The Early-Field Experience for Female Kindergarten Student Teachers: Saudi Arabia

(Ibtisam Yassin Hussain , Amani Khalaf Hamdan Alghamdi and Hanan Abdel Ghaffar Attia Ibrahim )

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Abstract

The aim of the current research is to determine, from the female students’ point of view, the effectiveness of having early field experience in preparing kindergarten teachers as part of a bachelor's program. To accomplish its goal, the research tracked the program from an organizational, administrative, educational, and professional perspective for five semesters. It also measured professional participation in the program's early field experience. It used longitudinal surveys, and followed the longitudinal research approach, with the sample consisting of 135 students in the bachelor’s program for early childhood education at a Saudi university. The results of the research showed an absence of fundamental differences between the students’ viewpoints on organizational aspects and professional benefits at the academic level. The responses regarding the impact of early field experience as part of the BA program to prepare for teaching kindergarten were more positive. The research led to several field and further research recommendations, the most important of which are the adoption of early field experience as an essential part of training early childhood educators and further longitudinal studies to verify the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs.

KEYWORDS
Practical education, teacher preparation, organizational aspects, professional benefit, childhood, academic level

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References

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