TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the Professional Development Needs of Early Childhood Paraeducators and Supervising Teachers
AU - Frantz, Rebecca
AU - Douglas, Sarah
AU - Meadan, Hedda
AU - Sands, Michelle
AU - Bhana, Naima
AU - D’Agostino, Sophia
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by Project Family IMPACT (Individualization, Mobility, Poverty, Adversity, Culture and Trauma), a personnel preparation grant awarded to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign by the U.S. Department of Education.
Publisher Copyright:
© Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2020.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Paraeducators play an important role supporting children with developmental disabilities in early childhood settings, and the current educational system has come to rely heavily on paraeducator supports. Unfortunately, most paraeducators receive limited training prior to engaging in their classroom roles and responsibilities, and teachers receive limited training related to supervising paraeducator staff. This study examined the roles and responsibilities, professional development experiences, perceived professional development needs, suggestions for professional development, and perceived barriers to professional development among early childhood paraeducators working with children with developmental disabilities and their supervising teachers using focus group method and a questionnaire. Implications for improving professional development practices among early childhood staff, remediating barriers to effective professional development, and future directions for research are discussed.
AB - Paraeducators play an important role supporting children with developmental disabilities in early childhood settings, and the current educational system has come to rely heavily on paraeducator supports. Unfortunately, most paraeducators receive limited training prior to engaging in their classroom roles and responsibilities, and teachers receive limited training related to supervising paraeducator staff. This study examined the roles and responsibilities, professional development experiences, perceived professional development needs, suggestions for professional development, and perceived barriers to professional development among early childhood paraeducators working with children with developmental disabilities and their supervising teachers using focus group method and a questionnaire. Implications for improving professional development practices among early childhood staff, remediating barriers to effective professional development, and future directions for research are discussed.
KW - disability populations
KW - early education programs
KW - paraeducators
KW - personnel preparation
KW - teachers
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U2 - 10.1177/0271121420921237
DO - 10.1177/0271121420921237
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85086515454
SN - 0271-1214
JO - Topics in Early Childhood Special Education
JF - Topics in Early Childhood Special Education
ER -