An undergraduate inclusive teacher preparation programme in early childhood education: an online delivery approach

As teacher shortages or teacher turnover rate continue to proliferate in the field of early childhood education (ECE) across the United States in the past few decades, there seem to be a pressing need for teacher preparation programmes to accommodate prospective ECE pre-service teachers (who do not have the chance to enroll in traditional teacher preparation programmes due to geographical reasons, busy daily work schedules, and other personal reasons). This accommodation will provide them the alternative to complete their entire online coursework in ECE that would adequately prepare them for careers in various inclusive early childhood settings. This article will describe the organization and development of an alternative online approach for the degree of Bachelor of Science in ECE in a southwestern state of the United States.