Answer

Childhood Educators and Early Childhood Education

the study focuses on the effects of using a case analysis on early childhood pre-service teachers’ skills on connecting theory and practice. Despite teacher education courses covering all the theoretical knowledge, it doesn’t provide enough opportunities for the theories to be put to practice. Teacher education programs have been geared towards reducing the gap between the theory and practice of teaching. Case-based pedagogy has been identified as the best approach to putting theory into practice. An inclusion approach has been used to educate students having diverse needs and full participation of the teachers. Teachers should be appropriately trained to be able to solve ill-defined problems.

Dilemma-based cases in preservice programs enable students to understand tentatively actions to be taken. Reasons for carrying out the study was to analyze early childhood pre-service teachers’ skills in connecting theory and practice and providing a solution to ill-defined problems while teaching young children. Research questions were; how dilemma case promotes connection between theory and practice, types of solution strategies suggested by participants in resolving dilemma cases and benefits of using dilemma case to solve ill-defined problems in early childhood education.

The study was conducted during 2008-2009 in Turkey and the participants were 46 females and 2 malessenior students enrolled in the early childhood program. Data collection was carried out through a set of two questions and a printed copy of a case of an early childhood teacher having a dilemma. From the results of the study, there existed an influence of theoretical knowledge and specific perspective through inclusion grouped into; strategies for convincing parents to consult specialists and strategies for supporting child’s education.    

From the results, dilemma cases had a positive effect on promoting theory-practice connections. The research also provided problem-solving mechanisms connecting theory and practice.

Reflection

In my understanding, the article is relevant to early childhood educators as it equips them with strategies on how to connect theory and practice and solving problems that are ill-defined while teaching young children. Inclusion provides educators with an instructional model as an effective educative model for educating students who have diverse needs and require the full participation of early childhood educators as inclusion invites, respects, and welcomes every student.

From the article, I agree that case-based pedagogy in teaching students enables educators to have appropriate skills for solving problems in various classrooms. Furthermore, ill-defined problems help to create cognitive conflicts that enable early childhood educators to grow professionally.

 In my understanding, the information contained in this article can benefit teachers by providing them with clear guidelines on how to solve problems using case study-based pedagogy. Such skills enable teachers to be well conversant with techniques for solving both well-defined situations and situations that are not well defined.

The article also provides an inclusion strategy that teachers can use to ensure the full participation of students in the class. Inclusion is widely used and has been proven to be effective as it helps to cater to students from different diverse needs and students who require the full attention of teachers.

The article relates to what I have read in the course as it provides a comprehensive case study analysis on early childhood pre-service teachers’ skills and how to connect theory and practice. My course has focused on teaching skills and how inclusion acts as an effective teaching strategy tool

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