Literacy development in early childhood education in the United Arab Emirates: exploring teachers’ perspectives

In countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the combined efforts of teachers, parents and school leaders to improve literacy development have been under-researched. Thus, the authors aimed to explore the perspectives of teachers on literacy development, focusing on competency, access to professional development, training needs and career development. In this qualitative study, a semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection from 15 early education teachers recruited from all three regions of the emirate of Abu Dhabi to gain insight into their experiences. Excerpts from interviews showed that although there were qualified teachers available and teaching in schools, there were some concerns regarding the skills these teachers had acquired during pre-service training. This study provides valuable insights into early childhood teaching and practices and offers guidelines for policy and reforms in early childhood education in the UAE.