Knowledge and Beliefs of Early Childhood Education Students at Different Levels of Professional Preparation

Abstract

The expansion of early childhood education programming has heightened the focus on teachers’ educational preparation and its role in providing high-quality services for young children. The interest in teachers’ education is especially relevant in early childhood since differentiated levels of preparation are commonly used in quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) as a variable to distinguish differences in quality among programs. Levels of formal education are also used by early childhood programs for the hiring, placement, training, and promotion of teachers. Since little research has been conducted on early childhood students at different levels of professional preparation, the purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and beliefs of early childhood students at four levels of professional preparation commonly used in QRIS and early childhood teacher career ladders: 1) students working toward a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential; 2) students working on an associate’s degree in early childhood; 3) students working on a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education; and 4) graduates with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Results indicate students at higher levels of education had more knowledge of child development, higher levels of self-esteem, more realistic expectations of children, and increased empathy for children.