This book provides significant information regarding the policies and provisions for early childhood teacher education programs in universities in fourteen different countries. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is expanding rapidly across the globe with unprecedented numbers of children attending EC centres, requiring the investment in educators to provide good quality ECEC. Yet, there is an inconsistent approach to early childhood teacher preparation and the quality of existing programs is not known. Each country's contributing author/s is/are well known in their field for their in-depth knowledge of early childhood teacher education programs including content, structure, and professional experience that works within the scope of policy and registration agencies. The chapters address the current situation of staffing-shortage or oversupply-of early childhood teachers in their country. The book informs policy regarding content of early childhood teacher preparation programs and provides evidence of current courses across many under-represented countries throughout the world. It makes a significant contribution to understanding the environment for early childhood teacher programs.

Autorentext

Dr Wendy Boyd is Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education at Southern Cross University. Her research focuses on provision of quality early childhood programs to support the optimal development of all children. This includes parents' perspectives on early childhood programs; the effectiveness and development of the early childhood workforce; and the provision of sustainable practices in early childhood education.

Professor Susanne Garvis works in early childhood education and is the Chair of the Department of Education at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She has worked in Australia, Sweden, Finland and Norway as an academic. Her research interests are based within policy, quality and learning within early childhood education and care.

Inhalt
IntroductionWendy Boyd & Susanne Garvis
Chapter 1. Getting it right for early childhood teacher programs in AustraliaWendy Boyd & Alicia Phillips
Chapter 2. Early Childhood Teacher Education in Canada: Challenges and OpportunitiesLaura K. Doan
Chapter 3. Contemporary early childhood education and care teaching training in ChinaYing Liu & Wendy Boyd
Chapter 4. Early Childhood Teacher Education in Contemporary TimesLavinia Tiko
Chapter 5. The Role of Early Childhood Teachers in Finnish Policy Documents - Training Teachers for the FutureHeidi Harju-Luukkainen & Jonna Kangas
Chapter 6. Early Childhood Teacher Education in Germany Insights into Traditions, Reforms and Current ChallengesMartina Müller & Stefan Faas
Chapter 7. Ireland's Reform Agenda: Transforming the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector into One of the Best in the WorldMary Moloney
Chapter 8. Current Trends and challenges for Early Childhood Teacher Education in JapanChiharu Uchida
Chapter 9. Early childhood teacher education in New Zealand: Facts, values, and uncertaintiesQilong Zhang
Chapter 10. Early childhood teacher programs in the Republic of the Marshall IslandsKelesi Whippy
Chapter 11. Development of preschool teacher's competences as a way to increase the ECE qualityIgor Shiyan, Anna Iakshina, Tatiana Le-van & Olga Shiyan
Chapter 12. Developing teacher competence in Swedish early childhood teachersMaelis Karlsson Lohmander & Susanne Garvis
Chapter 13. Early childhood teacher education in Turkey: Description, Research and Problemsenil, Ünlü-Çetin
Chapter 14. Teachers and Teaching in the UKCatherine Carroll-Meehan
Chapter 15. Early Childhood Education and Care in Vietnam: from Confucianism to 21st Century reforms in Curriculum and TrainingGeraldine Neylon & Le Thi Ha Xuyen
Chapter 16. Chapter 16. Early Childhood Education and Care in in Zambia: ECE provision and teacher education Ronald L. Kaunda & Joanne Ailwood
Chapter 17. Conclusions: Early childhood teaching programs across 16 countries Susanne Garvis & Wendy Boyd