ECED PhD Program Information

Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood Education Department believes that students and faculty are reflective partners actively engaged in a continual learning process to gain the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be teachers, researchers, professionals and leaders in early care and education.

Students and Faculty:

• Engage in innovative and effective learning experiences that positively impact their lives as well as children, families and the global community.
• Advocate for the early care and education profession.
• Demonstrate excellence in early care and education through the understanding and application of theory, research and practice in a variety of real-world settings.
• Appreciate the uniqueness of each individual when preparing the teaching and learning environment.
• Honor the culture and diversity of ALL children and families within a changing global and technological society. 

Download the PhD in Early Childhood Education brochure

Inquire about availability of PhD Fellowships when applying. Typically fellowships are offered for 3-year periods.

• Fall 2023 Faculty Presentations & Publications

  ** Faculty noted in bold font.

  Dr. Atiles

  Atiles, J. T., Dias, M. J. A, & Moore, J. D. (2023). Strategies for early childhood educators who work with emergent bilinguals. HS Dialog: The Research to Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 26(3). https://journals.charlotte.edu/dialog/issue/view/140.

   

  Dias, M. J. A., Atiles, J. T., & Moore, J. D. (2023). Preparing early childhood educators to work with emergent bilinguals. HS Dialog: The Research to Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 26(3). https://journals.charlotte.edu/dialog/issue/view/140.

   

  Atiles, J. T., Almodóvar, M., & Owusu, R. S. (2023, November 15-18). Building a foundation for a kinder world: How to teach empathy to preschoolers [Paper presentation]. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN 

   

  Almodóvar, M., & Atiles, J. T. (2023, November 15-18). ¿Cómo enseñarle empatía a los niños de edad preescolar? Construyendo una base para un mundo más amable [Paper presentation]. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN.

   

  Atiles, J. T., Perry, A. A., & Puni-Nyamesem, C. (2023, November 15). Child care centers licensing standards in the United States from 1981 to 2023 [Poster presentation]. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, Nashville, TN.

   

  Atiles, J. T., Maron-Puntarelli, C., Costa, M., & McMullen, M. B. (2023, September). Touched by care: Life stories of sharing understanding, respect, peace, and compassion, with young children [Paper presentation]. 31st European Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference, Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal. 

   

  Atiles, J. T., Chavarría Vargas, A., & Zúñiga León, I. M. (2023, August). A teacher workforce to develop bilingual learners is needed: Costa Rican early childhood educators’ voices. [Poster presentation]. 31st European Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference, Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal 

   

  Dr. Broderick

  Broderick, J.T., Bock, S., Hatcher, A., Moran, M. (2023, November) Teachers as Researchers: Interpreting and Questioning to Plan for Emergent Inquiry Curriculum Centered on Children’s Thinking. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN

  Broderick, J. T., Dias, M. J., & Orimaye, K. H. (March 2024). Framing Open-Ended Explorations of Materials Within the Context of Creativity and Constructivist Theories. Exchange Magazine (spring).

   

  Broderick, J. T. & Evanshen, P. (2023). Studying Reggio-Inspired Early Childhood Emergent Inquiry Online. Exchange Magazine (summer).

  Broderick, J. T. & Hong, S. B. (2023). Undergraduates Use of Materials Explorations and Documentation to Study Re-Representation and Multi-Symbolic Representation in Learning Processes, Association for Constructivist Teaching, Boone, NC.

   

  Dr. Facun-Granadozo 

  Facun-Granadozo, R., (2023, November) “Dear Teacher…”: Early Childhood Educators’/Parents’ Perspectives on Supporting Immigrant and Foreign National Children and Families to Thrive in US Early Childhood Settings. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN

   

  Dr. Lange

  Perry, A.A, Lange, A.A, (2023, November) Pre-service teachers’ reflections on community-engaged learning in a STEM Course (paper session) National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, Nashville, TN

  Lange, A.A., Morton, M., Galisini, T., & Perry, A.A. (2023, November). Exploring early math outdoors. Annual conference of National Association of Early Childhood Education. Nashville, TN.

   

  Lange, A.A. & Culter, C. (2023) Webinar. Integrating math meaningfully with science and engineering. First webinar hosted by the Early Math Interest Forum, NAEYC (Lange is co-facilitator), September. NAEYC.

