Early Childhood Education And Care Sector Research Articles

Innovative ways of handling staff shortages in ECEC? Increasing flexibility in the regulatory frameworks for non-traditional and non-German professional staff qualifications

The staff shortages in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector in Germany are an important issue. They impact centres that are forced to close earlier, shut down entire groups or are unable to open at all due to the lack of pedagogical staff. However, the federal states have been making efforts to address this problem. This article discusses innovative ways of handling staff shortages based on qualitative analyses of current regulations regarding qualification requirements for the ECEC sector in Germany. Our analysis focused on the question concerning the degree to which a multi-professional orientation is already widespread in the 16 licensing laws of the federal states and what other conditions have to be met by individuals wishing to work in the ECEC sector who have no pedagogical qualifications. The second focus regarding the handling of staff shortages was on the formal recognition of migrant pedagogical staff with non-German qualifications. The results revealed first a tendency to open the labour market to individuals with non-pedagogical qualifications in the majority of the federal states. Second, most of the federal states have created ways of recognising non-German qualifications and of putting in place special regulations for Ukrainian pedagogues. In summary, it can be said that despite the relaxing of the licensing laws, no major changes in team composition could be observed. This is a positive sign given the unchanged division of tasks and positions in the teams, as there are currently no structures in place to adequately support team members with non-pedagogical qualifications.

Critically Discuss the Policy and Research Evidence Which Examines the Role of Men in Early Childhood Education and Care

Attracting more men to balance the predominantly female workforce is one of the key issues facing the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. This research critically discusses the main debates regarding the issue of gendered ECEC sector, including the core concepts of childhood, masculinity and ECEC, followed by the debates about the influences of more male practitioners on both children and ECEC workforce. Although there exist some arguments against the hypothesis about men’s benefits on children and ECEC workforce, the need to get men involved in the lives of young children is reflected by government policies across different countries, such as recruitment and retention initiatives for male preschool teachers. However, most of these strategies to remove the barriers male teachers encountered, and to incorporate men and fathers, received negative results. Therefore, by building upon the need to enhance the holistic quality of ECEC workforce, new perspectives, especially from children’s perceptions, on how to change the gender imbalance in ECEC are recommended, including both the top-down policy and bottom-up strategy.

Pockets of promise: exploring innovation and complexity of remote ECEC service delivery in Australia

IntroductionThe existing funding architectures for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Australia are incompatible with the needs of remote and First Nations communities. The Australian system relies on a market-based model for ECEC – characterized by demand-led funding mechanisms where funding flows to users to choose what service to use. This model is not viable or sustainable in remote and First Nations communities. In this paper, we ask what we can learn from alternative models of ECEC that serve remote, largely Indigenous communities.MethodsThis research is based on interviews with 10 key stakeholders. Potential participants were identified using three selection criteria which established their expertise in relation to: advocacy and experience in delivering ECEC services in remote locations (evident in relevant parliamentary reviews and inquiries), in-depth knowledge about First Nations perspectives about ECEC models, and broader understandings of the ECEC system in Australia. Three themes were explored in the interviews: (1) funding context (including impact of recent changes to Budget Based Funding, and role of philanthropy in the ECEC sector); (2) Quality and regulatory context (including workforce challenges and cultural considerations); and (3) Future research (including research gaps, opportunities, and considerations). The study design and analysis of data was guided by policy studies frameworks that advocate for collaboration and coordination among researchers and stakeholders in order to address complex problems.ResultsAnalysis of the interviews illuminated the complex structural and cultural elements shaping the design of, and access to, ECEC in remote communities. Stakeholders argued that the ECEC system should be universal in that it delivers services that meet the needs of young children and their families. This requires the development of a definition of ‘universality’ that enables communities to define their own ECEC needs and the types of services best suited to meet those needs. Stakeholders’ views about the importance of community-led design and delivery highlighted the need to align structural and cultural aspects of quality standards and workforce needs, and also to strengthen consultation with First Nations organisations to better understand community-specific solutions.DiscussionThe paper outlines the complexities and nuances of ECEC service delivery in remote communities. The findings are intended to foster discussion about current initiatives, challenges, and futures possibilities for ECEC in remote communities in Australia. These findings concur with other research that argues for community led service delivery and for stronger equity-based partnerships between First Nations and non-First Nations researchers and organizations.

