Exploring teachers’ perspectives on home visit practices in early childhood special education: A qualitative study from Türkiye

This study explores preschool teachers’ perspectives on home visit practices as a means of strengthening school–family collaboration in early childhood education. Home visits are increasingly recognized as an effective tool for building trust, supporting children’s social–emotional development, and promoting continuity between home and school environments. Despite their potential benefits, the implementation and perceived impact of home visits vary widely across educational contexts. Using a descriptive qualitative design, this study examined the experiences, perceived benefits, and challenges reported by 10 special education teachers working in public early childhood institutions. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes. These are analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that teachers view home visits as a valuable practice that enhances communication with families, provides insights into children’s home lives, and strengthens teacher–parent partnerships. Teachers reported that home visits support children’s adaptation, classroom behavior, and academic readiness by fostering a sense of security and familiarity. However, they also identified several challenges, including time constraints, workload, safety concerns, and limited parental participation. Teachers emphasized the need for institutional support, structured guidelines, and professional development to implement home visits more effectively. Overall, the study highlights that while home visits contribute meaningfully to early childhood education, sustainable implementation requires systematic planning, administrative support, and clear standards. These findings may guide policymakers, school administrators, and practitioners in designing more comprehensive and effective home visit programs.