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Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care
An Education Horizon Project OCTOBER 2018
Professionalism Paperwork Pedagogy
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Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy: Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care
OCTOBER 2018
Irvine, S., Kinley, J., Thorpe, K., Lunn, J., McFadden, A., Sullivan, V., Beane, L. and Bourne, J. (2018, October).
Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy: Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day
care. Summary report from the Interactive Policy Workshop, Brisbane, Queensland.
© 2018, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) CRICOS No. 00213J
ISBN 978-1-925553-10-9
This book is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Whenever this information is
copied or redistributed, the authors must be acknowledged and QUT must be credited.
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LEADERSHIP ENABLING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN LDC 1
Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... 2
Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................... 2
Background ....................................................................................................................................... 3 The study .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 The policy workshop ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Purpose and structure of this summary .......................................................................................... 5
Research overview ........................................................................................................................... 6 Research aim ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 Research questions .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
A little about these centres and educators ..................................................................................... 7 Centre characteristics .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Centre Director characteristics ................................................................................................................................ 7 Educator characteristics ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Key findings ....................................................................................................................................... 8 KF1: Perspectives on what the term ‘professional practice’ in long day care means .......................................... 8 Educators’ perspectives 8 Directors’ perspectives 8 How did policy workshop participants view ‘professional practice’? 9 Does documentation = professionalism? 9 Provocations for professional ECEC learning communities 10 KF2: Leadership strategies enabling professional practice .................................................................................. 11 Leadership strategies used in study centres 11 What strategies did policy workshop participants recommend to enable professional practice? 12 KF3: Effects of enabling leadership on educators’ morale, professionalism and retention .............................. 14 Engagement in further education and training 14 Curriculum, morale and team spirit 14 Retention intention 14 What does a successful Centre Director look like? 15
Some take home messages........................................................................................................... 16 Enabling centre leadership .................................................................................................................................... 16
References ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix 1: Research team ................................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix 2: Policy workshop program ................................................................................................................. 20 Appendix 3: Summary of workshop participants’ responses to study findings .................................................. 21 Appendix 4: Workshop participants' reflections on the study findings .............................................................. 22
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Acknowledgements Country
The research team in partnership with Early Childhood
Australia (Queensland Branch) acknowledges the
traditional owners of Country throughout Australia and
their continuing connection to land and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to the
Elders both past and present.
Funding
This study is funded by the Queensland Department of
Education through the Education Horizon Grant Scheme.
Participation
The research team wish to sincerely thank the
participants in this study and policy workshop for their
time and their willingness to share their insights and
experiences. Without these contributions, this study
would not have been possible.
Abbreviations A&R Assessment and Rating
ECEC Early Childhood Education and Care
LDC Long Day Care
NQF National Quality Framework
NQS National Quality Standard
QKFS Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme
Terminology The term Centre Director is used throughout this report
and refers to the person with leadership and
management responsibility for an ECEC centre,
also known as Centre Manager.
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Background The Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy Study explored leadership that enables professional practice
in long day care (LDC).
12 MONTH STUDY Undertaken by a multi-disciplinary research team from:
Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
The University of Queensland (UQ) Institute for Social Science Research
In partnership with:
Early Childhood Australia (Queensland Branch)
THIS STUDY Funded under the Education Horizon grant scheme by:
Queensland Government Department of Education
Contributes to a program of research focusing on the
early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce.
See Appendix 1 for details of the Research Team.
Professionalism
Paperwork
Pedagogy
Leadership
Professional Practice
Long Day Care
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The study
Our interest in leadership that enables professional
practice emerged during a larger national study of the
ECEC Workforce (Irvine, Thorpe, McDonald, Lunn &
Sumsion, 2016) funded by the Australian Research
Council (LP140100652). The ECEC Workforce Study
sought to identify factors that influence the engagement
and retention of educators in centre-based ECEC. The
study included a national survey of educators (N = 1255)
and qualitative interviews with 98 educators across a
representative sample of 13 Queensland ECEC centres
located in urban, regional and remote locations.
