Examining pre-k professional development programs: Discovering the road to exceptional instructional practices

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to discover and interpret the experiences of pre-k teachers in an urban school district located in a Northeastern region of the United States. Using a basic qualitative research design, fifteen participants were recruited by a purposeful sampling method to be interviewed after the implementation of learned teaching strategies from their professional development programs. Use of the constant comparison method uncovered themes characterizing the experiences had by the pre-k teachers with learning and implementing learned strategies from their professional development programs in the pre-k classroom. The two major themes characterizing the experiences had by the pre-k teachers with learning and implementing learned strategies from their professional development programs in the classroom were: resources and peer support. The findings from this study uncovered the pre-k teacher's perceptions about their experiences provided by their professional development programs after their attempts to implement the learned strategies. The findings of this study have several implications for practice that include considerations for improving and strengthening the structures of pre-k professional development programs.