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Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise

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A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Early Childhood Education".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2025) | Viewed by 14905

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Megan Gibson

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Guest Editor

School of Education, Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
Interests: early childhood education and care workforce

Dr. Marie White

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Teachers and teaching in early childhood education and care (ECEC) are recognised as important and complex, although at times misunderstood, with ongoing, persistent global attention from government, stakeholders, and educators themselves aiming to better understand, invest, and value the work in the profession. The momentum to grow and enable teachers’ work in early childhood education is underscored by concern over workforce shortages, particularly in the pre-school settings of kindergarten and long day care. These issues of workforce undersupply illuminate policy–workforce disconnections and pave the way for examining optimal, effective, and innovative considerations in the preparation, retaining, and sustaining of early childhood teachers.

We propose that amidst the avalanche of both welcomed, and at times challenging, changes to the work of being an early childhood teacher, it is timely to reflect and do what Stephan Ball proposes as “thinking otherwise” (1998, p. 81).

We invite the submission of empirical and theoretical studies, as well as conceptual works, that highlight contemporary global approaches to understanding and supporting early childhood teachers and teaching. This Special Issue will illustrate diverse methodological approaches to examine pervasive early childhood workforce matters.

Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Early childhood teacher preparation/initial teacher education;
Early childhood qualifications;
Quality early childhood workforce;
Early childhood teacher professional development;
Retaining early childhood teachers;
Sustaining early childhood teachers;
Belonging as an early childhood teacher;
Pedagogical leadership;
Leadership;
Professional identity.

Ball, S. (1998). Educational studies, policy entrepreneurship and social theory. In R. Slee, G. Weiner & S. L. F. Tomlinson (Eds.), School effectiveness for whom? (pp. 70-83). London, UK: Falmer.

Dr. Megan Gibson
Dr. Marie White
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

early childhood workforce
initial teacher education
professional identity
workforce leadership

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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12 pages, 209 KB

Open AccessArticle

Pedagogical Practices for Children Under Three Years: What Is Happening in Australia?

by Wendy Boyd and Susanne Garvis

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030447 - 16 Mar 2026

Viewed by 1044

Abstract

There is an unprecedented number of children in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings owing to the increase in maternal employment over the past 40 years and recognition of the educational value of ECEC experience. What the educator does impacts children’s learning, yet pedagogical approaches with children under three years are not clearly understood by educators. Legislation across Australia requires educators to be university-qualified (or equivalent) early childhood teachers (ECTs) to work with children who are three to five years but does not require educators to be qualified ECTs to work with children under three years. However, the early childhood teacher students are required to learn about pedagogical practices with children under three years in their studies. This research investigated academics’ perspectives about pedagogical practices, and how they taught pre-service ECE teachers to work with children under three years. The findings highlight a diversity of approaches to pedagogical practices with six themes emerging: the need for unhurried time with children; understanding how children learn; the power of observation; intentionality and the learning environment; family pedagogy; and raising pre-service teachers’ awareness of pedagogical practices. It is time to think otherwise and have higher-qualified educators working with the youngest of children in ECEC centres. This study recommends further research regarding the impact of the lesser qualified educators who work with children under three years to improve the quality of the ECEC experience for children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

16 pages, 1139 KB

Open AccessArticle

Belonging in Early Childhood and Social Education Program—Belonging as Spatial and Affective Practices

by Helene Falkenberg

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010147 - 19 Jan 2026

Viewed by 580

Abstract

This paper foregrounds the study life of students in Early Childhood and Social Education through the concept of educational belonging, conceptualized as situated, relational, affective, and spatial practices that are continually renegotiated. As an affective and spatial practice, educational belonging foregrounds that places, spatial designs, and interiors play a constitutive role in shaping study life, including students’ study experiences and learning processes. The paper is based on a research project conducted at University College Copenhagen, which investigates the significance of educational architecture for students’ learning processes and sense of belonging within their education. Drawing on a substantial body of data generated through architectural plan interviews, the research project offers insight into how the design and atmosphere of educational spaces and places co-constitute students’ sensory experiences of belonging. The analytical parts of the paper illuminate how students’ narratives about their positioning within classrooms reveal that teaching and learning situations are social and affective events, in which students are recognized as occupying specific student positions, such as serious, nerdy, or disengaged. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

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16 pages, 249 KB

Open AccessArticle

Thinking Otherwise with Children in Cities: A Storying Approach to Co-Researching with Children and Teachers

by Will Parnell and Sally Guyon

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010115 - 13 Jan 2026

Viewed by 713

Abstract

This Children in Cities research project examines an approach to storying research that foregrounds collaborative meaning-making between educators and young children in their city. Through exploring how educators and young children might “think otherwise” about teaching, learning, and participation with history, Place noticing and entanglements between humans, more-than-human, and non-humans, three stories and a metaphor surface in the data. Drawing on three stories, metaphor is employed as an analytic and integrative device to deepen interpretation of lived experiences. Central to the methodology is a democratic orientation that seeks to reduce hierarchical boundaries, engaging children aged 3–5 as co-researchers in the selection, interpretation, and representation of stories. This positioning recognizes children as competent participants whose perspectives offer valuable contributions to life learning such as storying Place and taking up socio-historical responsibilities. Findings suggest that such visits with city places can broaden conceptions of fairness in early childhood education, fostering more welcoming and relational approaches to both research and teaching. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

