Educator Readiness and Relationships: Factors Relating to the Implementation of Interventions and Curricula in Early Childhood Education 16 views

High-quality early childhood education (ECE) interventions hold significant promise for supporting children's development, yet their impact depends on the conditions under which they are implemented. This dissertation examines two educator-level factors, readiness for change (RFC) and the quality of professional relationships, that are associated with how interventions and curricula are adopted in real-world ECE settings. Across three interrelated studies using complementary methods, this work advances understanding of the human dimensions of implementation in ECE. Paper 1 uses qualitative methods to explore how infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) consultants and social-emotional coaches perceive educator RFC. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 practitioners revealed that RFC is a dynamic, individualized construct associated with internal factors such as openness to self-reflection and external conditions including structural supports and leadership climate. Findings highlight the need for validated, context-specific measures of RFC and offer practical guidance for supporting educators at varying stages of readiness. Paper 2 examines RFC and curriculum implementation using survey data from 1,392 early childhood educators participating in the statewide rollout of the STREAMin³ curriculum in Virginia. Regression analyses indicated that higher fall RFC was significantly associated with greater educator responsiveness and curriculum dosage across multiple time points, suggesting that RFC may be a measurable and meaningful correlate of implementation fidelity at scale. Paper 3 investigates relational processes within the LOOK Consultation Model, a hybrid IECMH consultation program implemented in 29 Head Start centers with 51 teachers. Teachers' own perceptions of collaboration and engagement were significantly associated with their end-of-year coaching alliance ratings, whereas consultant perceptions were not. Neither relational indicators nor coaching alliance were associated with changes in observed social-emotional teaching practices; cohort membership, likely reflecting pandemic-related disruption, was the only consistent correlate of spring outcomes. Taken together, these studies suggest that educator RFC is a consistent and measurable correlate of curriculum engagement, while professional relationships appear to function as foundational conditions linked to how consultation is experienced rather than to observed practice change. These findings highlight the importance of integrating readiness assessments and trust-based professional partnerships into professional development systems, and of using measurement approaches sensitive to the distributional properties of relational data.

PHD (Doctor of Philosophy)

early childhood education; implementation science; readiness for change; coaching alliance

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2026-03-15