Educator identities. Emerging issues within personal and professional identities: changes experienced by Australian pre-service teachers following professional exposure to educational practice within childcare settings

Abstract

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.

Learner engagement under the ‘regulatory gaze’: possibilities for re-positioning early childhood pre-service teachers as autonomous professionals

“…Despite the PSTs' valuation of this learning however, they struggled to translate this increased professionalism in their final assessment piece and voiced concern over their lack of specific preparation for a statement of their emerging teaching philosophy and preference for demonstrating their learning in more technicist and credentialist ways. This finding is in keeping with previous research into PSTs' thinking about their professional role in ECECS and teacher education courses (Berthelsen and Brownlee 2007;Crosswell and Beutel 2013;O'Connor et al 2015).…”

“…We argue that in this process PSTs need to do more than simply meet a minimum level of technical competence (Berthelsen and Brownlee 2007;Crosswell and Beutel 2013;O'Connor et al 2015). They also need to actively construct their own emerging sense of themselves pedagogically, relationally and in terms of their specialist expertise (Dalli 2008, 183;Osgood 2006).…”

“I’m a Teacher.” –Preschool Teachers’ Perception of Professional Self

“…Theme 1: Emerging sense of professional identity Deeply rooted in the preschool sector are discourses of mothering and women's work that bring to light how the mostly female workforce are understood and valued (O'Connor, McGunnigle, Treasure & Davie, 2015). The absence of clear boundaries for the preschool teacher makes it difficult for the teachers to forge a clear sense of professional self.…”

Christian early childhood leaders: Management challenges and responses

“…In addition to managing staff and overall workload, early childhood leaders sometimes find themselves in the position of having to advocate for the importance of early childhood education, both within the community as well as with educators from other sectors (Shpancer et al, 2008). Early childhood education has long struggled against perceptions of child minding which have been compounded by lower remuneration, longer hours, fewer holidays, and lower qualifications (O'Connor et al, 2014). Although challenges to leaders are common, good leaders need to recognize them and respond positively, professionally; and for Christian leaders those responses are based on Christian values, with the Christian worldview at the core.…”