This article explores, through a review of a body of literature, whether it is possible to create a new understanding of what it means to be a professional in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in England. It reviews some competing views of the nature of professionalism and then explores the distinctive attributes and qualities required by practitioners through discussing the demands required of both care and education. The article reconceptualises professional identity in ECEC in England using three themes identified from a ‘ground-up’ study of professionalism undertaken by Dalli in New Zealand — (a) pedagogical style, (b) specialist professional knowledge, and (c) practices and collaborative relations. The discussion is situated in the framework of government initiatives in the United Kingdom that have formulated a more ‘technicist’ approach to professionalisation through the graduate status of the Early Years Professional.
References
1.
AdamsK. (2008) What's in a Name? Seeking Professional Status through Degree Studies within the Scottish Early Years Context, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 16(2), 196–209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13502930802141626
BrookerL. (2007) Changing the Landscape of Early Childhood, in MoylesJ., Early Years Foundations. Meeting the Challenges, pp. 7–20. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
5.
CameronC. (2006) Men in the Nursey Revisited: Issues of male workers and professionalism, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(1), 68–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2006.7.1.68
6.
CampbellS. & PageJ. (2003) Curriculum Contexts: Becoming an early childhood professional, in MacNaughtonG. (Ed.) Shaping Early Childhood, Learners, Curriculum and Contexts, pp. 282–301. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
7.
ColleyH. (2006) Learning to Labour with Feeling: Class, gender and emotion in childcare education and training, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(1), 15–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2006.7.1.15
8.
CookeG. & LawtonK. (2008) For Love or Money: Pay, progression and professionalisation in the early years workforce. London: Institute for Public Policy Research.
9.
DalliC. (2008) Pedagogy, Knowledge and Collaboration: Towards a ground-up perspective on professionalism, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 16(2), 171–185. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13502930802141600
FurlongJ.BartonL.MilesS.WhitingC. & WhittyG. (2000) Teacher Education in Transition. Reforming Professionalism. Buckingham: Open University Press.
21.
GoldsteinL. (1998) More than Gentle Smiles and Warm Hugs: Applying the ethic of care to early childhood education, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 12(2), 244–261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02568549809594888
22.
JonesC. & PoundL. (2008) Leadership and Management in the Early Years from Principles to Practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
23.
LloydE. (2012) The Marketisation of Early Years Education and Childcare in England, in MillarL. & HeveyD. (Eds) Policy Issues in the Early Years. London: Sage.
24.
LloydE. & HalletE. (2010) Professionalising the Early Childhood Workforce in England: Work in progress or missed opportunity?, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(1), 75–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2010.11.1.75
25.
Manning-MortonJ. (2006) The Personal is Professional: Professionalism and the birth to threes practitioner, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(1), 42–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2006.7.1.42
26.
McGillivrayG. (2008) Nannies, Nursery Nurses and Early Years Professionals: Constructions of professional identity in the early years workforce in England, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 16(2), 242–254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13502930802141659
27.
McKenzieM. & BlenkinsopS. (2006) An Ethic of Care and Educational Practice, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 6(2), 91–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14729670685200781
28.
MillerL. (2008) Developing Professionalism within a Regulatory Framework in England: Challenges and possibilities, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 16(2), 255–268. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13502930802141667
29.
MossP. (2006) Structures, Understandings and Discourses: Possibilities for re-envisioning the early childhood worker, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(1), 30–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2006.7.1.30
30.
MossP. (2010) We Cannot Continue as We Are: The educator in an education for survival, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(1), 8–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2010.11.1.8
31.
MoylesJ. (2001) Passion, Paradox and Professionalism in Early Years Education, Early Years, 21(2), 81–95.
32.
MoylesJ.A. (2002) Study of Pedagogical Effectiveness in Early Learning. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research (accessed February 24, 2010).
33.
MusgraveJ. (2010) Educating the Future Educators: The quest for professionalism in early childhood education, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(4), 435–442. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2010.11.4.435
34.
NoddingsN. (2003) Caring. A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education. 2nd edn. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
35.
NurseA. (2007) Putting the Early Years in Context, in NurseA. (Ed.) The New Early Years Professional Dilemmas and Debates, pp. 9–19. Abingdon: David Fulton.
NutbrownC. & PageJ. (2008) Working with Babies and Children. London: Sage.
38.
OberhuemerP. (2005) Conceptualising the Early Childhood Pedagogue: Policy approaches and issues of professionalism, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 13(1), 5–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13502930585209521
39.
O'KeefeJ. & TaitK. (2004) An Examination of the UK Early Years Foundation Degree and the Evolution of Senior Practitioners — Enhancing work-based practice by engaging in reflective and critical thinking, International Journal of Early Years Education, 12(1), 25–42.
40.
OsgoodJ. (2006a) Rethinking Professionalism in the Early Years: Perspectives from the United Kingdom, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(1), 1–4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2006.7.1.1
41.
OsgoodJ. (2006b) Deconstructing Professionalism in Early Childhood Education: Resisting the regulatory gaze, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(1), 5–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2006.7.1.5
42.
OsgoodJ. (2009) Childcare Workforce Reform in England and the ‘Early Years Professional’: A critical discourse analysis, Journal of Education Policy, 24(6), 733–751. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02680930903244557
43.
OsgoodJ. (2010) Reconstructing Professionalism in ECEC: The case for the ‘critically reflective emotional practitioner’, Early Years, 30(2), 119–133.
44.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) (2000) Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. Nottingham: Department for Education.
45.
SimpsonD. (2010) Becoming Professional? Exploring Early Years Professional Status and its Implications for Workforce Reform in England, Journal of Early Childhood Research, 8(3), 269–281. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1476718X10362505
46.
Siraj-BlatchfordI. (2009) Quality Teaching in the Early Years, in AnningA.CullenJ. & FleerM. (Eds) Early Childhood Education Society and Culture. 2nd edn, pp. 147–157. London: Sage.
47.
Sure Start/DFES (2003) Birth to Three Matters. A Framework to Support Children in Their Earliest Years. London: DFES.
48.
SylvaK.MelhusihE.SammonsP.Siraj-BlatchfordI. & TaggartB. (2004) The Effective Provision of Preschool Education project (EPPE): Final report. London: Department for Education and Skills.
49.
TaggartG. (2011) Don't We Care?: The ethics and emotional labour of early years professionalism, Early Years, 31(1), 85–95.
UrbanM. (2010) Rethinking Professionalism in Early Childhood: Untested feasibilities and critical ecologies, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 11(1), 1–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2010.11.1.1
