Jennifer Sumsion

Identifying generic skills through curriculum mapping: a critical evaluation

This article describes processes involved in a curriculum mapping exercise that constituted the first phase of a project aimed at furthering the integration of generic skills in a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) program. The purpose of the mapping exercise was to identify the generic skills currently fostered in the program, and those that appear to be overlooked. The article draws attention to the complexity of issues associated with curriculum mapping and highlights the need to refine the somewhat simplistic curriculum mapping techniques advocated in much of the existing literature. The centrality of collegial dialogue to curriculum mapping if it is to lead to curriculum change is also emphasized.

Becoming, being and unbecoming an early childhood educator: a phenomenological case study of teacher attrition☆

Abstract This article reports on a phenomenological case study that explored the blossoming and wilting of an early childhood educators career commitment and her eventual decision to leave the field. Spanning a 7-year period, the study employs representation and analysis of metaphors as heuristic tools to illuminate the lived experience of becoming, being and unbecoming an early childhood educator. The study highlights the need to explore further the interplay between personal, relational and contextual influences if we are to develop a more comprehensive understanding of staff attrition.

Reflection: can we assess it? Should we assess it?

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a study undertaken by two university‐based teacher educators into an aspect of professional practice. The feasibility and desirability of assessing reflection demonstrated by student teachers studying early childhood literacy was investigated. While reaffirming the importance of developing reflective practitioners, the study highlighted the difficulties of equitably or meaningfully assessing reflection. Use of alternative methodologies was called for in future research into reflection

The corporatization of Australian childcare Towards an ethical audit and research agenda

This article uses an ethical audit framework proposed by Cribb and Ball to critically analyze the possible implications of the rapid growth of corporatized childcare in Australia. In particular, it seeks to examine how corporatization affects childcare service provision and whether it conflicts with other social goals. Noting the paucity of systematic evidence currently available concerning the impact of corporatization, the article identifies a research agenda with scope to inform policy decisions about whether support for continued expansion of corporatized childcare is ethically justifiable.

Negotiating Otherness : A male early childhood educator's gender positioning

Despite increasing male participation in recent years in many traditional “female” professions, early childhood education continues to be widely regarded as womens work. Male early childhood educators, therefore, are highly conspicuous and subject to considerable suspicion (Murray, S.B. (1996) We all love Charles: men in child care and the social construction of gender. Gender & Educational Studies, 45, pp. 276-292; Skelton, C. (1991) A study of the career perspectives of male teachers of young children. Gender and Education, 6, pp. 87-93). Consequently, they must carefully negotiate their “otherness” (King, J.R. (1998) Uncommon Caring: Learning from men who teach young children. (New York Teachers College Press)). This article draws on data from in-depth interviews and informal conversations to describe the gender positioning strategies adopted by an Australian preschool teacher-director as he undertakes the challenge. It also provides insights into his positioning by others. The concluding discussion focuses on possible implications of a greater male presence in early childhood education for the sectors potential to contribute to gender reform. En dépit de la participation mâle croissante ces dernières années à beaucoup de professions traditionnellement femelle, la première éducation denfance continue à être largement considérée comme le ravail des femmes. Les premiers éducateurs denfance de mâle sont sujets, donc, fortement remarquables et au soupçon considérable (Murray, S.B. (1996) We all love Charles: men in child care and the social construction gender. Gender & Educational Studies, 45, pp. 276-292; Skelton, C. (1991) A study of the career perspectives of male teachers of young children. Gender and Education, 6, pp. 87-93). En conséquence, ils doivent soigneusement négocier leur otherness (King, J.R. (1998) Uncommon Caring: Learning from men who teach young children. (New York, Teachers College Press)). Cet article dessine sur des données des entrevues détaillées et des conversations sans cérémonie pour décrire le genre plaçant des stratégies adoptées par un professeur/directeur préscolaire Australien pendant quil entreprend ce défi. Il fournit également des perspicacités dans le sien qui place par dautres. La discussion de conclusion se concentre sur des implications possibles dune plus grande présence mâle dans la première éducation denfance pour que le potentiel du secteur contribue à la réforme de genre.

Early childhood teachers' constructions of their resilience and thriving: A continuing investigation

OLeary (1998) claims that any seemingly intractable challenge holds the potential for crisis or opportunity (p. 435). In this article, I draw on a study of seven child care teachers constructions of their resilience and thriving to consider OLearys contention in light of the so-called staffing crisis facing the child care sector in the Australian state of New South Wales. While warning of the dangers of romanticizing teachers and their work, the study suggests that insights into teachers resilience and thriving may offer productive opportunities for generating alternative cultural scripts of teaching in child care. Cultural scripts or storylines grounded in discourses of agency, freedom, hope, trust, and teaching as intellectual work could assist in repositioning teaching in child care as an attractive career option and thus help to address the current staffing shortage.

