‘I would just like to run away and hide, but I won't!’ Exploring Attitudes and Perceptions on Child Protection Issues with Early Years Teacher Trainees on the Threshold of Their Careers

Abstract

This research sets out to examine the perceptions and attitudes of a cohort of early years specialist teacher trainees with regard to child protection issues as they prepare to enter the teaching profession. The trainees were at the end of a three‐year Primary Initial Teacher Training Course in the north of England. We had set out within the course to present a paradigm to the trainees of the newly qualified early years teacher as not only an effective agent in preventing child abuse but also the ‘advocates for the structural changes in society which would aim to eradicate child abuse’ (David, 1993, p. 84). We were particularly concerned with exploring whether our course had gone beyond the mechanistic and legal framework of the Standards [1] to produce reflective and effective early years practitioners able both to discuss their feelings and perceptions of child protection issues and to articulate their concerns (Braun & Schonveld, 1994, p. 92). The research found that the trainees feel anxious both about making decisions on issues concerning child abuse and working with members of families who could be abusers. Furthermore, they were extremely anxious concerning the whole area of inter‐agency working in the early years. Nevertheless they have developed strong and sophisticated levels of thinking in this area and are universal in their willingness to become advocates for the young child with regard to child protection issues. They hold firmly onto their ideological aspirations of the young child as the centre of the classroom and are willing to encompass the role of the teacher/social worker. [1] The Standards referred to throughout this article are the Standards for the Award of Qualified Teacher Status—Annex A of Department of Education and Employment Circular 4/98 (DfEE, 1998).