Visiting the centres and talking with staff, it became
evident that some centres were providing a more
supportive workplace, which, not surprisingly, had a
positive impact on educators’ morale and retention.
Our findings highlighted the critical role of the Centre
Director in establishing this environment.
This led to the current study – Professionalism,
Paperwork and Pedagogy.
The aim of this study was to identify leadership strategies
that enable professional practice in long day care.
The study applied a mixed-method research design and
comprised three phases.
PHASE 1 Leveraging the national ECEC workforce survey to
characterise Australian Centre Directors and their work.
PHASE 2 Case studies of three long day care centres identified as
providing positive and supportive workplaces.
PHASE 3 An interactive policy workshop with Queensland ECEC
stakeholders.
The study was undertaken from July 2017 to July 2018.
This report presents findings from Phase 2 and Phase 3
of the study.
The policy workshop
The research design included a half-day interactive
policy workshop hosted by the research team on
20 July 2018 at QUT Kelvin Grove campus.
POLICY WORKSHOP AIMS To share initial findings from the Professionalism,
Paperwork and Pedagogy Study.
To provide opportunity for shared conversation and
collaborative reflection to deepen understanding of
emerging themes.
To collectively consider the implications of the study
findings for policy and practice.
The workshop brought together colleagues from a range
of Queensland ECEC contexts, including ECEC policy
officers (QLD), peak organisations, LDC service operators
and leaders, and representatives from Vocational and
Higher Education (N = 30).
The workshop program was purposefully designed to
generate new data, and was modelled on previous policy
workshops (Irvine et al., 2016). The program included
the presentation of initial study findings, and three
focused conversations to explore emerging themes and
their implications for policy and practice in LDC.
Participants were divided into six mixed conversation
groups, drawing together colleagues with different work
backgrounds and experience (e.g., policy, research,
practice). Each conversation group engaged 6-7
participants, and was hosted by a member of the
research team.
See Appendix 2 for a copy of the policy workshop
program.
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Purpose and structure of this summary The report provides workshop participants and other
interested parties with a summary of initial findings
from the Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy
Study shared at the policy workshop. The report also
draws together key points from conversations
throughout the workshop, capturing participants’
responses to the initial findings, their observations and
insights on emerging themes and their implications for
policy and practice in LDC.
The sections of this report follow the workshop program.
Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy
Research overview
About the centres and educators
Key findings
KF1: Perspectives on what the term ‘professional practice’ in long day care means.
KF2: Leadership strategies enabling professional practice.
KF3: Effects of enabling leadership on educators’ morale, professionalism and retention.
Some take home messages
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Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy Research overview Research aim
To identify leadership
strategies that enable
professional practice
in long day care
Research questions
Q1. Thinking about long day care, what does the term ‘professional practice’
mean?
Q2. How are centres enabling educators’ professional practice?
Q3. What are the effects of enabling leadership on educators’ morale,
professionalism and retention?
Methodology
Three LDC centres in different geographic locations (urban, regional and
remote) were selected as case studies of effective leadership practice. The
centres were recruited from the larger Early Years Workforce Study (Irvine, et.
al., 2016) based on application of a novel index of positive workplace
indicators to the qualitative interviews with educators (e.g., Centre Director is
approachable; staff engage in positive social exchange; support for ongoing
learning; staff have voice in centre decision-making). The highest scoring long
day care centre in each location was invited to participate in the
Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy Study.
Taking a 360° view of leadership, data collection in this study involved in-depth
individual interviews with the three Centre Directors and facilitated
questionnaires (QUT KeySurvey©) with 32 educators working in these long day
care centres (90% centre participation).
Inductive and deductive thematic analysis (Guest, 2012) was used to identify
leadership strategies to enable professional practice, and views on the efficacy
of these from the perspective of Centre Directors and educators. Statistical
analyses were applied to examine the association between leadership
approaches and staff morale and retention.
