International Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals Practices to Engage Family Members of Young Children with Special Education Needs: A Comparative Study of Professional Practices in China and the United States

Author

Jami Louise Swindell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year of Award

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

College

College of Education & Allied Health

Degree Program

Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership

Department

Education and Special Education

First Advisor

M. Allison Witt

Second Advisor

Nicholas Burbules

Third Advisor

Susan Fowler

Keywords

early childhood education and care, early childhood special education, international education, family engagement, special education needs, young children (birth to 8), professional practices

Abstract

There are growing international efforts to identify best practices, quality indicators, and teacher qualifications and sustainable policy in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). This study explores strategies ECEC professionals in China and the United States implement to engage family members of young children with special education needs. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 ECEC professionals in China and the United States to explore professional practices and challenges within inclusive ECEC. Constant comparative methods were used to identify patterns and themes across interviews. Professionals had a range of educational backgrounds and experiences working with young children with special education needs and their families. Professionals shared common strategies for encouraging active participation of family members, including on-going communication, family events, parent education programs, parent committees, and family conferences. Professionals also discussed strategies used to individualize services for young children with special education needs. ECEC professionals in the United States and China reported many similarities in practices and common challenges in providing inclusive ECEC.

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Swindell, Jami Louise, "International Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals Practices to Engage Family Members of Young Children with Special Education Needs: A Comparative Study of Professional Practices in China and the United States" (2020). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 277.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/277