Conceptions of and Early Educators' Experiences in Early Childhood Professional Development Programs: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

• In Event: Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Early Childhood Teacher Preparation and Professional Development

Abstract

Policymakers across the United States continue to seek policy solutions that improve early educators’ instruction of all young children. A primary vehicle for attaining this goal is professional development (PD). This has led to an influx of studies that seek to develop a set of best practices for PD. While important and informative, this work provides limited insight into how PD is being conceptualized, and how teachers experience, respond to, or learn from these programs. Such data are crucial for understanding how PD programs can be designed to support early educators growth and development. This article begins to addresses this issue by presenting findings from a qualitative metasynthesis of published peer-reviewed qualitative studies of PD programs for in-service early educators.

Authors

• Christopher P. Brown, The University of Texas - Austin

• Joanna Englehardt, The University of Texas - Austin