ABSTRACT

Early childhood (EC) education has usually involved in-person teaching and learning. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed remote teaching on EC practitioners and complicated practicum students’ fieldwork experiences. This study explored EC practicum students’ fieldwork experiences in the U.S. during the pandemic and their preparedness for online teaching and technology employment and integration. Participants included 28 students enrolled in Directed Field Experience in Spring 2021. A mixed-methods approach incorporating multiple sources of data, including reflection papers, interviews, and questionnaires, was used. The findings showed that the EC practicum students changed their perceptions of and attitudes toward a remote field experience course and online teaching with young children over the semester. Additionally, EC practicum students’ challenges and professional and academic growth were evident in their reporting. These findings have implications for the development of effective strategies for alleviating EC practicum students’ challenges, facilitating their professional growth, and providing resources to integrate digital technology in their teaching in developmentally appropriate ways.

摘要

幼儿 (EC) 教育通常涉及面对面的教学和学习。然而，COVID-19 大流行对 EC 从业人员进行了远程教学，并使实习生的实地工作经历变得复杂。本研究探讨了 EC 实习生在大流行期间在美国的实地工作经验，以及他们对在线教学和技术就业与整合的准备情况。参与者包括 28 名参加Directed Field Experience的学生在 2021 年春季。使用了一种混合方法，该方法结合了多种数据源，包括反思论文、访谈和问卷调查。调查结果表明，EC 实习学生在学期内改变了他们对远程现场体验课程和在线幼儿教学的看法和态度。此外，EC 实习生的挑战以及专业和学术成长在他们的报告中也很明显。这些发现对于制定有效的策略以减轻 EC 实习学生的挑战、促进他们的专业成长以及提供资源以以适合发展的方式将数字技术整合到他们的教学中具有重要意义。