The Australian National Quality Standard (ACECQA, 2011) and other international studies (Siraj-Blatchford & Manni, 2007) identify the importance of educational leadership as a driver in improving the quality of educational programs and outcomes for children. This role was, in fact, enshrined in policy expectations in Australia in 2011 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011). Interestingly, while much of the current Australian quality reform has focused on ways in which early and middle childhood programs can progress towards meeting and/or exceeding the approved standards, little time, research and professional learning has been invested in exploring the ways in which educational leadership can be maximised (Semann, Botero Lopez, Lawson & Bennett, 2014). As Desforges (2009) noted, 'what is called for is a deeper consideration about the connectivity between research, policy and practice and between researchers and policy makers/practitioners' (p. 4). In pursuing that goal, this study takes a sociocultural orientation which foregrounds the importance of exploring the perspectives of those affected by change. This reflects van Manen's prioritising of 'lived experience' (1997) as well as acknowledgment of teachers as learners (e.g. Groundwater-Smith, Ewing & Le Cornu, 2007) and the centrality of practitioners' voices in educational change (e.g. Fleer & Kennedy, 2006).
More than a shortage of early childhood teachers: looking beyond the recruitment of university qualified teachers to promote quality early childhood education and care Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education M. Fenech In Australia and internationally, government policies aim to increase the supply of early childhood teachers and thus improve the quality of early childhood education and care services. In this paper, we suggest that such a policy-quality trajectory in Australia is not as straightforward as policy discourses suggest. From industrial relations and broader policy contexts, we argue that the early childhood profession is a profession on the margins and that this marginalisation complicates efforts to enhance numbers of early childhood teachers. Mindful of this marginalisation, we draw upon preliminary findings from a study exploring the motivations, beliefs and expectations of mature age postgraduate students to highlight practical issues pertaining to students and early childhood teacher education programs that further complicate policy drives to increase the supply of early childhood teachers. We propose that the success of such policy drives is dependent on a comprehensive addressing of the complexities raised in this paper.
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