Prekindergarten Teacher Experiences With Professional Development for Inclusive Practices

Teachers in inclusive prekindergarten (PK) settings often serve children with special learning needs without having had professional preparation or development (PD) for using inclusive practices. The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study was that many PK teachers have not received the PD they needed to promote inclusive practices to teach young children within inclusive early childhood classrooms. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore PK teachers’ perspectives on the PD they need to promote inclusive practices to teach all young children, including children with special learning needs, in inclusive early childhood classrooms. The conceptual framework used in the study was a combination of Knowles’s adult learning theory and Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development and scaffolding. One RQ guided this basic qualitative study, with semistructured interview questions to explore teachers’ experiences on PD they needed to teach in inclusive early childhood classrooms successfully. Interviews were conducted with 11 PK teachers from public and private PK programs. Data were collected and analyzed using a thematic approach to reveal codes, patterns, categories, and themes. Findings revealed that (a) mentors and coaches provide support for PK teachers following PD in inclusive environments, (b) PD prepares PK teachers on the appropriate use of assessment tools with fidelity in inclusive classrooms, and (c) flexible scheduling allows collaboration among PK/inclusion teachers to implement practices learned during and following PD. Findings from this study contribute to positive social change by furthering an in-depth understanding of challenges PK teachers face teaching children with special needs in inclusive early childhood classrooms. This may lead to a change in future professional development for PK educators. Further studies on PD for inclusive PK learning environments that include linguistic differences are recommended.