What's your image of the child? Examining trajectories of prospective ECE teachers' beliefs during practicum

Research literature acknowledges the influential role of teachers' beliefs on their interpretations, decision-making and pedagogical practices. It also suggests that initial teacher education (ITE) plays a relevant role in explicitly addressing beliefs that students hold. This study aims to exa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European early childhood education research journal 2022-11, Vol.30 (6), p.899-911
Main Author: Araújo, Sara Barros
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude Change
Beliefs
Child Development
Childrens Rights
Data Analysis
Decision Making
Early Childhood Education
early childhood teacher education
Foreign Countries
Graduate Students
Image of the child
Masters Programs
practicum
Practicums
praxeological approach
Preschool Children
Preschool Teachers
prospective ECE teachers' beliefs
Student Attitudes
Teacher education
Teacher Education Programs
Teacher Improvement
Teaching Methods
Young Children
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Summary:Research literature acknowledges the influential role of teachers' beliefs on their interpretations, decision-making and pedagogical practices. It also suggests that initial teacher education (ITE) plays a relevant role in explicitly addressing beliefs that students hold. This study aims to examine beliefs about the child of prospective early childhood education (ECE) teachers at two stages of their ITE, before and after completing field-based practicum. Thirty-four students attending a professional Master in ECE participated in the study. Students' written narratives on the image of the child were collected in both stages, with data analysis allowing for the emergence of eight categories. Changes in the image of the child were identified, with a tendency towards a more agentic, non-universalistic, rights-based perspective about the child at the end of the practicum, but also the persistence of beliefs less responsive to children's rights. Implications are drawn on the relevance of recursive praxeological dialogues among beliefs, practices and theories in ECE teacher education programmes.
ISSN:1350-293X
1752-1807
DOI:10.1080/1350293X.2022.2081345