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Capstone Portfolios as an Accreditation and Professional Development Tool: Early Childhood Candidates' Experience

This study aims to investigate the perceptions of teacher candidates enrolled in an early childhood program (BEd) towards the importance of producing the capstone portfolio. The purpose of using capstone portfolios is to provide evidence that Early Childhood Education candidates (ECEC) have met inte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of early childhood 2024-04
Main Author: Al-Salmi, Laila
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:This study aims to investigate the perceptions of teacher candidates enrolled in an early childhood program (BEd) towards the importance of producing the capstone portfolio. The purpose of using capstone portfolios is to provide evidence that Early Childhood Education candidates (ECEC) have met international accreditation standards as stipulated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and realize the culminating development of their study in shaping the desired teacher qualities in their program of study. The perspectives of two cohorts of teacher candidates (a total of six participants) were investigated to report their views on the experience of creating capstone portfolios. Interviews and artefact analysis were used to collect data. The study revealed that Early Childhood Education candidates consolidated theory and practice through their capstone portfolios. The findings also revealed that the capstone portfolio, besides being evidence for meeting the National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation standards, served as a means for learning and professional development. These findings show that capstone portfolios are effective not only for meeting accreditation standards but also for allowing candidates to connect the dots and fully view their overall learning as ECE professionals. Cette étude vise à enquêter sur les perceptions des candidats enseignants inscrits dans un programme de petite enfance (BEd) concernant l’importance de produire le portfolio de find’études. L’objectif de l’utilisation des portfolios de fin d’études est de fournir des preuves que les candidats en éducation de la petite enfance (ECEC) ont satisfait aux normes d’accréditation internationales telles que stipulées par l’Association nationale pour l’éducation des jeunes enfants (NAEYC) et de réaliser le développement culminant de leurs études en façonnant les qualités d’enseignant désirées dans leur programme d’études. Les perspectives de deux cohortes de candidats enseignants (un total de six participants) ont été étudiées pour rendre compte de leurs points de vue sur l’expérience de création des portfolios de fin d’études. Des entretiens et une analyse d’artefacts ont été utilisés pour collecter des données. L’étude a révélé que les candidats en éducation de la petite enfance ont consolidé la théorie et la pratique à travers leurs portfolios de fin d’études. Les résultats ont également révélé que le portfolio de fin d’études
ISSN:0020-7187
1878-4658
DOI:10.1007/s13158-024-00391-4