The local market makers: Swedish municipalities as preschool quasi-market organisers

ABSTRACT National policies aiming at marketisation and privatisation in welfare sectors such as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) require governance and organisation to be realised. In Sweden, the municipalities are key but largely under-researched organisers for preschool quasi-market infrastructures. This study explores the different ways in which Swedish municipalities act as quasi-market organisers in the preschool setting. Following organisational theory, we analyse their market shaping activities in translating national regulations in efforts to influence, support and control their local preschool quasi-market. Documents, websites, and interviews with public officials from 30 municipalities characterised as having either a large (N = 10), medium (N = 10), or small (N = 10) private ECEC sector are analysed. The analysis highlights large variations on how municipalities act as market makers, which is further discussed in the form of three ideal types: the Frontier, the Keeper, and the Endorser. We conclude that municipalities’ varying and hybridised market shaping activities and local characteristics are important to understand the implications that emerge in terms of different rules of the game, stakeholder interdependencies and relationships, composition of market actors etc. Attentiveness to the sub-national/local actors are essential in understanding different welfare quasi-markets within national policy frameworks of marketisation and privatisation.

"Healthy Kids"-A capacity building approach for the early childhood education and care sector.

Queensland children have a higher level of developmental vulnerability compared to the Australian average. This paper reports on Healthy Kids-a capacity building strategy for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector targeting communities experiencing socio-economic and child development vulnerabilities. These communities may face additional barriers when engaging and participating in health promotion models. This paper reports on the development, key components and principles of a capacity building model referred to as Healthy Kids, that strategically responds to these barriers and supports these communities. The development of the Healthy Kids model emerged through a quality improvement process that included an environmental scan, and review of existing capacity building, health promotion, and workforce development approaches. It also involved consultation and engagement with the ECEC sector. Evidence indicates Healthy Kids to be an innovative health promotion model focussed on building capacity through a workforce development strategy for the ECEC sector in a way that is accessible, low cost, and sustainable. SO WHAT?: This paper shares a model for building capacity through the establishment of localised cross-sector communities of practice across a large geographic region with a centralised coordinating hub. The hub and spoke model has facilitated community ownership to grow and be sustained over time. This model offers opportunities for partnerships, transferability, and contextualisation for those interested in contemporary health promotion, capacity building, and workforce development. The model offers an approach for those willing to step outside traditional boundaries to work across sectors and settings to achieve sustainable knowledge and skills, processes and resources that enables a collective commitment to improving health outcomes.

Workplace Bullying in Early Childhood Education Settings: Prevalence and Protective Factors.

Workplace bullying in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is a pervasive and significant issue in Australia and globally. Workplace bullying can negatively impact early childhood professionals' mental health, contributing to staff turnover and attrition. Given the current, and predicted, future shortages of ECEC staff, it is critical that strategies be implemented to support staff well-being and maintain healthy and safe workplaces. The aims of this study were to examine the current prevalence of workplace bullying in the ECEC sector in Australia and to identify protective workplace factors associated with lower prevalence of workplace bullying. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, findings are drawn from qualitative and quantitative survey questions within a large study on ECEC educators' well-being conducted in Australia. Participants were 591 early childhood professionals working in ECEC a variety of ECEC settings. Findings indicated that 24.6% of respondents reported experiencing workplace bullying and that most bullying was perpetrated by co-workers. Some workplace factors were related to lower rates of bullying, including positive teamwork, better supervisor relations, lower work-related stressors and having greater influence on workplace decisions. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to informing policy and practices to address workplace bullying in the ECEC sector by identifying aspects of the workplace that serve as protective factors.

Copying from a model that does not fit? How the school staff survey TALIS impacted the new ECEC staff survey TALIS Starting Strong

International organisations use large-scale assessment studies to systematically monitor the educational sector. In doing so, they often strive for synergies between different studies. This article focuses on the example of TALIS Starting Strong, an international comparative OECD survey of pedagogical staff and leaders in early childhood education and care (ECEC). Developed in the wake of the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), a study that targets school teachers and principals, it was conducted for the first time in 2018. This article shows which consequences the links to TALIS and the integration into OECD structures had on the genesis of TALIS Starting Strong and also discusses more concrete aspects like the adaptation of the TALIS methodology to the ECEC sector. Overall, the example shows that the alignment with a study for a different educational level has advantages and synergy effects on the one hand, but also poses specific challenges on the other. Thus, it is important to maintain a critical discourse on the structures that shape surveys and the characteristics of international large-scale surveys as a whole in order to ensure that the data collected is useful for the further development of the ECEC and higher education sectors.

