The lived experience of public preschool teachers: A phenomenological study.

Abstract

Public preschools are rapidly being added to elementary schools throughout the nation. A literature review showed high-quality preschools both improve the lives of at-risk children and have several commonalities centered on children's and teachers' experiences. Yet, there has been little inquiry regarding teachers' experiences. This phenomenological study researched preschool teachers' professional lives. Interviews were conducted with six public preschool teachers from inner city schools. A survey and written communication from administrators and teachers were also collected. Several themes emerged centered around the purposes of public preschool and the public preschool teacher's role. Findings indicated that pre-k is viewed as a means to help at-risk children. Teachers feel pressure to teach in ways that produce "readiness" in children and find working with English language learners particularly challenging. Further study is needed to determine what types of support for pre-k teachers would be most helpful.