Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
357040 | International Journal of Educational Research | 2012 | 12 Pages |
International evidence confirms that early childhood educators can enter professional practice unprepared for child protection due to inadequate pre-service preparation. This paper makes an original contribution by using the Child Protection Questionnaire for Educators (CPQE) to examine the pre- and post-intervention child maltreatment and protection knowledge of early childhood and primary teaching students. While students’ knowledge increases significantly after participating in a child protection training programme, Pastoral Pathways, as part of their undergraduate study, post-intervention scores vary between groups. The study provides evidence of programme effectiveness and future training needs of pre-service educators. Findings are relevant to teacher educators and child care training providers in relation to programme content development and evidencing knowledge and skills acquisition.
► An example of a pre-service child protection training programme. ► Participation in the programme contributes to child maltreatment and protection knowledge. ► Significant differences between two student groups are highlighted. ► Identified future child protection training needs of these groups.