Breaking Down Barriers for 1st-Year Teachers: What Teacher Preparation Programs Can Do

Discussion-Case Analysis for Facilitating Pre-Service Teachers' Exploration of Play in the Early Childhood Classroom

“…All of the participants that were interviewed possessed a commitment to incorporating play into their future classrooms, while they also expressed a realistic sense of the obstacles to implementing such play in the classroom. They discussed the disappearance of play and the likely barriers to implementing play that align with prior findings (Brashier & Norris, 2008;Lynch, 2015;Miller & Almon, 2009;Nicolopoulou, 2011). The accurate recognition of the probable obstacles to play in the classroom is encouraging because it is imperative that early childhood preparation programs incorporate the challenges from the field that students will face as teachers into their preparation (Vera & Geneser, 2012).…”

“…Despite the research on the benefits of play and the most effective way for teachers to facilitate play, play is rapidly disappearing from early childhood classrooms (Brashier & Norris, 2008;Nicolopoulou, 2011). In many classrooms, learning through play is being replaced by didactic instruction, which can lead to short term gains that are neither as profound nor lasting as the learning gains achieved through playful learning (Alifieri, Brooks, Aldrich, & Tennenbaum, 2010;Almon & Miller, 2011).…”

“…Over the last few decades, play and experiential learning are sacrificed by teacher-directed activities and didactic instruction, frequently sedentary in nature, and inappropriate testing (Miller & Almon, 2009). Early childhood teachers are commonly aware that this shift away from play is developmentally inappropriate, but they feel great pressure to bend to the trend (Brashier & Norris, 2008;Lynch, 2015;Parker & Neuharth-Pritchett, 2006).…”

“…The purpose of this article is to describe the qualitative phase of a sequential explanatory mixed method study which sought to examine pre-service teachers' beliefs about play after a course-based activity involving the application of research to a realistic discussion-case. This research explored the technique of using a discussion-case as a potential strategy for assisting future-teachers develop their ability to understand and apply the research on play because although previous research has determined that play is a vital component of developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education (Bergen, 2002;Branscombe, 1991;Copple & Bredekamp & 2009;Galeano, 2011;Goldhaber, 1994;Hall, 1991;Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012;Han, Moore, Vukelich, & Buell, 2010;Mielonen & Paterson, 2009;Morrow & Rand, 1991;Owocki, 1999;Pickett, 2005;Roskos & Christie, 2011;Sarama & Clements, 2009;Schrader, 1991;Siegler & Ramani, 2008), it continues to disappear from the classroom (Brashier & Norris, 2008;Elkind, 1987;Hirsh-Pasek et al, 2009;Lynch, 2015;Nicolopoulou, 2011;Reed et al, 2012). Investigating the impact of analyzing relevant research on play and applying this research to a realistic scenario about the disappearance of play in a kindergarten classroom was a valuable inquiry given the general trend towards didactic instruction, traditional academics, and testing in early childhood with less opportunity for play (Brashier & Norris, 2008;Lynch, 2015;Nicolopoulou, 2011).…”

Early childhood teachers’ perceived competence during transition from teacher education to work: results from a longitudinal study

“…There exists evidence that this is also true for the career entry of early childhood teachers (Brashier andNorris 2008, Nicholson andReifel 2011). On the one hand, transitions in academic or professional contexts may affect one's selfperception and self-concept (for example, Eccles et al 1993, Meece and Eccles 2010, Gniewosz et al 2012).…”