Associations between Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) attendance, adversity and language outcomes of 2-year-olds

Research evidence suggests children experiencing adversity are at risk of language disparities in early childhood. This puts these children at risk of poor language outcomes, perpetuating disadvantage in later development and academic life. This study aimed to investigate associations between Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) attendance, hours of attendance and quality in a cohort of 2-year-old children experiencing adversity with their language outcomes at age five. Pregnant women experiencing adversity, based on women meeting two or more of 10 factors on a brief risk factor survey, were recruited from maternity hospitals in Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. At age 2 years, ECEC data was collected via survey, including ECEC attendance, amount of time spent and ECEC quality (using the Australian government’s national measure of quality, the National Quality Standard assessment) ( n = 161). At age 5 years, child language outcomes were measured using a standardised language assessment. This data was analysed using logistic regressions and the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test to identify associations. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found language scores at age five were higher, on average, for children who attended ECEC at age two compared to those who did not attend. However, hours of attendance and ECEC quality, was not found to be associated with language outcomes. Findings suggest ECEC attendance in the early developmental years (birth to age 3 years) may be a protective factor against social disadvantage factors and contribute to positive language development for children experiencing adversity. This information is important for the ECEC sector, policymakers and families to advocate, enable and ensure high-quality ECEC is accessible, particularly for children experiencing adversity.

Negotiating the value of “corporations’ capital” in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care provision

ABSTRACT In this article I investigate how corporate Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) providers negotiate their position by contributing to a national ECEC policy development process. I discuss how their political engagement connects to changes in the institutional arrangements of the ECEC sector. The ECEC provider corporations’ written responses to a policy consulting process are obtained and analyzed in light of Bourdieu-inspired theories of institutonalized organizational fields. The proposed new regulations are both countered and reframed in their responses. Providers with corporate organizational structures in unison call for for firmer national guidelines on ECEC centre quality and funding. I interpret their responses as attempts to increase the relevance of ‘corporations’ capital’ over the raditional, local network embedded capital forms in quality ECEC provision. At this juncture, the corporate providers failed to shift competence from municipalities to national ECEC authorities The following parliamentary debate illuminates how non-profit provision in corporate organizational structures may appeal to left-wing parties rejecting commercial welfare provisions. A subgroup of for-profit corporate providers emphasizes sector cost-efficiency, connecting strongly to right-wing politicians’ ambitions to limit public spending. Corporate providers hence represent an impetus for institutional change, able to build allies across the whole left–right spectre of politics.

Constructions of quality: Australian Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services during COVID-19

ABSTRACT There is increasing pressure on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings to align their practices and values to that of schools, with the notion that a quality education in ECEC consists of providing care whilst also ensuring strong learning outcomes. This paper employs the constructs of structural and process quality to theorise the perceived disparities between ECEC institutions and schools and between ECEC services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiences of 29 Australian ECEC educators provide insight into the differing constructions of quality across ECEC services during the COVID-19 lockdown periods that occurred from May to August 2020 in the state of Victoria. The findings suggest that despite increasing pressure for ECEC programmes to be more like schools, the pandemic amplified society’s positioning of ECEC as a caregiving service, highlighting the perceived differences between ECEC and schools and within the ECEC sector itself. While the findings suggest that ECEC educators were discouraged by the lack of recognition they received for providing quality education during the pandemic, the disruption of the pandemic prompted opportunities for reflection and action, providing more visibility of the quality of care that ECEC educators provide and the importance of their roles within the community.

Moderating Uncertainty: The Reception of Refugee Children in the German Early Childhood Education and Care Sector

Abstract Located at the crossroads of integration and early childhood education and care (ECEC) policies, this article draws on empirical research conducted from the perspective of ECEC centres to provide insights into the local reception of refugee children in Germany. In recent years, the ECEC sector in Germany has faced the challenge of organizing access to childcare for many newly arrived children and their families—a process that has been shaped by uncertainty for policymakers and service providers alike. The article analyses data from the first survey among ECEC centres throughout Germany on this topic. It sheds light on enrolment patterns of refugee children, admission procedures, support structures and local collaboration. The results reveal the uncertainties that ECEC centres faced after the 2015 ‘refugee crisis’, and their diverse approaches. To better understand the role of ECEC centres as crucial actors in local integration processes, a conceptualization as ‘street-level’ organizations is suggested.

