A Program Review

The purpose of this study was to discover the transformationpreschool teacher candidates go through in their perceptions about teacher and teachingduring their teacher education program. The participants of the study were 35 seniorstudents enrolled in the preschool teacher education program at a university located inthe Eastern Anatolian Region of Turkey. A qualitative survey instrument was conducted toexamine the preservice teachers’ perceptions. The data collected from the survey wereanalyzed by adopting a constant comparative coding method. The study revealed a changein the participants’ perceptions about preschool education before and after theyenrolled in the program. The hardest parts of teaching in preschool were the need ofhigh level of energy, patience, and skills to manage the classroom while the mostpleasurable sides were having fun, play opportunities, and the positive impact teachersmake on children. The qualities of an ideal preschool program listed by the participantsinvolved curriculum, physical environment, and social-emotional atmosphere while thethemes regarding the ideal preschool teacher were revolved around the personalqualities, professional attitude, and professional knowledge and skills. Hence, thefindings of this qualitative study can only be generalized in the context the study wasconducted; however, the study could have important implications for preschool teachereducation in Turkey and in other countries, and help the international readers perceivepreschool teacher education from a different perspective