Research highlights that children across the UK access the outdoors less than previous generations, often at 6 levels below that prescribed by the United Nations as a basic level of access for prisoners. School staff and 7 parents are intrinsic partners in facilitating children's access to the outdoors and the associated learning 8 opportunities it presents. There exists however a complex set of relationships and perceptions governing the 9 dynamics of these relationships and the resultant access to opportunities presented by learning outdoors. 10This paper sought to explore these perceptions by examining data collected through a combination of 11 questionnaires and interviews with parents and teachers. The resultant data highlights a significant 12 disconnect in parent and teacher perceptions related to the purpose, aims and opportunities for learning 13 outdoors. The findings of this study offer implications for early childhood educators, parents and others 14 looking to promote the outdoors as a learning environment across the foundation stage.

This paper presents a unique perspective into challenges faced by kindergarten teachers in engaging children in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education in Vietnam. It reports on teachers' perspectives of an adaptation of immersive learning experiences (ILE), to develop understanding of pedagogical approaches to STEAM education in real-world contexts. The study adopted a qualitative and interpretivist methodology, engaging 105 teachers in informal and collaborative activities. Their perceptions were gathered via participatory tools; photographic images recorded how they engaged with ILE. Data analysis occurred using de Freitas's four-dimensional framework. The study responds to evidence that STEAM education is not prevalent in Vietnamese schools, and reflects on the top-down siloed approach ubiquitous within its early childhood education (ECE) sector. Findings indicate the necessity for a prolonged period of training using ILE that enables teachers' development of pedagogical approaches to STEAM education. Significantly, it provides new insight for a variety of stakeholders (including teacher trainers and policy makers) into the under-researched field of Vietnamese teachers' pedagogical approaches in ECE, and extends its findings to countries adopting more formalised approaches to education.

This paper seeks to identify the impact of the undergraduate Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) qualification on the emerging professional identity of a group of undergraduate students.The research explored the practical and academic self-concepts of the trainee practitioners together with wider societal perspectives gained through an examination of the associated policy context.The research data was transcribed and a process of sorting, coding and analysis was undertaken at several levels to form constructs, a thematic framework was then utilised to organise the data.. Findings indicate that, in failing to establish full parity between those who hold the title 'Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)' and school teachers with 'Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)', the government has restricted the potential employability of EYTS, and their access to equality in pay and conditions, which causes confusion as to the status and role of the EYT. These factors, together with the absence of a related professional body, and a persistent government rhetoric which implies deficiencies in the quality of the ECEC workforce, have the potential to cause a dichotomy between the perceptions of professionalism in policy, theory and practice.

This paper seeks to identify the impact of the undergraduate Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) qualification on the emerging professional identity of a group of undergraduate students.The research explored the practical and academic self-concepts of the trainee practitioners together with wider societal perspectives gained through an examination of the associated policy context.The research data was transcribed and a process of sorting, coding and analysis was undertaken at several levels to form constructs, a thematic framework was then utilised to organise the data.. Findings indicate that, in failing to establish full parity between those who hold the title 'Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)' and school teachers with 'Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)', the government has restricted the potential employability of EYTS, and their access to equality in pay and conditions, which causes confusion as to the status and role of the EYT. These factors, together with the absence of a related professional body, and a persistent government rhetoric which implies deficiencies in the quality of the ECEC workforce, have the potential to cause a dichotomy between the perceptions of professionalism in policy, theory and practice.