   

  Dr. Malkus

  Nyamesem, C., & Malkus, A. J. (November, 2023). Young children’s screen media use: Insights from a study on familial regulation of young of young children’s TV viewing in Ghana. Poster presented at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN

   

  Malkus, A.J. (October, 2023). From algorithms to imaginations: Crafting a constructivist learning voyage with AI. Keynote address presented at the annual conference of the Association for Constructivist Teaching, Boone, NC

   

  Dr. Sareh

  Edokhamhen, E., Sareh, N., Nyabando, T., Tian, Q., Mensah Bonsu, P. (October 2023). Embracing Constructivism in a digital age: Empowering Learning Journeys with Gen Z. Association for Constructivist Teaching, Boone, NC

   

  Moore, R., Seipel, S., & Sareh, N., Hood, M., Johnson. A. (November 2023). Developing authentic STEM inquiry experiences for infants and toddlers: Early childhood preservice teachers’ experiences in an infant toddler practicum. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN

   

  Tian, Q., Nyabando, T., Sareh, N., Mensah-Bonsu, P., Edokhamhen, E. (November, 2023). Effective Early Childhood Teacher Education Strategies: Teaching Generation Z. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, Nashville, TN

   

  Sareh, N. (November 2023). The Relationship between the amount of time spent in the Blok Center and Gender Differences in Preschool Children’s Spatial Performance. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN

   

  Baugher, D.J. & Sareh, N. (2023) Book-Tasting Presentations within an Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program. The Advocate, 28(2). DOI: 10.4148/2637-4552.1180 

   

  Dr. Sharp

  Shelton, A. M.& Sharp, L. K. (2023, November) Residency Bootcamp: A Collaborative Project for a Successful Residency Experience. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, Nashville, TN.

   

  
  
  
• Fall 2023  PhD Student Presentations & Publications

  ** Doctoral Students noted in bold font.

  Atiles, J. T., Dias, M. J. A, & Moore, J. D. (2023). Strategies for early childhood educators who work with emergent bilinguals. HS Dialog: The Research to Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 26(3). https://journals.charlotte.edu/dialog/issue/view/140.

   

  Dias, M. J. A., Atiles, J. T., & Moore, J. D. (2023). Preparing early childhood educators to work with emergent bilinguals. HS Dialog: The Research to Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 26(3). https://journals.charlotte.edu/dialog/issue/view/140.

  Broderick, J.T., Bock, S., Hatcher, A., Moran, M. (2023, November) Teachers as Researchers: Interpreting and Questioning to Plan for Emergent Inquiry Curriculum Centered on Children’s Thinking. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Nashville, TN

   

  Perry, A.A, Lange, A.A, (2023, November) Pre-service teachers’ reflections on community-engaged learning in a STEM Course (paper session) National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, Nashville, TN

  Shelton, A. M. & Sharp, L. K. (2023, November) Residency Bootcamp: A Collaborative Project for a Successful Residency Experience. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, Nashville, TN.

   

  
  
  
  
  

Scholarships

• Clemmer College

  Clemmer College offers a wide array of scholarships to accepted prospective students and currently enrolled ETSU students majoring in an academic program housed within Clemmer College. 

  Learn more

• Graduate School

  Scholarships, Grants, and Assistantships

  DEADLINES: All materials must be submitted by the following deadlines:

  • Fall Semester - July 1
  • Spring Semester - November 1
  • Summer Semester - April 1

  International Merit Scholarship

  Quillen Graduate Scholarship

  Regional Scholarships

  Program Specific Scholarships: See the Clemmer College Tab on this PhD Program Web Page

  Assistantship Information

  Research Grants

  Thesis and Dissertation Scholarships

• Diversity Scholarships

  Diversity Incentive Minority Scholarship

  For information please contact:

  
  Special Assistant to the President for Equity and Diversity
  Affirmative Action Director
  423.439.4445
  
  

  Southern Regional Education Board

  • Doctoral Scholars Program
  • The program’s goal is to produce more minority Ph.D students who seek careers as faculty on college campuses.

Program Graduates

• Owale Olubowale 2023

  

  Olawale Olubowale

  Wale is currently an Assistant Professor at the Metropolitan University of Toronto.

  Dissertation Title: Childhood Trauma in Early Care and Education: Understanding School Administrators' Perceptions.

