Research
Early Childhood refers to birth to age 8 and is a critical time of learning and development. Faculty and students in this area engage in research that explores how young children learn and grow in diverse contexts. Areas of focus include inclusive practices, family and community partnerships, early learning environments, and the role of play, language, and equity in development. Through research, we aim to inform practice, influence policy, and improve outcomes for all children and their families.
Programs
Graduates of Interdisciplinary Early Childhood are prepared to support young children through developmentally responsive, inclusive practices. They create engaging learning environments, honor each child’s unique strengths and experiences, build strong family partnerships, and advocate for children, families, and the field of early childhood education. We offer both undergraduate and graduate licensure pathways and programs of study.
Undergraduate
We offer a Bachelor of Science (B. S.) degree focused on Interdisciplinary Early Childhood.
More on B. S. in Education focusing on Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
Learn more about our UG programs
We offer two Integrated Birth to Kindergarten (BK) programs. One is offered on campus and the other is offered through Distance Education.
On Campus Program
The undergraduate Early Childhood Education Birth-K Program in TPTE is designed to prepare students to obtain the Tennessee Early Development and Learning Birth-K teacher license in order to teach children with and without disabilities, birth through age five. The Birth-K courses emphasize studying child development in context and developing fundamental instructional strategies within authentic field experiences.
The Birth-K program contains courses designed to meet state licensure requirements and emphasizes learning through three basic tenets: (1) understanding child development theory in context, (2) examining early childhood education concepts that impact teaching and learning, and (3) providing opportunities to teach in a variety of settings. Once students have progressed into the program and successfully completed the core courses and requirements, students participate in a semester-long student teaching practicum (IEC 472).
Distance Education Program
The undergraduate PreK-K Program in the Department of Child and Family Studies is designed to prepare students to obtain the Tennessee Early Development and Learning PreK-K teacher license in order to teach children with and without disabilities, birth through age five. The PreK–K courses emphasize studying child development in context and developing fundamental instructional strategies within authentic field experiences.
More about the program:
- Our program is built on flexibility for individualized learning needs, including pathways for:
- Students with two-year degrees
- Students with four-year degrees
- Tennessee teachers with certification in another grade span or specialty area
- Currently enrolling online students with a minimum of an associate’s degree and/or 60 transferable credits
- Courses offered continuously across fall, spring, and summer semesters
- Take courses part-time or full-time, based on your own needs and interests
For more information, contact:
Program Coordinator, Melody Hobbs: mhobbs@utk.edu
Admin. Program Specialist, Rachel Heston: rxb289@utk.edu
Graduate
We offer a Master of Science (M. S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) degree that provides opportunities for focused study in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education.
More on M. S. in Teacher Education focusing on PreK-3rd Grade
More on Ph. D. in Teacher Education focusing on Interdisciplinary Early Childhood
Learn more about our PreK-3rd Grade Licensure Program
The Integrated PreK-3rd Grade licensure program is a dynamic five-year program resulting in a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and dual licensure in early childhood education and early childhood special education. With these degrees and dual licensure, IEC graduates are well-prepared to teach all young children (birth through 3rd grade) in a variety of school settings. If you would like to learn more about this program, please reach out to our Program Director, Melanie Roberts at mrobe135@utk.edu with your questions or to schedule a time to meet.
Frequently Asked Questions about our PreK-3rd Grade Licensure Program:
How is the Integrated PreK-3rd Grade program different from an elementary education major?
Great question! The Integrated IEC PreK-3rd Grade program focuses on the holistic development of children in the critical period of birth through age 8. This means that IEC students learn about child development, culturally responsive pedagogy, family dynamics impacting children’s early experiences, and much more! Students tend to choose the IEC pathway due to an interest in the holistic view of children and childhood.
Is the IEC program new?
In name, yes! In practice, no; we’ve been evolving as a program for over 90 years!
