A qualitative case study exploring an early childhood educator professional development program linking teacher efficacy, engagement, and retention

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of eleven early childhood educators who participated in a professional development program. The study was guided by the central research question, "What are the perceptions of early childhood educators on the professional development program as it relates to teacher efficacy, engagement, and retention?" A descriptive case study with overlapping research methods of individual interviews, focus groups, and classroom observation was used to uncover the perceptions of professional development of these educators. Participants in this study consisted of eleven educators at a single early childhood development center in Ohio. The findings revealed a positive connection between professional development and teacher efficacy, engagement, and retention. Additionally, the findings of this study revealed that the professional development program of this daycare facility utilized positive characteristics of human performance technology (HPT) and professional development to integrate the program standards to influence teacher efficacy, engagement, and retention. The findings also revealed that investing in the professional development of teachers could improve classroom engagement and is a major factor in reinforcing teacher effectiveness, supporting continuous growth, and encouraging retention. The implications could lend support to educational policy makers on all educational levels by continuing to build a firmer platform of theoretical expertise, delving into the structure and processes of early childhood educator professional development programs. The use of a larger population to further validate the intellectual development of teachers using a specific HPT Model might aid in the exploration of the interconnectedness of human performance technology and professional development processes. Additional findings may support the development of early childhood teacher professional development programs. The processes of professional development are major contributors to organizational success, and without improved performance processes, an organization's performance will fail to improve.