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the QUT University Human
Research Ethics Committee (1700000543).
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A little about these centres and educators Centre characteristics
The study was situated in three long day care centres
in different geographic locations (urban, regional and
remote). Reflective of the diversity of service providers,
the study centres included a:
large multi-service ECEC provider
small service provider operating two centres
single service provider.
All had some dedicated administrative support.
All three centres were rated Meeting the National Quality
Standard (NQS) (ACECQA, 2018).
Two operated with an extra person in each of the rooms
(above minimum ratio).
Two paid slightly above award wages.
Centre Director characteristics
All three Centre Directors were
Female and aged mid-30s to mid-50s
Two held an Advanced Diploma in ECEC
One had a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood)
All had lengthy experience in ECEC
Two Directors >15 years
One Director >10 years
Time in their current centre
Two Directors >10 years
One Director 4 years
All of these directors entered ECEC as Assistant Educators
and had worked in various positions prior to taking on the
role of Centre Director. They referred to this with pride as
“travelling the ranks”.
Educator characteristics
This was a fairly representative sample of educators
comparative to the most recent ECEC Workforce Census
(SPRC, 2016).
Educators were predominantly female
Aged between 18 and 55 years
The majority aged 18 – 34 years
Most educators had been working at their respective
ECEC centres for between 1 and 5 years.
In comparison to the ECEC Workforce Census, our study
included a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander educators and educators who spoke a language
other than English (LOTE). See Figure 1 for further details
of the profile of educators who participated in this study.
Figure 1. Who were these educators?
AGE of Educators< 1818 - 2425 - 3435 - 4445 - 5455 >
LOTE28%
Cultural & Linguistic DIVERSITY
Aboriginal & Torres Strait
Islander 16%
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Key findings KF1: Perspectives on what the term ‘professional practice’ in long day care means
Educators’ perspectives
When asked to define ‘professional practice’ educators
indicated a range of understandings which we have
captured under nine broad themes. Figure 2 presents
these in rank order, beginning with the strongest themes
(i.e., based on the number of educators who shared this
understanding of professional practice).
Educators’ understandings of professional practice were
strongly connected with curriculum and teaching,
individual professional qualities and dispositions (e.g.,
respect, honesty, good interpersonal skills) and the
relational context of working with families and in teams.
Conversely, professional practice was seen to be less
about status, professional growth and documentation.
Figure 2. What does professional practice mean?
Directors’ perspectives
When we asked the three Centre Directors the same
question, all indicated they had a very clear
understanding of what ‘professional practice’ looked like
for them.
Notably, all of these Centre Directors defined
professional practice in terms of working with children
and supporting families. Their strong focus on children
and families clearly aligns with educators’ perspectives
of professional practice, in particular, their focus on
curriculum and teaching, teamwork and working with
families.
In this study, Centre Directors were seen by educators to
play a significant role in setting centre expectations for
professional practice, in collaboration with the Approved
Provider and centre team. There was also a strong focus
on the role of families and community who inform and
influence expectations for professional practice.
Expectations were communicated in many different
ways, mostly by the Centre Director talking and working
with educators and through collegial conversations and
everyday practice at the centre.
Centre Directors’ perspectives of professional practice
informed their leadership approaches, in particular, their
focus on supporting educators in their daily work with
children and families.
“I see educators need to be with the children…that’s their role and I’m here
to support them with that.” CENTRE DIRECTOR
Curriculum and teaching Professional qualities and dispositionsTeamwork
Working with families
Meet requirements
Caring for children
Recognition of status
Professional growth
Documentation
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How did policy workshop participants view ‘professional practice’?
Before presenting these findings at the policy workshop,
we asked workshop participants to share their
understandings of ‘professional practice’. Participants’
views are ranked in order below, beginning with the
strongest shared theme (See Figure 3).
