Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Ed. Specalist

Degree

*Ed.S.

Degree Name

Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational and Psychological Studies

Major Professor

Nathaniel von der Embse, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Robert Dedrick, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Stacy-Ann January, Ph.D.

Keywords

Program evaluation, Training, Disruptive Behaviors, Preschool

Abstract

The early years of a child's life are vital to building the foundation for early childhood, and educators and caregivers are at the heart of making this foundation for children. However, educators and caregivers often lack knowledge on correctly identifying risks in children. The current study used a quantitative non-experimental design to examine early childhood educator and caregiver perceptions of a training program called Project Begin Well. Project Begin Well included a risk identification course for educators and caregivers of children aged 3-5 years. Specifically, educators' and caregivers' knowledge, skills, attitudes, aspirations, and behaviors toward the risk identification course were assessed using a pretest and a posttest design, with items based on Killion's KASAB Framework. The risk identification courses included concerning behaviors, distinguished between internalizing and externalizing behaviors, discussed the disproportionality in disciplinary referrals, and provided educators and caregivers with practice opportunities to identify risk in the classroom and home. A sample of educators and caregivers consisting of majority minoritized individuals was utilized for the study (N = 62), after removing missing data. A 2 (Group: Educator, Caregiver) by 2 (Time: Pretest, Posttest) repeated Measures ANOVA and an independent samples t-test was conducted. Overall, there was a significant time difference between the pre and posttest scores on educators and caregivers in the attitudes domain, suggesting that educators and caregivers may prioritize risk identification more after watching the risk identification training modules. The mean domain scores for the behaviors domain did not differ significantly between educators and caregivers, however they rated the courses highly, suggesting that they found the risk identification training to be practical in their everyday use and would share the courses with others. Implications for utilizing the course within larger settings and the impact of prioritizing risk in early childhood settings and at home are discussed.

Download

Share

COinS