  Chair: Dr. Evanshen

   

• Ehichoya Edokhamhen 2023

  

  Ehichoya Edokhamhen

  Ehi is currently an Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska at Kearney

  Dissertation Title: Building Resilience: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Head Start Teachers Coping During the Covid-19 Pandemic. 
  
  

  Chair: Dr. Trivette

• Katherine Madison 2023

  

  Katherine Madison

  Dissertation Title: Exploration of Privilege and Demographics Associated with Teachers' Self-Efficacy in Culturally Responsive Classroom Management 
  
  

  Chair: Dr. Malkus

• Sonia Yoshizawa 2023

  

  Sonia Yoshizawa

  Sonia is currently the Pedagogista/Assistant Director. School name: St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Website: smes.org

  Dissertation Title: Sound and Music Opportunities in Toddler Learning Environments
  
  

  Chair: Dr. Facun-Granadozo

• Kristy Castanon 2023

   

  

  Kristy Castanon

  Dissertation Title: Perceptions of Primary Caregivers About Managing their Child's Transition to Kindergarten: A Mixed Methods Study

  Chair: Dr. Trivette

• Kara Boynewicz 2022

  

  Kara Boynewicz

  Kara is an Associate Professor in the Rehabilitative Sciences Program at East Tennessee State University.

  Dissertation Title: Early detection of atypical motor and neurobehavior development of infants exposed to opiates: A prospective study

  Chair: Dr. Trivette

• Guillermo Mendoza 2022

  

  Guillermo Mendoza

  Guillermo is Chief of Staff at Northeast State Community College.

   

  Dissertation Title: Examining Teachers Referral and Placement Decisions for Gifted and Talented Programs of Hispanic Children

  Chair: Dr. Sharp

• Tahani Ahmed 2022

  

  Tahani Ahmed

  Dissertation Title: An Investigation of the Relationship Between Teachers’ Personal Epistemologies and Their Self-Efficacy About Culturally Responsive Classroom Management
  
  

  Chair: Dr. Malkus

• Qiuji Tian 2022

  

  Qiuju Tian

  Qiuju (Daisy) is an Assistant Professor at Mercyhurst University.

  Dissertation Title: The Impact of an Integrated STEM Collaborative Approach on Early Childhood and Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Curricular Role Identity for Teaching Science.

  Chair: Dr. Lange

• Narges Sareh 2020

  

  Narges Sareh

  Narges Sareh is an Assistant Professor at East Tennessee State University.

  Dissertation Title: The relationship between the amount of time spend in block center and gender differences in preschool children’s spatial performance.

  Chair: Dr. Lange

• Randa Dunlap 2020

  Randa Dunlap is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood at the Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

  Dissertation Title: Determining if Classroom Pets as part of an Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary Students ' Empathy.

  Chair: Dr. Malkus

• Tara Voit 2020

  Tara Voit is currently an adjunct professor at Sante Fe Community College.

  Dissertation Title: Head Start Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions of Reggio Emilia
  Principles Practiced Within Their
  Own Setting: A Case Study.

  Chair: Dr. Broderick

• Tsitsi Nyabando 2019

  Tsitsi Nyabando is currently an Assistant Professor at Eastern New Mexico University

  Dissertation Title: Second Grade Students’ Perceptions of Their Classrooms’ Physical Learning Environment.

  Chair: Dr. Evanshen

• Michael Garrett 2018

  Michael Garrett is currently teaching in the Math and Statistics Department at ETSU.

  Dissertation Title: Seeing the World Differently. An Exploration of a Professional Development Model Bridging Science and Lay Cultures.

  Chair: Dr. Broderick

• Rebekah Taylor 2018

  Rebekah Taylor

  Dissertation Title: A Mixed Methods Exploration of East Tennessee Early Childhood Teachers’ Perceptions, Knowledge, Practices, and Resources of Critical Literacy.

   

   

  Chair: Dr. Sharp

• Hongxia Zhao 2018

  Hongxia Zhao is currently an Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University, Carlsbad.

  Dissertation Title: Examining Contributors to Preschoolers’ Classroom Engagement using Structural Equation Modeling.

