Cultural and linguistic diversity in early childhood teacher preparation: The impact of contextual characteristics on coursework and practica

The population of children in early childhood settings is becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse, and these changes in demographics have warranted teachers becoming more culturally responsive and better prepared to work with diverse young children and families. Teacher preparation programs across the nation have responded differently to this critical issue, in part because of the different contexts in which they exist. Analyses were conducted using data from the National Prekindergarten Center’s (NPC) National Study of Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs and the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Integrated Post-Secondary Education Dataset (IPEDS). Geographical, program, and institutional characteristics were analyzed from a sample of 416 Bachelor’s degree programs to determine how these variables were associated with the amount of diversity content and experience required in teacher preparation programs. Results indicated that the presence of non-White full-time faculty was positively related to more required coursework focused on working with children and families from culturally diverse backgrounds, while degree of urbanization, governance of institutions, and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education accreditation were associated with required coursework focused on working with bilingual children and English language learners. The percentage of the non-Hispanic White population in a state and geographic region were both associated with practica requirements focused on working with bilingual children and English language learners. Implications and recommendations for policy, future research, and early childhood teacher preparation are discussed.     

Robert F. Kennedys university of Capetown address

Robert F. Kennedy's University of Capetown Address is an example of an epideictic speech in which values are a matter of conflict rather than social consensus. The situation facing Kennedy in Capetown in 1966 posed a difficult rhetorical challenge. It involved a politically explosive climate, an audience with a need for direction and support, and a set of moral imperatives that required skillful treatment. This evaluation focuses on Kennedy's artful management of deliberate ambiguity in achieving his rhetorical success.     

Intimate partner violence in the family: Considerations for children's safety

Children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasingly recognized as a type of child maltreatment that has a level of impairment similar to other types of abuse and neglect. Despite advances in the area of IPV, the safety planning strategies recommended as part of the overall response to IPV need to be examined in terms of their implications for children. This article discusses these strategies within the context of child safety, comparing IPV safety planning with approaches aimed at reducing exposure to other types of violence such as child sexual abuse, as well as general child safety strategies. Despite the emphasis on safety planning in information available on responding to IPV, the actual effectiveness of such planning in improving safety and reducing violence is unknown. Safety planning provided to children by a parent experiencing IPV, especially when IPV is ongoing and not recognized by anyone outside the home, may lead to confusing messages for children, particularly if there is an emphasis on secrecy. While awaiting evidence about the effectiveness of specific safety planning strategies for children, we suggest basic principles and general strategies that emphasize universality in terms of education about any type of violence or abuse in the home being unacceptable, as well as the need to focus on safety in general.     

Graduate Social Work Students’ Experiences with Group Work in the Field and the Classroom

For decades, group work scholars have described a discrepancy between student preparation for group work practice and opportunities to work with groups in the field practicum and professional practice. Educators in related disciplines such as counseling and psychology have expressed similar concerns. This article reports findings of a study of MSW students in a program that includes a practice methods specialization in group work. The purpose was to determine the prevalence of group assignments among all students regardless of their method specialization. A majority of all respondents reported substantial opportunities to practice group work and receive appropriate supervision. Opportunities for majors in group work were significantly greater than for their non-group work counterparts. However, a majority of all students did not feel classes prepared them for group practice. Findings suggest social work must renew its commitment to preparing all students for this practice modality.     

Impact of cross-cultural training on black and white mental health professionals

In a 3-year period, 174 mental health professionals received intensive 8-day cross-cultural/interracial communication workshops involving didactic, transactional, experiential, and cultural immersion techniques. Comprehensive evaluation strategies investigated changes in social distance, attitudes, and values comprehension, as well as improvement in therapeutic performance. Comparison of 68 white and 54 black clinical practitioners indicated significant differences in impact, with the former more oriented toward cognitive and attitudinal change, and the latter toward insight into personal identity and role conflict. Among white trainees, increased values comprehension, increased agreement with preferential treatment for minorities, and decreased social distance to tri-ethnic (black, Hispanic, white) stimulus figures at three socioeconomic status (SES) levels, were associated with improved therapeutic skills with a poor black client. Among black trainees, self-distancing responses to social, attitudinal, and values items which implied both acknowledgment and rejection of “black professional” identity, were associated with highly significant improvement in therapeutic performance with a poor black client. In addition to demonstrated efficacy in building knowledge and skill, cross-cultural training appears to be a consciousness-raising process for minority professionals conflicted about culture-abandonment and irrelevancies in clinical training.     

Personal Cleanliness Activities in Preschool Classrooms

One hundred and twelve preschool teachers in Indiana were asked to complete a questionnaire requesting them to indicate what personal health-related activities they were incorporating into their classroom routines, why they were incorporating them, and how often such activities were done. The results of the study indicate that the most incorporated activities were hand-washing, proper ways of coughing, and discussion on germs. The least incorporated personal health-related activities were proper use of bathroom and keeping things out of the mouth. Reasons for incorporating the activities include helping to curtail the spreading of colds and germs, helping the children to develop good life skills later in life, and helping the preschoolers know about the health hazards associated with germs, among others. The study recommends the need to make Health Education a core component of preschool teachers’ training.