Abstract
This study investigated teachers' experiences of tension in close relationships with individual children in early childhood education (ECE) settings. Structured interviews were conducted with 24 female teachers of children between ages of 3 and 5 (mean age = 3.9) regarding their conceptions of closeness and specific interactions where they experienced closeness with a particular child. Two interconnected themes were found: systemic tensions and ecological factors. The systemic tensions concerned dialectical contradictions that emerged when relating to individual children and included one child versus group, exclusive versus shared closeness, and parental role versus role of ECE teacher. The ecological factors concerned the system of relationships that were the source of the contradictions and included self, profession, parents, and children. Thematic analyses indicated that how teachers reported experiences of personal and professional tensions may be related to the intrapersonal processes involved in managing closeness with children.
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