratified random sampling to be interviewed.

Results.
Preliminary t-tests examining differences in teachers’ beliefs before and after the course have been conducted. Analyses only identified one significant change: Teachers’ classroom management self-efficacy decreased after the course (M Pre=6.52, SD=1.28; M Post=6.04, SD=1.14, t(89) = 3.19, p < .005). Although unexpected, this finding may reflect the beginning of teachers’ change. By providing an opportunity for teachers to assess their classroom management practice, the course may have led them to recalibrate their self-efficacy (Jimenez et al., in progress; Tschannen-Moran & McMaster, 2009).
Further mixed-methods analyses (available prior to the meeting) will assess teachers’ engagement with the course, and its impact in teachers’ beliefs; as well as teachers’ perceived change.

Significance of the study
Once analyses are completed, this study could inform the development and adoption of online PD in LATAM ECE settings by providing evidence of its uptake and effectiveness in real-life conditions.

Authors

• Manuela Jimenez, Glendale Community College

• Andrea Bustamante, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Eliana Gomez Rodriguez, Arizona State University