Children of Divorce : Preservice Early Childhood Teachers' Knowledge and Relation to Efficacy

Abstract

After a parental divorce, many children exhibit stress responses and effects from the experience. Preservice teachers need to be prepared to help these students in an appropriate manner. The purpose of this study was to determine whether preservice early childhood teachers have the knowledge of the stress responses and effects of parental divorce on children. Seventy-two undergraduate students of the Early Childhood Education program at a Midwestern University participated in the study. Knowledge of the effects of a parental divorce on a child and the knowledge of the stress responses exhibited by a child due to a parental divorce were assessed. Preservice teachers had moderate knowledge about the stress responses and effects of divorce on children. Results indicated that preservice teachers who had a high sense of efficacy also had a positive correlation with their overall knowledge about children of divorce. If preservice teachers had personally experienced a parental divorce, their knowledge about the stress responses and effects of divorce were higher compared to those who had not personally experienced a parental divorce. The timing of when the divorce occurred during the preservice teachers' life did not significantly impact their understanding about how divorce effects children and the stress responses they can experience.