School of Education Faculty Publishes International Special Issue with Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, Budapest

Faculty in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently collaborated with the Department Faculty of Primary and Pre-school Education at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, Hungary, to produce a special issue of Gyermeknevelés Tudományos Folyóirat (Journal of Early Years Education). ELTE is one of the oldest universities in Hungary, established in 1635, and serves about 35,870 students in various bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs.

This cross-cultural scholarly exchange showcases how teacher educators in Hungary and the United States address shared challenges and design innovative solutions to better prepare future teachers to meet the changing needs of their student populations. The studies focus on various areas of teacher education, including literacy, inclusion, equity and social justice, social-emotional learning, and technology. The articles emphasize the rich experiences of pre-service teachers in our two educator preparation programs and provide faculty with an opportunity to learn from colleagues across international contexts.

This international partnership originated from a decade-long academic collaboration between Dr. Ágnes Klein and Dr. Edina Haslauer. The initiative began to take shape in Fall 2024, and faculty from both institutions were subsequently invited to submit proposals in Summer 2025. Within the School of Education, an internal review was conducted prior to formal submission. Faculty members provided structured feedback on one another's manuscripts, creating a valuable opportunity to move beyond disciplinary silos and to deepen understanding of their colleagues' research. Following submission, the manuscripts underwent a formal peer review process. Faculty in the School of Education-along with additional reviewers, including Dr. Kaju Lee, Dr. Yuanyuan Hu, and Dr. Laura Anderson-offered substantive feedback on the submissions prepared by colleagues at ELTE. Simultaneously, our own manuscripts were evaluated by our international partners. Engaging in this reciprocal peer review process enabled us to learn from innovative practices across institutions and to contribute meaningfully to a culture of scholarly collaboration.

The collaboration resulted in four peer-reviewed publications in the School of Education by Drs. Doug Adams, Erin Anderson, Edina Haslauer, and Lindsay Hollingsworth.

In Preparing Preservice Teachers to Teach ELA & Social Studies through a Thematic Book Club Project, Dr. Lindsay Hollingsworth and Dr. Doug Adams examine how an interdisciplinary book club model can transform teacher preparation by engaging preservice teachers with middle-grade novels while strengthening reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Focusing on inclusive practices, Dr. Erin Anderson's work on rural schools across the United States explores how equity-centered coursework equips future educators to support children with diverse disabilities and create accessible learning environments. In The First Step: Preparing Rural Preservice Teachers to Support Multilingual Learners, Dr. Edina Haslauer advocates for early, intentional preparation of teachers working in multilingual classrooms, particularly in rural areas. In The Craft of Preparing Preservice Teachers of Reading in a Science-Based Landscape, Dr. Hollingsworth discusses how to prepare pre-service teachers to teach reading foundational literacy skills to children in grades kindergarten through third grade.

The special issue reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to advancing high-quality teacher education. By engaging in international scholarship, faculty and students benefit from diverse perspectives and research-based practices that enrich the profession.

The issue is forwarded by the Deans of the two teacher education programs, Drs. Éva Márkus and Travis Nelson, and can be viewed in Gyermeknevelés Tudományos Folyóirat.