This paper presents the findings of a research project investigating the perceptions and expectations held by pre-service teachers regarding the childcare sector. It presents the views of a group of pre-service teachers both before and after their exposure to practice within childcare following a ten week practicum. The personal experiences of the research participants impacted greatly on their evolutionary understanding of and attitude towards the childcare sector. Thematic analysis of the data produced several key concepts that illuminated issues of identity conflict across the care and education divide. This paper makes a necessary contribution to the current research context where research on perspectives of teacher-educators within childcare is limited. It is particularly pertinent in the context of Australia's implementation of the policy requiring a qualified teacher to be employed within childcare settings from 2014 onwards.

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This paper presents data from the Irish Neighbourhood Play Study that explored children's engagement in play. The data raises concerns around recorded instances of no-play in play environments. The instances of no-play were recorded during peak play time periods including weekend and afterschool hours. This data raises the critical question: Are today's children being afforded sufficient time to play? Both the quality of opportunity to play and the quantity of time afforded to children to engage in play are important factors in children's learning and development (Fisher, Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff, Singer & Berk, 2011; Whitebread, 2012). The data from the Irish Neighbourhood Play Study indicates that children may not be spending enough time playing in their neighbourhoods. In discussing the data, this paper evolves to explore the thesis that schools should attend to this absence of play by providing play-based education. A justification for play-based approaches within the school experience is underpinned by an evidence-based defense of the centrality of play within children's academic and holistic development.

This research provides an insight into the perceptions held by pre-service teachers on the professional status of early childhood educators in their community. As a comparative study, it presents results from both Australian and American perspectives.It is the first research of its kind in studying pre-service teachers' perceptions of ECEC teacher's status in relation to the Australian context or in comparing perspectives from Australia and the USA.The paper illuminates on two main points. It presents findings on multiple level pre-service teachers' perceptions of early childhood educators' professional status in their community and also examines how the perceptions gathered from pre-service teachers in Australia compare to those from America, opening the field for cultural and policial analysis and discourse. This study's significance is deepened within the Australian political landscape as it comes at a time when the Early Childhood Education and Care sector has implemented a new quality framework which prioritises teaching qualifications. The comparative aspect of the study thereby provides rich opportunity for cross cultural analysis in relation to how Early Childhood Educators are viewed within their own broader educational community membership.