Document Type
Scholarship Project
Publication Date
2024
College/Unit
School of Medicine
Department/Program/Center
Occupational Therapy
Abstract
Daycare teachers, in general, are responsible for the support and education of children as they develop skills and achieve milestones. This study aimed to investigate what training and education related to developmental delays are provided to daycare teachers, the actions taken by teachers or directors to identify developmental delays, and how daycare curricula are developed and personalized for individual needs. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with daycare teachers who taught three and four-year-olds as well as site directors at three different facilities in Morgantown, West Virginia. Responses were transcribed and coded into six themes. Results indicate teachers have limited training and education on developmental delays, but there are typically formal protocols specific to each facility when a delay is suspected. Curricula varied among facilities: two were child-led with minimal structural support, and the other was scripted and teacher-led. Teachers' satisfaction with their facility’s curriculum seemed to depend on their length of experience in using it. The findings are consistent with the literature and indicate a need for an occupational therapist(s) presence in daycare facilities in some capacity.
Digital Commons Citation
Conley, Katie; Learish, Melissa; and Fetty, Ayric, "Exploration of Educator Training Requirements and Curriculum Standards and How These Could Impact the Development of Children Aged 3 – 4 Years in Daycare Centers: A Qualitative Study" (2024). Graduate Student Scholarship. 28.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/grad_scholarship/28