While there are clear similarities between the study
findings and priorities here, workshop participants placed
emphasis on professional knowledge informing practice,
professional qualities and dispositions, and linked these to
enhanced professional status and community recognition
of the professional nature of educators’ work. There was
greater emphasis on individuals taking responsibility for
professional practice within centres, ongoing learning and
improvement in practice.
Figure 3. Policy workshop participants’ views of professional practice.
Does documentation = professionalism?
In the larger national ECEC workforce study,
documentation and paperwork emerged as a key
characteristic of being a professional in ECEC. In this
study, Centre Directors and educators acknowledged the
importance of documenting children’s learning, yet also
recognised the need for balance between paperwork
and other professional practices.
In these centres there was a shift away from setting
targets for child observations and learning stories (e.g., a
set number per child per month). Instead, there was a
greater focus on the quality of documentation, in
particular, making the thinking that underpins
professional practice visible.
“Documentation of children’s learning is important…if you don’t have
documentation parents may see us as babysitters because there is no evidence
of what we are doing.” EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER
“We have replaced the number of observations. Now talking more about
the quality of observations and what is happening for the child”
EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER
Educators told us their Centre Directors prioritised
relationships and interactions with children and families.
They were rethinking documentation requirements to
enable more time for educators to engage with children
and families.
Centre Directors reflected on the time available for
curriculum planning and documentation during work
hours. Without reducing the focus on quality, they
reframed their expectations to be more realistic within
available timeframes. Interestingly, there was no
expectation that educators would take work home
(although some educators said they chose to do this to
meet their own expectations for quality documentation).
Knowledge to inform professional practice
Professional qualities & dispositions
Recognition of professional status
Team work
Centre culture
Ongoing learning/continuously improving practice
Leadership
Meet requirements
Curiculum & teachung
Working with children & families
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Provocations for professional ECEC learning communities
The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (DEEWR, 2009, p.14) invites educators to “continually seek ways to
build their professional knowledge and develop learning communities”. Provocations included in this report are
intended to encourage professional conversations within your ECEC learning community.
PROFESSIONAL CONVERSATION PROVOCATION 1
Thinking about your own ECEC centre, what does ‘professional practice’ mean to you?
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KF2: Leadership strategies enabling professional practice
Leadership strategies used in study centres
The study identified a range of strategies used in these
centres to enable educators’ professional practice. We
have drawn these together under the following themes:
THEMES Strong leadership and collegial support
Access to technology — digital platforms
for curriculum planning and documentation
Time and space to complete professional work
Access to ongoing PD
Study mentoring and other support to attain formal
qualifications — to gain the entry Certificate III or
to upgrade to a Diploma or early childhood teaching
degree
Enhanced work conditions ― Improved adult-child ratios within the children’s
rooms.
― Strategies to support work/life balance such as
predictable rostering, the use of RDO systems
and/or enabling some flexibility in work hours to
manage individual and family needs.
When educators were asked what support they valued
the most, they identified and prioritised a range of
strategies (See Figure 4). Collectively, educators placed
emphasis on team relationships and interactions, in
particular, time and opportunity to discuss practice with
colleagues, and the availability and support of their
Centre Director.
Educators valued the physical and emotional support
provided by Centre Directors and colleagues, in
particular, when the Director or other colleagues
stepped in to lend a pair of hands or to enable some
time away from the group to rest and rejuvenate.
“So, it’s not hard for me to just step out and be the extra pair of hands so that the staff can sit with that new baby or
new family.” CENTRE DIRECTOR
Access to ongoing professional development and
opportunities to extend their professional knowledge
and skills were also highly valued.
We had expected access to non-contact time to feature
more prominently in this context. On average, educators
received the award provision for non-contact time.
However, our sense is that Centre Directors worked hard
to provide additional time wherever possible. This
included time to:
support collegial conversations, mentoring and shared
learning
enable Assistant Educators to contribute to curriculum
planning and documentation and build skill in these
areas
assist educators to meet increased work demands
(e.g., preparation of transition statements)
simply take time out to rest and rejuvenate.
Figure 4. What do educators value most?
