Date of Conferral

5-2-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Joanna Karet

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study is that many mentor teachers struggle to support early childhood preservice teachers in developing teacher identity. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand mentor teachers’ challenges and what professional development or support fosters development of teacher identity in early childhood preservice teachers. Guided by Wenger’s communities of practice conceptual framework, data were collected via semistructured interviews with seven participants who had at least 3 years of early childhood teaching experience and had mentored an early childhood preservice teacher from a midwestern regional university in the last 5 years. Data analysis involved a priori and open coding to identify codes, categories, and themes. The emergent themes were (a) preservice teachers lack contextual knowledge and experience, (b) mentor teachers face challenges with authentic communication, (c) preservice teachers often show limited confidence and grit, (d) mentors need skills for transformative mentorship, and (e) mentors require trauma-informed strategies to address challenging behaviors and support identity development. Amid a global teacher shortage, these findings serve as a catalyst for transforming educator preparation programs by highlighting mentor challenges and support needs, ultimately strengthening teacher identity during internships and fostering a more confident, resilient early childhood teaching workforce. The findings of this study could contribute to positive social change by highlighting the importance of strong mentors in supporting preservice teachers. Well-prepared, confident, and resilient early childhood teachers are essential for positively the lives and learning of young children, and effective preparation might reduce teacher attrition.

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