THIS PAPER DESCRIBES a study of early childhood teachers' (educators of children aged four – eight years in school settings) perceptions of key factors which impact on their ability to cope with the implementation of mandated educational change in the workplace. Using qualitative methodology including surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviews, this study revealed that early childhood teachers' attitudes and approaches to change impacted on their active engagement and continuance in their profession, as did the support they received from work colleagues and line managers. In addition, access to information and professional development sessions, as well as involvement in and ownership of the change process, further contributed to how they coped during implementation of educational change.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AngusM., & OlneyH. (2001). Our future. Report of a survey of Australian government primary school principals.Sunbury: Australian Primary Principals Association (AGPPA).
BurnsR. (1998). Introduction to research methods (3rd edn).Melbourne: Addison Wesley Longman Australia.
4.
Committee for the Review of Teaching and Teacher Education (2003a). Australia's teachers: Australia's future—Advancing innovation, science, technology and mathematics.Canberra: Australian Government.
5.
Committee for the Review of Teaching and Teacher Education (2003b). Australia's teachers: Australia's future—Advancing innovation, science, technology and mathematics. Agenda for action. Canberra: Australian Government.
CrosswellL., & ElliottB. (2003). School leaders as mediators of school reform. Paper presented at the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) and Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), Auckland.
8.
Curriculum Council (1998). Curriculum framework.Osborne Park, WA: Curriculum Council.
9.
Department of Education and Training (2002). Review of ageing trends in the teaching and school administrator workforce.Perth: Department of Education.
10.
Department of Education and Training (2003a). Attitudes to the teaching profession in Western Australian government school: Survey report (Survey Report No. 1156803). Perth: Department of Education and Training.
11.
Department of Education and Training (2003b). Plan for Government Schools 2004–2007.Perth: Government of Western Australia.
12.
Department of Education and Training (2006). Annual Report 2005–2006.Perth: Government of Western Australia.
13.
FleerM. (2000). An early childhood research agenda: Voices from the field.Canberra: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
14.
FullanM. (1997). Emotion and hope: Constructive concepts for complex times. In HargreavesA. (Ed.), Rethinking educational change with heart and mind (pp. 216–230). Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
15.
FullanM. G. (1998). The meaning of educational change: A quarter of a century of learning. In HargreavesA., LiebermanA., FullanM. G. & HopkinsD. (Eds.), International handbook of educational change (pp. 214–230). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
16.
GoldY., & RothR. A. (1993). Teachers managing stress and preventing burnout: The professional health solution. London: The Falmer Press.
17.
GolemanD. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ.London: Bloomsbury.
18.
GolemanD. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence.New York: Bantam.
19.
GubaE. G., & LincolnY. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 105–117). Thousand Oakes: Sage Publications.
HargreavesA. (Ed.). (1997). Rethinking educational change with heart and mind. 1997 ASCD yearbook.Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
22.
HargreavesA., EarlL., MooreS., & ManningS. (2001). Learning to change: Teaching beyond subjects and standards.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
23.
HargreavesA., & EvansR. (Eds.). (1997). Beyond educational reform—Bringing teachers back in.Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
24.
HargreavesA., LiebermanA., FullanM. G., & HopkinsD. (Eds.). (1998). International handbook of educational change (Vol. 1). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Institute for the Service Professions, Edith Cowan University (2005). 2005 survey report on the wellbeing of the professions: Policing, nursing and teaching.Joondalup, WA: Edith Cowan University.
KruegerR. A., & CaseyM. A. (2000). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research (3rd edn). Thousand Oakes, US: Sage Publications Incorporated.
30.
LockG. (1993). The prevalence and sources of perceived occupational stress among teachers in Western Australian government metropolitan primary schools. Unpublished Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia.
31.
LokanJ. (2003). “I just love being in the classroom with my students”: Factors that sustain today's teachers (No. ORA 27). Deakin West, ACT: Australian College of Educators.
32.
PressF., & HayesA. (1999). OECD thematic review of early childhood education and care policy: Australian background report.Sydney: Commonwealth Government of Australia.
33.
ProuixJ. (2006). Constructivism: A re-equilibration and clarification of the concepts, and some potential implications for teaching and pedagogy. Radical Pedagogy, 8(1), 1–16.
34.
SchmokerM. (1997). Setting goals in turbulent times. In HargreavesA. (Ed.), Rethinking educational change with heart and mind (pp. 128–148). Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
35.
ScottC., SkinnerK., & DinhamS. K. (2002, 1–5 December 2002). Why teach? An international exploration of teachers' occupational motivation. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne.
36.
SmylieM. A. (1999). Teacher stress in time of reform. In VandenbergheR. & HubermanM. (Eds.), Understanding and preventing teacher burnout: A source book of international research and practice (pp. 59–84). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
37.
SteinS., & BookH. (2001). The EQ edge, emotional intelligence and your success.London: Kogan Page Ltd.
38.
VandenbergheR., & HubermanM. (Eds.). (1999). Understanding and preventing teacher burnout: A source book of international research and practice.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
39.
WallaceJ., LoudenW., & WildyH. (1998). Big picture/small picture: Curriculum change and the national professional development program.Hawthorn: Australian Council for Educational Administration.
40.
WengerE. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity.New York: Cambridge University Press.