Time with colleagues
Availability of Centre Director
Access to PD
Emotional support
Physical support
Study mentor
Non-contact time
Communication
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What strategies did policy workshop participants recommend to enable professional practice?
We invited participants at the policy workshop to share
their reflections on enabling leadership in long day care.
Reflecting on the study findings, and focusing on the
pivotal role of Centre Directors, participants were asked
to respond to the following prompt:
Leaders support educators to engage in professional practice by…
Four leadership themes emerged from workshop
conversations. Each theme is supported by a number of
leadership strategies set out in Table 1 (See next page).
LEADERSHIP THEMES FROM WORKSHOP CONVERSATIONS
Supporting professional growth
Creating a dynamic supportive team culture Valuing and facilitating professionalism
Practising leadership
PROFESSIONAL CONVERSATION PROVOCATION 2
How is professional practice being enabled by your ECEC centre?
How is professional practice being enabled by your organisation?
What more could be done to enable your professional practice?
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Table 1 Leaders support educators to engage in professional practice by…
Supporting professional growth
Collaborating in decision-making about PD priorities
Being available and listening to educators’ challenges
Being constructive and supportive in mentoring, coaching and modelling
Cultivating a shared vision for professional growth
Documenting agreed training plans and enabling educators to achieve agreed outcomes
Creating a dynamic supportive team culture
Providing opportunities that enable educators to articulate their professional practice
Promoting a shared vision that encourages involvement, collegial conversations and critical self-reflection
Building team confidence through trust, creative thinking and risk taking
Valuing and facilitating professionalism
Aligning ECEC wages with other education professions
Identifying, advocating and modelling professional practice, and demonstrating and promoting the value of professionalism in ECEC
Creating an inclusive centre culture that values individuals, recognises their views, and acknowledges their commitment to good practice
Practising leadership
Exemplifying professionalism in own practice and being critically reflective in evaluating own views of professionalism
Recognising and facilitating individual strengths of educators in distributed and empowering leadership approaches
Modelling aspirational leadership and sharing the challenges of leading others
Making time to work directly with educators, explore their interests, and support and extend upon current practice
PROFESSIONALISM, PAPERWORK AND PEDAGOGY: Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care
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KF3: Effects of enabling leadership on educators’ morale, professionalism and retention
As noted earlier, educators in this study were asked a
series of questions relating to engagement in education
and training, morale and retention, drawn from the
national ECEC Workforce study (n=1255). This enabled
us to compare these educators’ views of working in ECEC
to the national sample. Our findings make clear that
these centres were working in ways that enhanced the
engagement, morale and retention of educators.
Engagement in further education and training
In the national study, 22% of educators were engaged in
further study to increase their ECEC qualifications. In
these three centres, more than half of all educators were
engaged in further study. The majority of educators were
studying towards a Diploma of ECEC, but there was also a
greater number of educators studying to become early
childhood teachers than evidenced in the national study.
A key factor contributing to this finding were strategies
implemented in the remote long day care centre to
motivate and support educators to attain and upgrade
their qualifications. These included:
partnership with a training provider
provision of non-contact time for study (inclusive of
assistant educators and in addition to the general
provision of non-contact time)
nomination of a study mentor (early childhood
teacher) and allocation of time for this role
regular onsite visits by the training provider
a culture of team support (e.g., educators talking with
colleagues about their study).
Curriculum, morale and team spirit
Enabling leadership strategies employed in the study
centres had positive impacts on staff and the way they
worked. In comparison to the national survey sample,
educators in this study reported:
greater collaboration between staff to inform
curriculum decision-making, teaching and learning
increased communication and consultation amongst
staff
higher morale and team energy in these centres.
Retention intention
The influence of enabling leadership approaches was
also supported by study educators’ intentions to
continue working in their current centre and in the ECEC
sector. In this study:
Almost 60% of educators were 100% certain they
would remain in their current centre for the next
12 months.
