More than 'just' changing diapers: The experiences of preservice early childhood teachers in infant field placements

Despite the fact that early childhood preservice teachers are typically being prepared to work with children from birth through age 8, preservice field experiences with infants continue to be largely missing in early childhood teacher preparation programs Since the education and care of infants often takes place in vastly different settings than that of older children, field experiences in infant settings have the potential to provide learning opportunities that are unmatched in other settings. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of three early childhood preservice teachers as they engaged in fieldwork with infants over the course of a semester in order to learn more about how the unique aspects of infant fieldwork impact teacher development.;Participants for this study were selected from a pool of early childhood preservice teachers through a criterion-based selection process. Descriptions of the preservice teachers' experiences were generated through individual interviews, the participants' reflective journals, and one focus group interview. A reflective analysis process with regular member checks was used to identify patterns and themes emerging in the descriptions of the participants' experiences. These themes are used to address the research questions in the presentation of the case study findings.;The data generated through journals, questionnaires, and interviews revealed that the distinct aspects of working with infants pushed the preservice teachers to construct new ideas about infant development, curricula, the role of the teacher, working with parents and families, and building relationships with children. A closer examination of each one of the themes indicates that their experiences with the infants provided the preservice teachers with valuable opportunities to practice critical teaching skills, make some new connections between theory and practice, and rethink certain beliefs about teaching and learning.