Decision-making in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Educator Preparation When Addressing Evidence-based Practice: How Are We Doing?

Abstract

The definition of evidence-based practice has specific implication on how educators in partnerships with families make joint decisions about evidence-based practices. This dissertation utilized a survey design to obtain early childhood program faculty members perception on decision-making competence. The purpose of this study was to identify (a) the extent to which program faculty identified early childhood competencies of a six-step, collaborative decision-making model as important, and (b) the current status of training of preservice early educators for these decision-making competencies. The six-steps were grounded on the principle of building and maintain trusting, respectful, reciprocal relationships with families. In addition to the six-steps decision-making process, competencies were analyzed to highlight the necessary knowledge and skills beginning-level educators need to obtain through their early childhood education program. Overall, early childhood faculty members agreed that having a set of competencies focusing on an educator-family decision-making process is important. The data illustrated a high level of importance for all seven competencies. Moreover, the findings from the current study support the early childhood profession’s position on evidence-based practices (i.e., conceptualized as a verb) vs. evidence-based practice (i.e., conceptualized as a noun). The high level of agreement on all the competencies associated with the six-step decision-making model affirms the notion that families should be joint partners in the decision-making process about interventions/strategies educators implement. With little variability across participants’ survey responses, the data confirmed the competencies associated with the six-step decision-making process are important skills that beginning-level educators need upon completion of their educator preparation program. The data illustrated that early educator preparation programs meet expectations in the extent to which the program addressed all of the competencies. The data highlighted that course assignments, lectures, and readings was the most common means of addressing the competencies. The overall respondents’ responses for partially meeting expectations and/or not all meeting expectations averaged 17%. This data indicated there may be different competency skill requirements at different institutions. The data indicated that the limited number of credit hours offered through their educator preparation program of study was a challenge that most programs encounter (30% of respondents). These findings reaffirm literature on the content early childhood educator preparation programs cover. Analysis of the qualitative data highlighted methods programs implemented to increase preservice educators’ knowledge and skills for partnering with families. In summary, some preservice educators may benefit from learning about the following competencies: 1) the opportunity to consistently engage with parents during their field experiences; 2) the ability to gather and share research-based practices they have identified for use in the classroom as well as in the child’s home with the parents; and 3) the way to build family partnerships while specifically including the family context.