Most educators (75%) said they expected to continue
working in the ECEC profession over the next
12 months, with 34% intending to remain in the ECEC
profession over the next 5 years.
Just under one-quarter of study educators said they
hoped to take on leadership roles such as Lead
Educator, Educational Leader or Centre Director
within the next 5 years.
Approximately 47% of study educators also expressed
the possibility of working in other areas of the
education profession in the longer term with 13%
intending to move to kindergarten and 34% to the
school sector.
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What does a successful Centre Director look like?
Study educators were asked what a successful Centre Director
looked like to them. In all three centres, existing directors were
considered by educators to exemplify success.
Workshop participants also shared their understandings
of a successful Director. See Appendix 3.
SUCCESSFUL CENTRE DIRECTORS ACCORDING TO CENTRE EDUCATORS
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Some take home messages Enabling centre leadership
While leadership in ECEC extends beyond positions and
individuals, Centre Directors play a critical role in
establishing a supportive workplace and positive
organisational culture.
With the support of their Approved Provider, the Centre
Directors in this study implemented positive leadership
strategies and managed time and resources to create
workplace conditions that enabled a collective vision for
professional practice.
So how did they achieve this? Analysis of their leadership
approaches and strategies highlighted five key themes
that we propose characterise enabling leadership in long
day care.
1. High yet achievable expectations These Centre Directors played a central role in setting
and communicating high expectations for professional
practice at the service. Establishing expectations was a
collaborative exercise, informed by the NQS (ACECQA,
2018) and negotiated with the team to ensure that
expectations were clear, relevant and achievable. Centre
Directors placed emphasis on all educators contributing
to practice expectations for the purpose of promoting a
sense of ownership and individual accountability. Centre
expectations were documented and provided a focus for
conversations between the Centre Director and
educators and between team members. Supporting this,
Centre Directors engaged in mentoring and coaching,
working alongside educators, to discuss, model and,
importantly, to recognise professional practice.
Practice expectations included documentation
expectations. In these centres, high quality
documentation expectations did not mean high volume.
Considering time available within work hours, these
Centre Directors had moved away from requiring a set
number of observations or learning stories per month.
This was replaced by a renewed focus on the quality of
observations, curriculum planning and assessment of
learning. The benchmark for quality was demonstrating
critically reflective thinking and making professional
practice visible.
2. Approachable and accessible These Centre Directors were approachable and
accessible; two invested considerable time across the
week, working ‘on the floor’ with educators. They all
talked about the importance of connecting with
educators, knowing who they are, understanding their
strengths and challenges and recognising their
contributions to the ECEC centre community.
Educators in these centres acknowledged and
appreciated the availability, and physical and emotional
support of their Centre Directors. Taking time to step in
to lend a hand, to work alongside and exchange ideas
with educators, or offer emotional support when needed
demonstrated the commitment of these Centre
Directors to a democratic and supportive workplace.
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3. Managing workload These Centre Directors were proactive in managing
workload within their centres. They balanced their focus
on child and family outcomes with a focus on staff health
and wellbeing, understanding that these focal points are
intricately linked. They implemented a range of
strategies that supported educators to meet professional
practice expectations and to balance work, study and
family demands. Supported by their Approved Provider,
the three Centre Directors reasoned that investment in
additional time and support was cost effective as it
supported educator wellbeing and retention, and
thereby quality service provision. Managing ‘paperwork’
and having high expectations for the quality rather than
quantity of documentation enabled educators’ to focus
on their important work with children and families.
Managing workload was also seen as a strategy to allow
more time to build supportive and collaborative
partnerships in the centre and broader community.
4. Supporting professional growth These Centre Directors placed a strong emphasis on
personal and professional growth, believing this
motivated and enhanced professional practice.
Educators were expected to engage in ongoing learning,
a professional practice expectation for all educators
regardless of qualification or years of experience.