The IEC program recently moved to the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education from our former home in Child and Family Studies due to a reorganization within the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. With this move, we lost our history and web presence for a time, but we assure you, we are here and never left!
Check out this video that includes lots of information that is still true today, even though our program is more expansive with the addition of early childhood special education and our new name.
Does it really take 5 years to complete the program?
Yes. Because PreK-3 students leave the program with a bachelor’s and master’s degree, along with dual licensure (early childhood education and early childhood special education), the program does take a full five years to complete. The fifth year of the program includes a full-year internship in a public school setting along with final coursework required for teacher licensure in Tennessee.
Where do graduates end up working?
Many IEC graduates teach preschool, kindergarten, first, second, and third grade in public and private school programs. Graduates also teach infants-preschoolers in Head Start programs or private early childhood programs. Some graduates eventually lead early childhood programs or return to school to earn advanced degrees to work in school administration, research positions, or academia.
Fun Fact: Our graduates are sought after by school principals as they are recognized as well-prepared to teach in today’s complex school environments. Principals report that IEC graduates are skilled in many areas including relationship development, problem solving, collegiality, curriculum development and delivery, and much more. In fact, many of our students have job offers before they finish their internship year!
Will I get to work directly with children while I’m in the program?
Yes! There are many courses throughout the IEC PreK-3rd grade program that have hands-on learning components in a variety of school settings. We even have our own early childhood education program on campus that serves as the learning laboratory for IEC students, the Early Learning Center for Research and Practice! Check out this graphic for more information about field experiences you can expect in the IEC program.
Do you offer a licensure pathway that does not include a master’s degree or the 5th year?
Coming soon! We are currently working on multiple additional pathways to licensure and graduate degrees in IEC. Those pathways include a job embedded option (work and get paid while you complete licensure requirements) and distance education (online) programs.
While these programs are not live yet, you can reach out to Samara Madrid Akpovo at smadrid1@utk.edu for more information and to express interest in our growing program.
Coming Soon
Early Care and Education (Non-Licensure) and Job-Embedded Practitioner Distance Education pathways for PreK-Kindergarten and PreK-3rd Grade licensure programs.
Shaping strong beginnings through inclusive, research-informed practice.
Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Faculty
Elizabeth DeMartino Newton
Director, The Early Learning Center for Research and Practice
Dani Rose Thibus
Assistant Director, The Early Learning Center for Research and Practice
Affiliate Faculty
Sharing Recent Work From Faculty and Students
Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood
Sorrells, C., & Akpovo, S. M. (2024). Agonist relationships in the toddler classroom: Exploring the connection between conflict and care. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491241229227
Peabody Journal of Education
Caudle, L. A., Quinn, M. F., Harper, F. K., Thompson, H., Rainwater, T., Flowers, C., & The CRRAFT Partnership (2024). “Any other thoughts?”: Establishing third space in a family-school-university STEM partnership to center voices of parents and teachers. Peabody Journal of Education, 99(3), 274–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2024.2357010
Knoxville Head Start
Hobbs, M. (2024). The power of our words. Presentation at Knoxville Head Start.
Journal of Behavioral Education
Ai, J., Zhao, M., Behrens, S., & Horn, E. M. (2024). Professional development improves teachers’ embedded instruction and children’s outcomes in a Chinese inclusive preschool. Journal of Behavioral Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-022-09490-5
Early Childhood Education Journal
Gallo-Fox, J., Miller Marsh, M., Paris, C., Barbour, N., Brookshire, R, Fisher, M., Hutchins, P, McBride, B., DeMartino Newton, E., Olalowo, I., Radnai-Griffin, D., Schlesinger-Devin, E. (in press). Look to laboratory schools for innovation and leadership. Early Childhood Education Journal.
American Educational Research Association
Madrid Akpovo, S., Nganga, L., Kambutu, J., & Thapa, S. (2024, April). Intellectual imperialism and globalization: The commodified and commercialized early childhood policies and practices in Nepal and Kenya. The 2024 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.