Award Date
December 2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education
First Committee Member
Jenna Weglarz-Ward
Second Committee Member
Joseph Morgan
Third Committee Member
Joshua Baker
Fourth Committee Member
Peter Wiens
Number of Pages
191
Abstract
Social emotional development is crucial for all young children. Children who develop age-appropriate social emotional skills engage in positive peer relationships, establish friendship skills, and have competent problem-solving skills. Without adequate social emotional skills, young children are at risk for detrimental long and short-term consequences such as academic failure, exclusionary practices, and school dropout. Interventions and support from well-trained teachers are essential for young children to acquire these skills. Using an explanatory mixed method approach, this study investigated how early childhood (EC) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers were trained to teach social emotional skills and address challenging behavior. A quantitative survey explored Pyramid Model strategies covered in coursework and implemented during fieldwork, while qualitative focus groups delved into experiences and proposed innovations for improvement. Results revealed that EC/ECSE teachers felt more prepared to provide universal supports but less prepared to address more complex strategies and interventions. In addition, EC/ECSE teachers felt underprepared to teach social emotional content upon entering the workforce. Suggestions for innovations were also discussed. The findings of this study help inform policy, practice and future research to enhance teacher preparation to effectively address social emotional content.
Keywords
early childhood; personnel preparation; Pyramid Model; social emotional
Disciplines
Education | Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education | Special Education and Teaching
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Yarczower, Melissa, "Exploring Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel Preparation for Teaching Social Emotional Skills and Addressing Challenging Behavior" (2023). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 4926.
https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/4926
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Included in
Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons