Teachers and Teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care: Time to Think Otherwise
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 4781
Special Issue Editors
Interests: early childhood education and care workforce
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
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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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