Voices from the other Side of the Fence: Early Childhood Teachers' Experiences with Mandatory Regulatory Requirements

Abstract

Guided by feminist research principles, the study reported in this article contributes to the growing research dialogue on early childhood teachers' experiences with, and perceptions of, the impact of regulatory requirements on their teaching and on their perceptions of themselves as professionals. Specifically, three teachers from metropolitan Sydney (Australia) offered insights into their experiences working under the state of New South Wales (NSW) Children's Services Regulation 2004 ('the Regulation'), a mandatory Regulation applicable to all children's services in NSW. Three early childhood teachers participated in research conversations and a visual/textual enquiry process, which involved teachers collecting, developing and constructing seven panels using photography, artefacts, text and visual art media, to represent their 'sense of place' in their work environment in light of the impact of the Regulation. Themes emerging from the data were identified and considered in light of the regulatory intent for children's services, and possible unintended adverse consequences for teachers. The themes include regulatory tension, mistrust, surveillance, sacrifice, resistance, compliance, relationships, interpretation and ambiguity, and the stifling of an educational focus. The findings suggest that early childhood teachers may operate behind a metaphorical regulatory 'fence', which contributes to their perceptions of safety but impinges on their professional freedom, integrity and passion for teaching. Clause 45 (1) Any part of the premises of a children's service that is designated for outdoor play space must be fenced on all sides. (2) The design and height of any fence or gate on the premises must prevent children from scaling or crawling under or through it and must inhibit or impede intruders from entering the premises … (4) ... All gates leading to or from the premises of a children's service must be designed so as to prevent children from entering or leaving the premises unsupervised. (Extract from the Children's Services Regulation, 2004 [Parliamentary Council NSW, 2004, Clause 45]) Fences Six feet in height four inches wide Teachers' Experiences with Mandatory Regulatory Requirements 31 dog-eared on top wood pickets line my yard. Three stories high thirteen rooms each gables on top twelve houses line my block. Seven miles wide fifteen miles long trains running through black pavement lines my town. Wide open space umbrella sky antelope graze barbed wire lines the range. One day, I swear, I'll take myself out to a place where nothing lines the world.

A Day in the Life of an Early Childhood Teacher: Identifying the Confronting Issues and Challenges That Arise

“…On the whole, the teachers viewed themselves as playing a number of essential roles for the children and parents in their Kindergarten community. This experiencing of feeling inundated and pressured by the demands made upon them is congruent to the teachers' views shared in Bown & Sumison's (2007) study who through vivid, visual representation revealed their experience of feeling bound to an office chair and even sacrificing themselves, only to be to pecked apart one piece at a time by birds.…”

“…Urban (2008) has already conceptualized the provision of policy framework documents to guide teachers in improving their programs as an example of the technicization of Early Childhood teaching. In similar vein, a growing number of findings resemble many of the challenges identified in other education sectors, including the de-professionalization of teachers, lack of empowerment experienced by early childhood teachers and reports of constrained practice (Overton, 2009;Bown & Sumison, 2007). There has been some research into the way in which Early Childhood Educators experience organizational change (Burgess & Fleet, 2009) and go about their work in response to reform agendas (Comber & Nixon, 2009).…”

“…Although now a strong priority area for the Australian government, in many respects Early Childhood has in the past, arguably been a marginalized area of focus within the field of education (Fenech, Waniganayake, & Fleet, 2009;Bown & Sumison, 2007); undervalued as a profession in comparison to Primary, Secondary and Higher Education sectors. It seems likely then that changes in policy and the introduction of new policy frameworks, will bring with them, new, unforeseen challenges (Kronemann, 2008) as the governments seeks to further "professionalize" them.…”

Persecutory Guilt, Surveillance and Resistance: The Emotional Themes of Early Childhood Educators

“…Chubbuck & Zembylas (2007) describe the emotional life of a first-year teacher as complex and ambivalent. As more and more teachers are being pressured to conform to linear and standardized regimens of knowledge, studies are revealing how teachers are feeling constrained, scrutinized, and under surveillance by the political standards and power structures imposed upon them in this era of accountability (Brown & Sumsion, 2007).…”

Helping Preservice Teachers Learn to Teach for Understanding in this Era of High-stakes Early Education Reform

“…While not all early childhood teacher education programs operate in a high-stakes accountability context that requires teachers to implement a mandated curriculum and their students to pass tests for grade promotion and highschool completion, early education reforms that put in place particular content expectations, assessment measures, and teacher training requirements are making such learning environments more common in the U.S. (Stipek 2006) and across the globe (e.g., Brown and Sumsion 2007).…”