The manifestation of practice-based continuous professional development in ECEC: qualitative insights from an Abecedarian initiative in Denmark

Abstract

ABSTRACT The potential for professional development initiatives to improve quality in ECEC is an area of increasing international interest. This article presents insights from an ethnography into the manifestation of a two-year practice-based continuous professional development initiative (Educational Quality in Daycare: EQD) informed by the Abecedarian approach to adult–child interactions, involving nine municipalities across Denmark. Detailed qualitative data draws attention to factors influencing learning processes, closely following the participation of three municipalities within the initiative. This highlights implications of their organisation of this participation for practitioners’ engagement, where the levels of managerial support available, the establishment of propitious cultures of reflection and the development of professional practices and identities are found to be closely linked. The article contributes to existing literature by considering the implications of the situated organisation of systemic practice-based continuous professional development initiatives, emphasising the importance of attention to facilitation of cultures of reflection.