16 pages, 399 KB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking the Work of Early Childhood Educators: What Are the Links Between the Quality of the Teacher–Child Relationship and the Child’s Executive Functions?

by Sonata Lazauninkiene, Ausra Daugirdiene, Jurate Cesnaviciene and Agne Brandisauskiene

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010099 - 9 Jan 2026

Viewed by 1298

Abstract

Positive relationships with teachers in early childhood are important for many areas of child development and achievement. This article aims to explore the links between teacher–child relationships and children’s executive functions. The study was conducted in one preschool, with a sample of 99 children aged 2 to 6 years. Six teachers assessed the quality of their relationships with the children using the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) and the children’s executive functions using the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI). The results of the study show that the quality of the teacher–child relationship is closely related to the teacher’s perception of the child’s executive function difficulties: a closer, less conflictual relationship is associated with fewer working memory and inhibition difficulties, while a conflictual relationship is associated with greater difficulties in the child’s executive functions. There is no statistically significant difference between boys and girls in terms of the relationship with the teacher and the expression of children’s executive functions, and in both groups, the quality of the relationship with the teacher can predict the child’s executive functions. Age is statistically significant in only one relationship parameter: older children are perceived as closer to the teacher and more likely to seek help. The data obtained from the study encourage further research and add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the importance of teacher interaction for children’s development and education. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

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18 pages, 323 KB

Open AccessArticle

Parents’ Experiences of Communication with Preschool Teachers in Sweden: A Qualitative Study

by Tina Elisabeth Yngvesson

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010090 - 7 Jan 2026

Viewed by 1144

Abstract

This study investigates parents’ experiences of partnerships with their children’s preschool teachers in Sweden, focusing on two questions: (1) How do parents describe communication with preschool teachers, and what information about their child is valued? (2) How do parents position preschool in their child’s life? Framed through Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, the analysis examines how parents’ dispositions, values, and prior experiences shape engagement with early childhood education. Data were collected via interviews with 25 parents across three counties in western Sweden and analysed using narrative methods. Findings show that parents prioritise communication about children’s well-being and social development as central to partnership, while instructional information is largely viewed as the teacher’s domain. Preschool is primarily seen as a context for socialisation, developing norms, values, and behaviours, rather than formal academic preparation. By exploring consistencies and contradictions in parental accounts, the study offers a nuanced understanding of how habitus informs parental expectations and communication practices, highlighting the complex interplay between family dispositions and preschool engagement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

16 pages, 659 KB

Open AccessArticle

Parents’ Views on the Significance of Formal Preschool Teacher Education in Sweden

by Tina Elisabeth Yngvesson and Susanne Garvis

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16010016 - 23 Dec 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 774 | Correction

Abstract

In Sweden, collaboration between families and preschools is strongly emphasized, yet little is known about how parents perceive preschool teachers’ education, qualifications, and professional skills. Through a socio-cultural lens, this article explores parents’ views on preschool teacher competence within the context of parent–teacher partnerships. It is guided by the central question: What skills, competencies, and qualifications do parents consider important in a preschool teacher? Based on interviews with 25 parents of preschool-aged children in Sweden, the findings revealed three key themes: (i) parents’ knowledge about the teachers’ formal education, (ii) formal education and curriculum as meaningful/important when working in preschools, and (iii) parents’ perceptions of teachers’ professional competence in practice. This study thus highlights that, while formal qualifications are not a primary concern for parents, they place significant value on interpersonal qualities that foster a sense of safety and emotional security for both children and their families. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

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21 pages, 441 KB

Open AccessArticle

Sustaining the Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Through University-Led Innovations: The Role of the Teaching Coach

by Mandy Cooke, Rachel Foster and Katherine Bussey

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1707; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15121707 - 17 Dec 2025

Viewed by 765

Abstract

The importance of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is recognised by Australian governments and significant reforms are being implemented to increase access to high-quality ECEC. Whilst increased recognition and access are vital, so are strategies to support a high-quality and sustainable workforce. One strategy is for governments to partner with universities to support Diploma-qualified educators to upskill to become teachers. Providing support for Diploma pathway students to be successful in their studies and motivated and to stay in the profession post-graduation is vital. The aim of this study was to investigate a specific design element within one innovative initial teacher education programme for Diploma pathway students—the role of the teaching coach. The teaching coach role was designed to support Diploma pathway students to complete their degree and help create the professional networks needed to sustain them in the profession long term. Using a single site case study approach, qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with teaching coaches. Using the theory of practice architectures to the analyse data, we interrogated the practices of the teaching coaches, how teaching coaches perceived they supported student success and the arrangements that enabled and constrained these practices. From the perspective of the teaching coaches, their role supported student learning and professional networks. The role also provided unanticipated benefits for the teaching coaches themselves. The study highlights the importance of universities going beyond traditional practices to contribute to professional learning and networks for ECEC professionals throughout their careers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

