Perspectives on Teachers’ Work in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care Settings: Evidence and Ecology

Abstract

ECEC educators play a vital role in educating and caring for children during the first five years of life, a critical period for learning, growth, and development. University-trained early childhood teachers make a particularly significant contribution to overall service quality. This exploratory interview study brings an ecological lens to the perspectives of nine Australian university-trained early childhood teachers on the nature and quantity of their work and workload. As part of the mixed methods Early Learning Work Matters project, this Phase II interview study supports findings from the prior international systematic review that work in ECEC is complex and demanding. Interviews yielded new findings indicating the potential changing nature of early childhood teachers’ work, some of whom reported little to no capacity to focus on service quality. Concerningly, analysis revealed burdensome influences at all ecological levels, with only a few uplifting microsystems which were inconsistently experienced by participants.