‘Baby teachers’: how pre‐service early childhood students transform their conceptions of teaching and learning through an infant practicum

Do Master early childhood teacher education programs provide adequate coverage of infants and toddlers?: A review of content

“…Garvis and Lemon (2015) together with Ireland (2006) note that there is not a strong tradition of teachers being involved in infant/toddler programs across Australia. Similar findings have been reported in the United States with birth to three years also receiving little recognition and attention over the past 10 years (Recchia & Shin, 2010). There is also a perception in the United States, and some Westernised countries, that the educational preparation required of infant and toddler 'caregivers' is less rigorous than that required of 'teachers' of older children (Recchia & Shin, 2010).…”

“…These findings are not unique to Australia, with a number of American states reporting similar (Recchia et al, 2010). Given the rise in Master Degree programs in Australia for early childhood education and care, it is important to know if the content within the programs adequately addresses infant and toddler education.…”

Thinking differently about infants and toddlers: Exploring the reflections of future Australian early childhood teachers in Australia

“…Results from a United States study found that experiences with infants created opportunities for early childhood pre-service teachers to re-think their existing beliefs about infants' capacities and capabilities (Recchia & Shin, 2010). Furthermore, Recchia and Shin (2010, p.144) advocate that as pre-service teachers learned the power of observation and understood the unique ways in which infants communicate, they came to regard infants as powerful social beings "who taught them something quite meaningful about being an early childhood teacher".…”

“…While there is strong research relating to the professional experience of primary and secondary pre-service teachers (Moody, 2009), very little is known about pre-service early childhood teachers' experiences, especially with young children under three years of age (Recchia & Shin, 2010). Rouse, Morrissey and Rahimi (2012, p.87) suggest that "this represents a gap in knowledge", particularly in the Australian context, where in some states pre-service early childhood teachers must successfully complete an infant/toddler (birth to two year) professional experience placement to achieve registration as an early childhood teacher.…”

A Content Analysis of Early Childhood Teachers’ Theoretical and Practical Experiences With Infants and Toddlers in Australian Teacher Education Programs

“…This paper sets out to explore Australian undergraduate early childhood teacher education programs and the course content within with particular interest on the focus on infants and toddlers, aged from birth to age three. In Australia, this particular age range has received scant attention in early childhood teacher education (Recchia, & Shin, 2010). While the range of early childhood teacher education programs claims to have a broad reach across the range of children from birth to eight years of age, typically there is a light touch in the earliest years (Recchia & Shin, 2010).…”