Are We Ready? Early Childhood Educator Students and Perceived Preparedness for School-Based Special Education

  • Kimberly Maich Brock University
  • Carmen Hall Fanshawe College London, Ontario
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs.v39i3.15236

Abstract

his paper describes a small-scale, single-region research project to investigate early childhood educator (ECE) students’ understanding of special education in the kindergarten context that has been in place in Ontario schools since 2010. The perceived preparedness of five ECE students on placement in kindergarten classrooms was evaluated through pre- and poststudy questionnaires and through interviews with five Ontario-certified teachers teaching early learners and experienced with mentoring ECE students. Results demonstrated that ECE students’ self-ratings of combined knowledge, exposure, and experience with school-based special education did not significantly change, and these student rankings fell in the very low to moderate ratings overall (i.e., scores of 1 to 2 on a 5-point scale). Comments from the Ontario-certified teachers emerged in three main themes, including (1) strong foundations (i.e., skills and knowledge); (2) education for all (e.g., students who may not yet be formally identified); and, (3) universal frameworks (i.e., for all students with diverse needs). Suggestions for ECE preparedness and ECE curriculum changes are included.

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Author Biographies

Kimberly Maich, Brock University
Kimberly Maich, PhD, OCT, is an assistant professor in the department of teacher education at Brock University in Niagara, Ontario. Her background has been primarily as a resource teacher in the K–12 school system from coast to coast in Canada, and her research is focused on students with autism spectrum disorders and other exceptionalities, their peers, and their teachers. She is completing a graduate degree in applied behaviour analysis at Brock University. Email: kmaich@brocku.ca
Carmen Hall, Fanshawe College London, Ontario
Carmen Hall, MC, CCC, BCBA, is a professor and the coordinator of the autism and behaviour science program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. She comes to postsecondary education from a clinical background, focusing her teaching on applied behaviour analysis and her research on peer-mediated social skills instruction for children with autism spectrum disorders. She is a PhD student in clinical psychology at Saybrook University in San Francisco. Email: clhall@fanshawec.ca
Published
2014-09-11
How to Cite
Maich, K., & Hall, C. (2014). Are We Ready? Early Childhood Educator Students and Perceived Preparedness for School-Based Special Education. Journal of Childhood Studies, 39(3), 42-52. https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs.v39i3.15236
Issue
Vol. 39 No. 3 (Fall 2014) Canadian Children
Section
Child Study

Copyright (c) 2014 Kimberly Maich, Carmen Hall

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