Holding up the Mirror: The Role of Teacher Educators and Syllabi in Perpetuating or Disrupting Inequity

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Holding up the Mirror: The Role of Teacher Educators and Syllabi in Perpetuating or Disrupting Inequity
Language: English
Authors: Ruby Batz (ORCID 0000-0003-2266-2462), Melissa C. Walter (ORCID 0000-0002-7670-3832), Melissa M. Burnham (ORCID 0000-0002-2570-0092), Lisa B. Fiore
Source: Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood. 2025 46(4):391-405.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Teacher Role, Teacher Educators, Course Descriptions, Equal Education, Early Childhood Teachers, Course Content, Early Childhood Education, Racism, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Infants, Mental Health
DOI: 10.1002/imhj.22158
ISSN: 0163-9641
1097-0355
Abstract: This blended pilot-empirical and theoretical manuscript documents a reflective journey undertaken by a group of early childhood teacher educators located across different regions of the United States as they examined their course design, materials, and syllabi construction. Grounded in reflective practice, intersectionality, and critical pedagogy, their collaborative endeavor necessitated profound self-examination and recognition of oppressive structures inherent within the field and reproduced throughout course syllabi, thereby perpetuating societal inequities inside and outside the classroom context. Their iterative, evolving effort resembled a reflective consultation group, marked by continuous self-reflection, challenging assumptions, and transforming actions, vividly portrayed in their vignettes. A nonlinear spiral model emerged as a visual representation of the multiple entry points into an ongoing process--highlighting access points that encourage curiosity and interrogation of academic syllabi and course content. The inclusive nature of this inquiry invites faculty members and practitioners to confront racism, ableism, and other systems of domination, amplify marginalized scholarship, and redefine early childhood education-related fields, including the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health landscape. It also underscores the imperative of sustained introspection and collaborative action in nurturing equity.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1473042
Database: ERIC
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