Supporting this expectation, Centre Directors looked for
ways to facilitate access to professional learning and to
support educators to engage in further study for the
purpose of upgrading their qualification. To do this,
these Centre Directors: advocated for necessary funding;
engaged with educators to determine learning interests
and priorities; sourced qualified relief staff so that
educators could attend some professional learning
activities during work hours; and expected that
educators would share learning with colleagues. The
Centre Directors also recognised the skills and expertise
of individual educators and managed time and resources
to support peer learning within the centre. They created
a workplace culture and climate that enabled educators
to feel confident and secure, and able to share their
ideas and practices with colleagues. This included finding
ways to provide non-contact time for Assistant
Educators to contribute to curriculum documentation
and build their knowledge and skills in this area. It also
included facilitating distributed leadership opportunities
that enabled professional growth.
5. Respect the work and people who do it Underpinning the work of all three Centre Directors was
a deep regard for the contribution that quality ECEC
centres make to children’s learning, parent work, family
wellbeing and the broader community. These Centre
Directors recognised and promoted the professional
nature of this work, and expressed deep respect and
appreciation for the day-to-day work of their colleagues
in the centre. Acknowledging the challenges and
complexity of this work, these Centre Directors
maintained their primary leadership role to enable
educators to build relationships with children and
families, and to meet shared expectations for
professional practice.
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References Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). (2018). Guide to the National Quality Framework.
Retrieved from http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/ National-Quality-Framework-ResourcesKit/NQF03-Guide-
to-NQS-130902.pdf
Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). (2009). Belonging,
Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra, Australia: DEEWR.
Guest, G., MacQueen, K. M., & Namey, E. E. (2012). Validity and reliability (credibility and dependability) in qualitative
research and data analysis. Applied thematic analysis. London: Sage Publications, 79-106.
Irvine, S., Thorpe, K., McDonald, P., Lunn, J., & Sumsion, J. (2016, May). Money, Love and Identity: Initial findings from
the National ECEC Workforce Study. Summary Report from the national ECEC Workforce Development
Policy Workshop, Brisbane, Queensland: QUT.
Social Research Centre (SRC). (September 2017). 2016 National Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Censes.
Retrieved from https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/2016-national-early-childhood-education-and-
care-workforce-census-report
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LEADERSHIP ENABLING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN LDC 19
Appendices Appendix 1: Research team
Jane Bourne Early Childhood Australia (QLD)
Sue Irvine QUT Amanda McFadden QUT
Karen Thorpe The University of Queensland Laurien Beane Early Childhood Australia (QLD)
Victoria Sullivan The University of Queensland Jo Lunn QUT
Jacqueline Dunne QUT Jayne Kinley QUT
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Appendix 2: Policy workshop program
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Appendix 3: Summary of workshop participants’ responses to study findings
The facilitated strategic policy workshop drew together
peak ECEC organisations, researchers, approved providers
and service leaders from across Queensland. The policy
workshop included a presentation to share study findings,
and three focused conversations to deepen
understanding of emerging themes and their implications
for policy and practice in LDC.
The workshop commenced with an overview of the
Professionalism, Paperwork, and Pedagogy Study then
proceeded to the first conversation entitled: ‘Thinking
about long day care, what does the term professional
practice mean to you?’ Discussion in each of the small
conversation groups was facilitated by a member of the
research team (See Appendix 1).
Workshops participants’ reflections and responses to the
question offered the following themes:
professional growth and knowledge to support
professional practice
professional qualities and dispositions such as
attitude, passion, respect, ethics and bravery
professional status
teamwork
centre culture.
These understandings of professional practice share
similarities with those of educators who also placed
emphasis on:
professional qualities and dispositions with a focus on
respect, honesty, communication, discretion and
presentation
teamwork.
Educators differed in other understandings of
professional practice associating it more closely with:
curriculum and teaching
working with families
meeting requirements (both government and
service).
