Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of Australian Early Childhood Educators

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for the early childhood education (ECE) sector in Australia, adding further pressure to a workforce already grappling with high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion. Research shows that poor educator wellbeing has adverse consequences for the sustainability of the ECE workforce and program quality, but less is known about wellbeing from the perspectives of early childhood educators themselves. As part of a larger mixed-method project focusing on early childhood educator wellbeing within the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, this chapter presents findings from open-ended survey questions completed by 209 Australian early childhood educators as well as subsequent follow-up focus groups conducted with 15 educators in 2020. Thematic analysis revealed that educators in this study perceived wellbeing as a holistic concept, encompassing healthy boundaries, supportive relationships, professional purpose and contribution, and professional recognition and status. Findings highlight that early childhood educators can clearly identify constitutive elements of wellbeing and articulate why their wellbeing matters not only for their own lives and professional stability, but also to support the children and families they work with. The implications from this work for practice and policy include providing flexible working conditions, empowering educators to prioritise self-care, supporting initiatives that foster strong collegial relationships, encouraging educators to take part in ongoing professional learning and upgrading of qualifications, and lifting the status of the profession by publicly acknowledging the valuable contribution educators make to the lives of children and families.