Rereading metaphors as cultural texts: A case study of early childhood teacher attrition

This article revisits a phenomenological case study in which I used metaphor to explore, over a seven-year span, the blossoming and wilting of an early childhood teacher’s career due to the complex interplay between a range of personal, relational and contextual influences (Sumsion 2002). Following Kamler (2001), I now bring a critical lens to my rereading of Sarah’s metaphors as cultural texts that reflect the cultural storylines, positionings and practices that Sarah perceived were available to her. I argue that deconstructing these cultural texts draws attention to the limitations of discourses commonly available to preservice and early career teachers. Implications for teacher educators are discussed.

'Bad Days don't Kill You; They Just Make you Stronger': A case study of an early childhood educator's resilience

What enables some early childhood educators to sustain their commitment to a career in childrens services despite multiple adverse conditions that lead to high rates of attrition from the field? The case study documented in this article seeks to address this question by identifying influences contributing to the resilience of an Australian early childhood educator. The findings highlight the importance of personal qualities, contextual features, and the interplay between the personal and the contextual. I conclude by suggesting that fostering resilience could contribute to efforts to address the escalating staffing shortfall in childrens services in Australia and internationally. Quest-ce qui permet quelques e´ducateurs de la premie ¤ re enfance de soutenir leur engagement a ¤ une carrie ¤ re dans le service des enfants en de´pit des conditions contraires divers qui menent aux hauts taux dattrition dans ce champ? Le´tude de cas documente´e dans cet article cherche a ¤ adresser cette question en identifiant des influences contribuant a ¤ la re´sistance demontre´e par un e´ducateur Australien de la petite enfance. Les de´couvertes soulignent limportance des qualite´s personnelles, les caracte´ristiques contextuelles, et linteraction entre ce qui est personnel et ce qui constitue le contexte. Je conclus en sugge´rant que la stimulation de cette re´sistance pourrait contribuer aux efforts qui abordent une manque croissante de personnel dans les services des enfants dans lAustralie et dans le cadre international. Que´ permite a algunos educadores de la primera infancia a sostener su compromiso a una carrera de servicios para nin ¨ os a pesar de variadas condiciones adversas que llevan a altas tasas de desgaste de personal en este campo? El caso documentado en este art L ´culo procura contestar esta pregunta identificando las influencias que contribuyen a la resistencia de un educador de la primera infancia australiano. Las conclusiones destacan la importancia de las caracter L ´sticas personales y contextuales y de la interaccio´n entre lo personal y lo contextual. Concluyo sugiriendo que al fomentar la resistencia se podr L ´a contribuir a los esfuerzos que se hacen para solucionar el de´ficit creciente de personal en los servicios para nin ¨ os en Australia y en el plano internacional.

The regulatory environment: A source of job (dis)satisfaction for early childhood professionals?

This article extends current understandings of sources of job (dis)satisfaction for childcare staff by investigating the hypothesis that early childhood professionals’ satisfaction with regulatory requirements is a predictor of job satisfaction. Findings show that for early childhood professionals in New South Wales, Australia, satisfaction with the regulatory environment is related to the extent these requirements are perceived to support autonomous professional practices conducive to quality care. Considerable dissatisfaction with regulatory requirements was found among study participants. Nonetheless, this level of dissatisfaction did not predict job (dis)satisfaction. The lack of correlation may be indicative of the study’s sample, however, and does not preclude a greater connection between the two constructs. Implications of a possible nexus between job satisfaction and satisfaction with regulatory requirements are discussed, and further research is called for.

Within the Borderlands: Beginning Early Childhood Teachers in Primary Schools

This article presents findings from a study undertaken by a pre-service early childhood teacher, that investigated the experiences of four beginning early childhood qualified teachers in primary school settings. The study explored the metaphors that these teachers used when describing their lived experience stories and analysed what these metaphors indicated about the discourses the teachers perceived were available to them, and where they had chosen to situate themselves within these discourses. Throughout the article, the metaphor of ‘border crossings is used to highlight the focus within much of the literature on the difference and separation between early childhood and primary education. Data were generated through in-depth, open-ended interviews, a group discussion, visual representations and written material. The thematic recurrences and discursive positionings within the metaphors and narratives of the participants were deconstructed and critically analysed using a framework of feminist post-structuralism. In particular, this article explores the discursive positionings related to the teachers movement within the borderland of early childhood education and primary education. It argues that early childhood teachers in primary schools are operating within an exciting space — an intersection between early childhood education and primary education. Rather than focusing on the difference and separation between these points, the focus shifts to working toward creating points of overlap, of connection — a shared borderland between early childhood education and primary education.