Navigating Spaces in Higher Ed: Collaborating for Inclusion of Underrepresented Voices in Teacher Ed
Mentor 1
Elizabeth Rollins
Mentor 2
Leanne Evans
Start Date
16-4-2021 1:15 PM
Description
Within spaces of higher education, an assortment of challenges and barriers arise for early-program students, particularly when considering traditionally underrepresented students of color and first-generation university students. Our lived experiences, literature review, and an Early Childhood Education (ECE) program survey administered in Fall 2020 significantly inform how we understand these challenges and barriers. The purpose of our study is to examine the ways in which pre-service teachers navigate the UW-Milwaukee ECE program, and in what manner the program can develop a model centered around the experiences of early-program students. In order to achieve the goals of our study, we will utilize online surveys and student-moderated interviews conducted with students enrolled in the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters of CURRINS 312. Data collection will consist of surveys, individual interviews, and networking sessions. Surveys will provide the foundation for the interviews that will focus on the student’s experiences. The surveys and interviews will be conducted during the Spring 2021 semester. The networking sessions will offer an opportunity for students to bring forth topics/issues of interest to discuss with their peers. Our preliminary findings help to inform which resources and supports for early-program students will establish equitable practices within the program. Creating responsive and inclusive experiences for early-program students validates the commitment of the students in their teacher education programs, as well as in the field of ECE. Our conclusions will allow us to better support underrepresented students within the ECE program. These conclusions have the potential to generate positive development for early-program Early Childhood Education students.
Navigating Spaces in Higher Ed: Collaborating for Inclusion of Underrepresented Voices in Teacher Ed
Within spaces of higher education, an assortment of challenges and barriers arise for early-program students, particularly when considering traditionally underrepresented students of color and first-generation university students. Our lived experiences, literature review, and an Early Childhood Education (ECE) program survey administered in Fall 2020 significantly inform how we understand these challenges and barriers. The purpose of our study is to examine the ways in which pre-service teachers navigate the UW-Milwaukee ECE program, and in what manner the program can develop a model centered around the experiences of early-program students. In order to achieve the goals of our study, we will utilize online surveys and student-moderated interviews conducted with students enrolled in the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters of CURRINS 312. Data collection will consist of surveys, individual interviews, and networking sessions. Surveys will provide the foundation for the interviews that will focus on the student’s experiences. The surveys and interviews will be conducted during the Spring 2021 semester. The networking sessions will offer an opportunity for students to bring forth topics/issues of interest to discuss with their peers. Our preliminary findings help to inform which resources and supports for early-program students will establish equitable practices within the program. Creating responsive and inclusive experiences for early-program students validates the commitment of the students in their teacher education programs, as well as in the field of ECE. Our conclusions will allow us to better support underrepresented students within the ECE program. These conclusions have the potential to generate positive development for early-program Early Childhood Education students.
