The nature and extent of change in early childhood educators' language and literacy knowledge and beliefs

•We examine early childhood educators' change in literacy knowledge and beliefs.•Educators made small growth the year that professional development was provided.•Educators' growth plateaued into the subsequent school year.•Educators' openness to change predicted their outcomes in literacy knowledge.•Educators' level of self-efficacy predicted their outcomes in literacy beliefs.

Professional development (PD) can enhance educators' knowledge and beliefs, but research has yet to determine the nature and extent of such change. This study examined the patterns and predictors of change in knowledge and beliefs for early childhood educators participating in state-implemented PD. Results from a longitudinal piecewise growth model indicated that educators improved their knowledge and beliefs to varying extents during the school year when PD was provided. Change then plateaued with educators neither improving nor regressing during the subsequent school year. Openness to change and self-efficacy significantly predicted knowledge and beliefs, respectively. Research and practice implications are provided.