How Do Online Educated Early Childhood Teachers Learn to Teach?

Little was known about how online credential recipients developed practical expertise in childcare. The purpose of the study was to explore how online recipients of the Child Development Associate credential developed practical expertise in early childhood education without the benefit of an apprenticeship. Learning the practice of teaching from qualified “more knowledgeable others” through an apprenticeship is a feature of teacher preparation in public-school contexts yet missing in preparation for childcare teachers. Vygotsky’s Social Construction of Knowledge formed the conceptual framework of the study. The research question addressed the application of content knowledge and identification of problems in classroom situations. Ten center-based childcare teachers who earned a Child Development Associate credential online were interviewed. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed Child Development Associate credential recipient-teachers had little opportunity for observation by others in teaching contexts, relying primarily on trial and error and self-initiated actions to gain teaching practical expertise. Findings from this research demonstrates the need for early childhood professional apprenticeship experiences that might contribute to better teaching and improved outcomes for young children. Keywords: Apprenticeship, expert-novice research, Child Development Associate or CDA, early childhood, online or distance learning