Transformations of Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitudes Through the ONDAS Training Program

This study examined changes in the attitudes of early childhood teachers resulting from their participation in the ONDAS Training Program, a Colombian government strategy designed to strengthen professional skills and dispositions through reflective practice and the integration of research into training. A quantitative, non-experimental longitudinal design with a descriptive-comparative scope was employed. The sample consisted of 56 female teachers evaluated before and after the program. The 12-month intervention combined a three-module virtual course on innovation, research, and academic writing with an editorial stage and expert mentoring. Data were collected through a validated survey on three dimensions: support and resources, research skills, and pedagogical appropriation. Analyses applied descriptive statistics and intra-group non-parametric tests, with the Benjamini–Hochberg adjustment used to control Type I error. The results revealed improvements in research skills, stronger pedagogical appropriation, and more positive evaluations of support and resources. These transformations also included shifts in teachers’ attitudes toward research, greater openness to feedback, and increased confidence in implementing innovative proposals. Findings confirm that early childhood teacher education is a complex process that benefits from reflective, collaborative, and situated approaches, underscoring the program’s role in strengthening professional competences and enhancing teachers’ ability to critically examine practice and adapt to diverse educational contexts. Importantly, these results provide evidence to inform national teacher training strategies in Colombia, offering practical guidance for policymakers and institutions seeking to strengthen research-based, reflective, and contextually responsive professional development programs.