Power Relations and Caring in Early Childhood Teacher Education

Abstract

This article is based on case study employing a narrative research on the life story of an early childhood teacher educator and on field observations. The article examines power relations and caring in the spirit of feminist pedagogy in three different contexts: (1) the teacher educator's life story; (2) an analysis of the lessons observed; (3) the feedback session with a teacher student, as well as interviews following the observations. The research shows that experiences of gendered power relations shape the teacher educator's feminist educational perspective. Yet the attempt to translate power relations and caring from feminist ideology into professional practice is complex, reflecting the possibilities and limitations of the teacher educator'sprofessional role.