Australian Research in Early Childhood Education and Care: Insights Into the Actual; Imagining the Possible

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) remains a priority area for public policy, internationally and in Australia. However, an analysis of empirical research published internationally up to 2008 has identified a bias toward positivist methodologies within a “scientific/psychological’ rather than educational perspective and with a focus on the interactions between preschoolers, family, and child care variables. For some researchers, this bias raises concerns that public policy in ECEC is based on limited research perspectives. This chapter examines research focusing on the Australian context and published between 2010 and 2014 to determine whether this bias exists in Australian research. We explore the quality of ECEC research to develop an overall understanding of the current situation of ECEC research in Australia. Our findings suggest that Australian research in ECEC is very dissimilar to research published internationally, especially in its reliance on qualitative paradigms and a focus on the educators (principals, teachers, and teacher aides). The strong qualitative focus may allow a diverse range of voices within the ECEC sector to be heard and identified, moving beyond traditional notions of historically marginalized individuals and communities that dominate other education research areas.

Work Demands and Work Resources: Testing a Model of Factors Predicting Turnover Intentions in Early Childhood Education

We studied the working conditions in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). The aim was to explore how ECEC staff experience work demands and resources and how these relate to turnover intentions. The research was based on a modified Job Demands-Resources model (Bakker and Demerouti in J Manage Psychol 22(3):309-328, 2007) according to which job strain is influenced by both job demands and resources. The sample was identified through trade union registers and the data were collected via a survey (N = 538). The findings show a rather high proportion of turnover intentions. Both general workload and emotional workload were related to turnover intentions, and they were mediated by participation. However, leadership satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between workload and turnover intentions. This study contributes to the knowledge on risk factors related to intentions to leave the ECEC profession in the Finnish as well as the international context. It is urgent to know more about factors related to turnover because a high rate undermines trust in the ECEC sector and negatively impacts staff and children.

Developing early childhood educators with diverse qualifications: the need for differentiated approaches

ABSTRACT Many countries have a diverse early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, comprising educators with a range of qualifications and backgrounds. This diversity creates challenges for professional development, as educators with different qualifications (including university degrees and vocational qualifications) may have different strengths and challenges in developing their professionalism and practice. Using descriptive data from three large-scale Australian surveys, this study examines how educators with different qualifications also differ in other ways. It groups the differences between educators according to the three dimensions of learning and development in Australia’s ECEC curriculum framework – being (who they are), belonging (how they feel), and becoming (their learning and development trajectories over time) – which are important components of educators’ learning and development, just as they are for children’s. The results show that groups of educators with different qualifications differ in many aspects of their being, belonging, and becoming; including socio-economic status; previous experiences of learning; commitment to the ECEC sector, and enjoyment of their work. Each group, therefore, faces specific challenges and opportunities in their professional development. The study calls attention to the need for responsiveness to the diversity of early childhood educators in professional development and ECEC policy, in Australia and elsewhere.

Early Childhood Education and Care in a Post-pandemic Economy: Lessons from China

The mismatch between the demand side and the supply side in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector has been a recurring pattern for a long period of time. Unlike the other levels and types of education, over 60% of provision in the ECEC sector comes from private organizations in China. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, challenges have emerged in the high-level customer contact services and the classic labour-intensive industries. From the "regular epidemic prevention and control" point of view, regulatory reform is necessary, such as translating the "price cap regulation" into the "rate of return regulation", enforcing the demand side incentive, combining regulatory innovation and technical innovation, and creating good conditions for the professional development of teachers in the ECEC sector.

Responses to Coronavirus Pandemic in Early Childhood Services Across Five Countries in the Asia-Pacific Region: OMEP Policy Forum.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus virus (COVID-19) has been responsible for massive global impacts on the lives of children, families and communities. It is important to document these effects for the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector. This report focuses on the Asia-Pacific region and ECEC sector, given limited regional studies on the impact of COVID-19 on early childhood education. It draws attention to the effects of the pandemic across five member countries of the Organisation Mondiale pour l’ Education Préscolaire (OMEP)—Australia, China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. The authors describe initial responses to control the spread of the pandemic in each national context and identify socio-political factors that enable broad understandings of national responses to COVID-19. In relation to the ECEC sector, responses are discussed in terms of cultural differences, economic issues, educational and professional concerns and educator wellbeing. While important government actions have rightly focused on virus suppression, it also remains important to maintain attention on the rights of children to ensure that the health crisis does not also become a child’s rights crisis and that sufficient attention is given to children’s safety and wellbeing.

