Aligning itinerant early childhood special education teacher preparation programs with the roles and responsibilities identified by adults involved in the delivery of services to young children with special needs.

摘要

This study examined the roles and responsibilities of itinerant early childhood special education (IECSE) teachers and the alignment between these roles and responsibilities and the curriculum of teacher education programs preparing IECSE teachers.; The first phase of the study identified the key roles, responsibilities, and challenges of the IECSE teacher. A survey was administered to adult stakeholders involved in the itinerant early childhood special education service delivery model (SDM), i.e., IECSE teachers and their supervisors, early childhood teachers, parents, and a panel or experts. Major roles and responsibilities of the IECSE teacher were identified through a content analysis of these open-ended responses. Areas of agreement and disagreement among stakeholder groups were identified and discussed, as were the major challenges reported by IECSE teachers.; Phase II of the study focused on the curriculum of teacher education programs. Directors of special education programs preparing IECSE teachers were surveyed about the content of their curricula. Respondents estimated the percentage of time allotted to each identified role in their curriculum and the number of courses and types of instructional activities that addressed the responsibilities of the IECSE teacher previously identified by the stakeholders.; In Phase III of the study, responses from the two surveys were then compared to address the research question: Are teacher education programs preparing IECSE teachers suitably aligned with the roles and responsibilities identified by practicing IECSE teachers and others involved in the early childhood special education SDM? Areas that aligned well were identified and discussed. In areas where misalignment was identified, suggestions for refinement of preparation programs for IECSE teachers were provided.