Dr. Julia Kroeker
Areas of Expertise
- Child Development
- Early Childhood Education
- Teacher Education
Biography
Dr. Julia Kroeker is an Assistant Professor in the Early Childhood Inclusive program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. A Nebraska native, she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with an early childhood endorsement from Hastings College in 2003, her master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2006 (in early childhood education), and her Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2014. While at UNL, she also earned her certificate in Mixed Methods research and learned from Dr. John Creswell.
Dr. Kroeker began her career teaching prekindergarten and kindergarten in Millard Public Schools. After earning her doctorate, she joined Florida Southwestern State College (FSW) as a professor of early childhood education. She has since returned home to Nebraska, where she prepares future educators to create engaging, developmentally appropriate learning environments and activities for young children.
Committed to excellence in teaching and online course design, Dr. Kroeker has developed six courses that earned Quality Matters certification. She is also a Quality Matters Master Reviewer and Peer Reviewer and serves as a peer reviewer for the Universal Journal of Educational Research. Dr. Kroeker advocates for child-directed free play and its essential role in children’s learning, development, creativity, and well-being. Her dissertation was titled, "Indoor and Outdoor Play in Preschool Programs: A Mixed Methods Study." Julia is a member of The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) and is presented at several TASP conferences. While teaching at FSW, Dr. Kroeker worked alongside early childhood faculty and students to plan and host an annual Pop-Up Play event, which she hopes to continue at UNK.