Getting a better picture of the ‘whole’ child: A case for interprofessional learning in early childhood staff training

ABSTRACT Building on the innovative shared training programmes of healthcare professionals world-wide, this paper sets out to break new ground by considering a case for Interprofessional Learning (IPL) in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Recent responses to staff training across the ECEC spectrum have realised that professionals no longer operate alone but are required to work as effective teams within their EC settings. However, preparation to embrace this new team spirit tends to take place in uniprofessional contexts with limited experiences to engage in shared training opportunities with other students from different disciplines. After examining a rationale for IPL and considering its theoretical underpinning and evidence-base, this paper reports on an illustrative IPL case study where a group of teachers and EC professionals engaged in a shared training programme on the effective implementation of a play-based framework into practice. Drawing on the findings of both the case study and the wider research evidence, the potential benefits and limitations of IPL within ECEC are then addressed. Three key themes emerged as crucial to future IPL possibilities in the ECEC sector: the role of the IPL facilitator, the motivation and attitudes of the participants involved and the learning context in terms of time, space and content.

Childcare Physical Activity Interventions: A Discussion of Similarities and Differences and Trends, Issues, and Recommendations.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings have a pivotal role in the promotion of physical activity for young children, and thus, the number of ECEC-based physical activity interventions has exponentially increased in the last two decades. The aim of this study was three-fold: (1) to discuss some of the similarities and differences in ECEC-based physical activity interventions, (2) to highlight current trends and issues in the ECEC sector relating to such interventions, and (3) to provide recommendations for future interventions. Twenty-four individual studies are discussed. Most studies have targeted children aged between 3 and 5 years and involved children participating in additional physical activity opportunities while at childcare. In all studies, educators participated in some professional development either prior or during the intervention. Less the half of the studies discussed reported significant positive changes in physical activity outcomes. Those involved in developing future interventions will need to consider current national and international trends in the ECEC sector (e.g., over-crowded curriculum, administrative requirements, and more highly-qualified educators devoting time for business development), as well as creative and unique ways of delivering ECEC-based physical activity interventions.

‘The thing that keeps me going’: educator resilience in early learning settings

ABSTRACT Educators in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) have experienced changes in policies, accountability and curriculum. Concerns arise for educators regarding rapid staff turnover, pressure of expectations, and burnout. Although increased research has examined teacher resilience, less has focused on the perspectives of ECEC educators and what helps them continue in their work and maintain wellbeing. We examine perceptions of Australian early childhood educators about the challenges they face and the personal and contextual resources they harness to cope and demonstrate professional resilience. An ecological framework is used to understand educators’ experiences and perspectives of macro-, micro- and personal-system level challenges and resources. Fourteen leaders and educators were interviewed, with data coded deductively to identify personal and contextual challenges and resources at each system level. Inductive coding revealed key themes relating to each system. Findings showed that the educators experienced several macro-system level challenges. In the micro-system, relationships acted both as challenges and supports. In the personal-system, the focus was on resources as individuals used a variety of specific strategies to maintain physical and mental wellbeing. The paper concludes with implications for the ECEC sector relating to the different system levels.

Exploring Sense of Community among Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals through the Supporting Nutrition for Australian Childcare (SNAC) Website

OPTIMAL NUTRITION IN THE early years of life is essential for long-term health. The Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector offers a significant health promotion setting, but evidence indicates that the potential to promote healthy eating environments is not fully utilised. Supporting Nutrition for Australian Childcare (SNAC) is a web-based nutrition education resource developed to support ECEC professionals in providing healthy eating environments. SNAC provided additional support through forums intended to foster an online community of practice in this space. This particular aspect of the study sought to understand if ECEC staff demonstrated a sense of community by means of engaging with the website, and if they valued this as an additional means of support. After 12 months, the SNAC community had 1045 members. The sense of community was measured quantitatively with SCI-2 (n = 183), and qualitatively by netnographic analysis of conversation threads (n = 1179) and interviews (n = 42). Shared emotional connection was the only statistically significant SCI-2 construct; and although social ties between individual members were not apparent, there was a stronger connection between some members and the first researcher. SNAC continues to develop as an important online community of practice in the ECEC sector and is valued by those striving to provide healthy eating environments. It is a valuable platform on which to base future interventions.