EXPLORING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF LOCKDOWN DRILLS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate early childhood educators’ perceptions of lockdown drills. It assessed feelings of preparedness, perceived training needs, and balancing safety protocols with children's social-emotional development. A multi-methods online survey was distributed to 13 early childhood educators and students in the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) field, collecting both quantitative and qualitative responses via Qualtrics. Survey data showed educators strongly agreed drills prepare them for emergencies (average 4.46/5) and generally agreed drills prepare children (4.08/5), though responses were more neutral about reducing educator anxiety (3.77/5). Only one participant reported occasional training; most (7 of 13) indicated no training at all. Additionally, 92.3% identified individualized plans for children with special needs as necessary, and 84.6% emphasized flexible, adaptive procedures. These results suggest a need for developmentally appropriate plans, targeted supports, and emotionally sensitive approaches to emergency preparedness. Findings highlight gaps in training and provide insights for improving policies and practices to better support both educators and students during lockdown drills.