Professionalism in Early Childhood Education and Care ─ International Perspectives

The professionalism of the early childhood sector has gained prominence on the policy agendas of many countries. National pedagogical frameworks or curricula and an upsurge of pathways to gaining or upgrading qualifications has led to a pervasive terminology of professionalism. Yet, despite the pervasiveness of this terminology, the question of what professionalism means in early years contexts remains open to debate.

This book draws together the work of an international group of scholars who have engaged with this question. They ask: How can professionalism be conceptualised in early childhood settings? How might one act professionally in increasingly diverse and changing social and cultural contexts? Do we have a common ground of understanding about these terms? Are there key concepts that can be agreed upon? Drawing on research and experience across a wide range of national contexts, this book seeks an understanding of early childhood professionalism in local contexts that might throw light on the global implications of this term.

This book was published as a special issue in the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

Carmen Dalli is an associate professor in the School of Educational Policy and Implementation, and the director of the Institute for Early Childhood Studies at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. In the mid-1990s, Carmen was involved in the development of the New Zealand early childhood Code of Ethics and retains an interest in issues of professionalism and ethical practice in the early years. Her research focuses on issues of professionalism in early years practice particularly with children aged under three years.

Mathias Urban is Reader in Education (associate professor) at the Cass School of Education, University of East London. His work in international and national contexts revolves around questions of quality, equality and professionalism in early childhood education. He has been involved in the National Quality Initiative in Germany in the 1990s and is founding member of a six-country consortium to deliver the first joint European Master programme in early childhood education (www.em-ec.eu).