  Chair: Dr. Trivette

• Stephanie Stephens 2018

  Stephanie Stephens

  Dissertation Title: Teachers’ response to infants’ nonverbal communication and use of response to facilitate a dialogue.

   

   

  Chair: Dr. Geiken

• Cathy Landy 2018

  Cathy Landy is currently working as a contractor for the Upper TN River Roundtable as a Save Our Streams coordinator

  Dissertation Title: The State of Outdoor Education in Northeast Tennessee: Preschool Teacher Attitudes Toward Outdoor Education.
  

  Chair: Dr. Malkus

• Jennifer Lynberg 2018

  Jennifer Lynberg

  Dissertation Title: Teachers and their perceptions about
  adaptive skill training within an Early Childhood comprehensive development classroom for students
  with intellectual disabilities.

   

  Chair: Dr. Trivette

• Brandie Maness 2018

  Brandie Maness is an Assistant Professor at University of South Carolina, Aiken.

  Dissertation Title: Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions of Children Prenatally Exposed to Drugs.

   

   

  Chair: Dr. Trivette

• Gina Wohlford 2018

  Ginal Wohlford is currently Superintendent of Norton City Schools, Norton, VA.

  Dissertation Title: Observation and Interpretation: Teachers’ beliefs and the impact of intervention on teachers’ meaningful conversations with children in preschool programs

  Chair: Dr. Broderick
  

• Michelle Johnson 2017

  Michelle Johnson is  an Associate Professor in the Nutrition Program, Department of Allied Health Sciences, ETSU. She is also Dietetic Intern Director.

  Dissertation Title: Design and Validation of a Scale for Preschoolers:
  Measuring Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors.

  Chair: Dr. Malkus

• Kim Austin 2017

  Kim Austin is currently an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Southwest Virginia Community College.

  Dissertation Title: Parental Perceptions of Preschool Age Children’s Literacy Development in a Rural Appalachian Community.

  Chair: Dr. Hale

• Teresa Boggs 2016

  Teresa Boggs is an Associate Professor and the Director of Clinical Services for Speech-Language Pathology at ETSU.

  Dissertation Title: The effects of environmental modifications and visual supports in the home on engagement and challenging behaviors in children with autism.

  Chair: Dr. Evanshen

• Lori Hamilton 2016

  Lori Hamilton is currently teaching for an online program. 

  Dissertation Title: Teachers perceptions of intensive professional development in the Daily Five™ in literacy instruction: A multiple case study.

  Chair: Dr. Sharp

• Charity Hensley 2015

  Charity Hensley is an Assistant Professor at Emory & Henry College.

  Dissertation Title:  Use of the Physical Classroom Environment as a Teaching & Learning Tool Including the Impact of the Common Core State Standard Initiative in Kindergarten through Third Grade Primary Classrooms in Northeast Tennessee.

  Chair:  Dr. Evanshen

• Kim Cassidy  2015

  Kim Cassidy recently is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Shawnee State University in Ohio.

  Dissertation Title:  Determining if Grandparents as Primary Caregivers of Pre-K through Third Grade Students in Northeast Tennessee Perceive Delivery of Information and  Services as Effective in Decreasing Chronic Absence.

  Chair: Dr. Malkus

• Ruth Facun-Granadozo 2014

  Ruth Facun-Granadozo is currently an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at East Tennessee State University.

  Dissertation Title: Developing Mastery in Phonemic Awareness and Morphemic Awareness: A Multiple Case Study of Preservice Early Childhood Educators.

  Link to article on Ruth's research in Illuminated, in the ETSU Graduate School student research magazine.

  Chair: Dr. Sharp

• Angie Baker 2014

  

  Angie Baker is an Assistant Professor at King College.

  Dissertation Title: An Exploratory Critical Study of Questioning Strategies Posed by Early Childhood Teachers During Literacy Blocks.

  Chair: Dr. Sharp

• Helen Lane 2012

  ETSU Early Childhood Faculty pose with Dr. Helen Lane, the first recipient of the ETSU Early Childhood Program PhD. Click here to read an article about Dr. Helen Lane receiving the first ETSU doctoral degree in Early Childhood in the Johnson City Press.

  Dissertation Title: Influences of Caregiver-Child Interactions and Temperament on Cortisol Levels of Toddlers in Full-Day Childcare.

  Chair: Dr. Gloeckler