Supporting Early Childhood Preservice Teachers in Their Work With Children and Families With Complex Needs: A Strengths Approach

How Do Students Describe Their Study Processes in the Competence-Based Vocational Special Education Teacher Training?

“…The existing expertise should be acknowledged at all levels of education so that every child's, youth's, and adult's learning would become optimal (Baker 2015). Already in early childhood education, the ability to recognize one's own expertise strengthens learning new skills (e.g., Fenton and McFarland-Piazza 2014): a child learns to evaluate his or her learning when supported by the teacher. The teacher can help the student to recognize certain things in learning and how to advance by noticing his or her skills and abilities.…”

Something Always Works: A Self-Study of Strengths-based Coaching in Supervision

“…Strengths-based ideology emerged during the civil rights movement in the U.S. in the late 1960s and 1970s. References to strengths-based stances in the field of social work and psychology emerged in the literature in the late 1990s, arising in response to deficit-based models, where the practitioner was viewed as the "fixer" or "rescuer" as opposed to strength approaches, where a collaborative approach is taken between stakeholders (Fenton & McFarland-Piazza, 2014). Positive psychologists insisted that the deficit-model failed to consider how individuals could build upon positive qualities.…”

“…Maslow stressed the need for education to embrace individuals as they are. Critics of strengths-based practices claim they are time-consuming, merely positive thinking, inconsistently applied or defined, simplistic and inappropriate as they ignore the reality of complex issues and deny the existence of serious problems in people's lives (Fenton & McFarland-Piazza, 2014). Advocates and critics acknowledge a lack of formal studies in the area, which have relied largely on anecdotal stories (Fenton & McFarland-Piazza, 2014).…”

“…Critics of strengths-based practices claim they are time-consuming, merely positive thinking, inconsistently applied or defined, simplistic and inappropriate as they ignore the reality of complex issues and deny the existence of serious problems in people's lives (Fenton & McFarland-Piazza, 2014). Advocates and critics acknowledge a lack of formal studies in the area, which have relied largely on anecdotal stories (Fenton & McFarland-Piazza, 2014). In terms of specifics, McCashen (2005, p.47-48) identified stages for implementing a strengths approach as: 1) listening to peoples' stories and exploring the core issues 2) developing a picture of the future [visioning] and setting goals 3) recognizing and highlighting strengths and exceptions to problems 4) identifying additional resources needed to move towards a picture of the future 5) mobilizing strengths and resources through a plan of action, and 6) reviewing and evaluating progress and change.…”

“…As He (2009) notes, an increasing number of scholars have argued "more for a more affirming perspective" (p. 264) for teachers that moves away from deficitbased thinking. Emerging from positive and social cognitive psychology, strengths-based approaches have been positively applied in school settings (Fenton & McFarland-Piazza, 2014;Gustems & Calderon, 2014). These approaches emphasize the articulation of one's strengths as identified by examining past positive experiences, encouragement of hope and optimism for the future, and development of emotional satisfaction with the present (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).…”