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9 pages, 186 KB

Open AccessArticle

by Jeanne Marie Iorio and Catherine Hamm

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1620; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15121620 - 2 Dec 2025

Viewed by 613

Abstract

The Learning with Place© framework is a process for change, grounded in positioning local Place first. Generated from a decade-long post-qualitative inquiry—Learning with Place©—focused on pedagogy and practices, the framework creates the conditions to rethink leadership as ‘otherwise’. In this paper, we will offer pedagogical leadership as relational leadership situated in local Place that encompasses collective thinking and relational professional learning to disrupt expected hierarchical contextless leadership. Using speculative fiction, we will share what it means to reimagine pedagogical leadership in new ways, with the intention of offering the possibility of what can eventually happen in the practice of pedagogical leadership. Our speculations make visible how pedagogical leadership should move beyond education settings and be connected with local histories, stories, and the more-than-human. These entanglements provide innovative ways to engage with local and global issues and work towards the common good. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

15 pages, 288 KB

Open AccessArticle

Cultivating Collaborative Practice to Sustain and Retain Early Childhood Educators

by Belinda Downey, Leanne Gibbs, Will Letts and Sharynne McLeod

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15111451 - 1 Nov 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2044

Abstract

The retention of educators is foundational to the provision of high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), yet the sector continues to face significant workforce challenges. This study explores how organisational climate and leadership influence collaborative practice and, in turn, educator retention. Using a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach, data were collected through focus groups and interviews with 34 educators across diverse service types in the Northern Territory, Australia. In accordance with CGT, analysis revealed two core categories—‘struggle’ and ‘hope’—reflecting the impact of workplace relationships on collaborative practice. In ECEC settings where communication was limited and psychological safety was lacking, participants described resistant behaviours and horizontal violence, which contributed to educator stress and attrition. Conversely, environments that fostered open communication, reflective practice, and trusting relationships enabled collaborative practice that supported educator wellbeing and retention. The findings suggest that intentional leadership and an organisational climate that embodies ‘care’ are essential for cultivating collaboration, enhancing job satisfaction, and improving workforce stability. This paper proposes that ‘building connection builds retention,’ highlighting the importance of relational and reflective practices in sustaining the ECEC workforce. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

13 pages, 237 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mindsets for Preschool Inclusion: Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives on Disability in Early Childhood Education

by Daniel Then and Agneta Floth

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091261 - 22 Sep 2025

Viewed by 3266

Abstract

Inclusion is a process of social transformation that is profoundly shaping the field of early childhood education. According to a narrow understanding of inclusion, the focus is on the joint participation of children with and without disabilities in general educational settings. How preschool teachers perceive and facilitate the inclusion of children with disabilities in this context depends significantly on their understanding of disability. This study therefore explores preschool teachers’ perspectives on the construct of disability. The data are based on interviews with n = 21 preschool teachers working in German preschools. The results show that teachers partially view disabilities as individual deficits of the child, partially as consequences of inadequate environmental conditions, and partially as something to be avoided and deconstructed. Most teachers combine multiple understandings of disability. Overall, the results indicate that a significant number of teachers hold a mindset shaped by the assumption of two distinct groups: those with and those without disabilities (dual-group theory). The results are discussed in the context of current debates on educational inclusion and the dual-group theory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

16 pages, 752 KB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Effectiveness of a Virtual Coaching Program to Support Staff Working at Families as First Teachers Playgroups in the Remote Northern Territory, Australia

by Jane Page, Isabel Brookes, Catriona Elek, Patricia Eadie and Lisa Murray

Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15060699 - 4 Jun 2025

Viewed by 1220

Abstract

Coaching is an important form of professional development for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce. However, educators working in remote contexts do not always have access to this type of support. This paper explores the effectiveness of a virtual (online and telephone) coaching program focusing on the implementation of evidence-informed Conversational Reading strategies in supported playgroups for Aboriginal families in the Northern Territory of Australia. Fourteen Family Educators and Family Liaison Officers across ten Families as First Teachers playgroups in the Northern Territory participated in the coaching program over twelve months. Coaching records, planning documents, participant feedback, and video recordings of participants’ practice were analysed to explore the impact and acceptability of the coaching program. The findings indicate that participation in the cycle of virtual coaching, planning, and reflection supported participants in implementing evidence-informed teaching strategies, offering language-rich experiences to children frequently and with increased fidelity, and engaging with families about their use of these strategies in the home. The model of coaching developed shows promise for wider implementation in ECEC contexts, particularly in remote communities where access to high-quality professional learning and development can be limited. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

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2 pages, 132 KB

Open AccessCorrection

Correction: Yngvesson and Garvis (2026). Parents’ Views on the Significance of Formal Preschool Teacher Education in Sweden. Education Sciences, 16(1), 16

by Tina Elisabeth Yngvesson and Susanne Garvis

Educ. Sci. 2026, 16(4), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16040626 - 15 Apr 2026

Viewed by 217

Abstract

The authors would like to make the following corrections to the published paper by Yngvesson and Garvis (2026) [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise)

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