Other key study findings shared with policy workshop
participants included:
educators’ understandings of professional practice
and ability to articulate their professional practice
varied across roles
Centre Directors set clear expectations for
professional practice
Centre Directors placed emphasis on relationship
building and managed documentation expectations to
prioritise time for educators work with children
effective leadership in LDC influences educators' daily
practices and their motivation to continue to work in
ECEC
the importance of equal access to professional
capacity building for all educators
the need to recognise the personal cost of being a
service leader in LDC.
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Appendix 4: Workshop participants' reflections on the study findings
Discussion areas
Understandings of professional practice
Setting expectations for professional practice
Supporting professional practice
Leading professional practice
– leadership qualities and dispositions
Collaborating with others in constructing curriculum
Shaping centre culture
Recognising the professional status of ECEC
The policy workshop drew together a diverse group of ECEC
colleagues to critically reflect on the study findings, and to
consider their implications for ECEC policy and practice.
Participants were asked:
How do the study findings resonate with your views and experiences of leadership in long day care?
Table 2 offers a snapshot of participants' responses documented
during this table conversation. Some study findings surprised
policy workshop participants and others resonated with their
own experience. Those responses are included in the margins of
the following table.
Table 2 Workshop participants’ reflections on the study findings
Understandings of professional practice
Professional practice is informed by the NQF, the agency of the children and partnerships with families
Professional practice is informed by deep understanding and reflection on The Early Years Learning Framework for
Australia (DEEWR, 2009) & NQF (ACECQA, 2018), particularly how the agency of the child informs professional
practice.
How we think about our practice based on our contact with families; reflecting on how our partnerships with
families informs professional practice.
Participating in professional conversations and being able to articulate professional practice is part of professionalism
Having the ability to articulate professional knowledge and practice (including tacit knowledge).
Having professional conversations is part of professionalism.
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Table 2 (cont.) Workshop participants’ reflections on the study findings
Setting expectations for professional practice
Professional practice expectations are influenced by children's agency, and family expectations of professional practice, including reporting and documentation
Children have agency and set expectations for professional practice; it’s
not just adults who set these expectations. Educators with a strong sense
of professional identity will acknowledge the influence of children in
setting expectations for professional practice.
Look at how we enable educators to think about child and family
expectations of centre practice. This includes considering how family
expectations for reporting and documentation enable educators’
professional practice (e.g., surprising result - increased interaction with
families through digital curriculum platforms such as Story Park). Centre
leader sets expectations for everyone to contribute to partnerships with
families.
Workshop participants were surprised by: NQS Assessment and Ratings
(A&R) process (ACECQA, 2018)
not being the (only) benchmark
for professional practice. These
centres are “holding themselves
to higher standards and taking
ownership for setting their
professional practice standards”.
The shift away from a set
number of observations per
child. These centres prioritised
“quality of observation over
quantity”.
There is a sense of increased
interaction with families through
digital platforms such as Story
Park.
All educators take ownership of professional standards, are empowered to contribute to and meet professional practice expectations and advocate for cultural change across the sector
Educators have a role to play in setting professional expectations. The
Director acknowledges the importance of this and empowers educators to
contribute to shared professional expectations.
Advocacy for cultural change to continue to strengthen professional
practice across the broader sector.
Expectations for documentation should prioritise quality over quantity, be manageable, meet NQS expectations and make professional practice visible
Documentation is necessary to make visible professional practice but
needs to be manageable. There is a perception that A&R places emphasis
on documentation (e.g., to demonstrate reflection on practice).
Question what documentation is needed to show professional practice and
meet NQS expectations.
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Table 2 (cont.) Workshop participants’ reflections on the study findings
Supporting professional practice
Mentoring
Importance and value of mentoring to support and strengthen professional practice (e.g., initial focus on
leadership positions such as Director, Line Manager).
Is mentoring best by person in hierarchical position or lateral position? Mentoring should be embedded within
collegiality of the team.
Sometimes another perspective can introduce alternative views and strengths that enhance motivation and
teamwork.
Enculturation of professional practice. A key focus is mentoring of beginning educators; good practices are
enculturated.
Mentoring needs to be underpinned by a strength-based approach with all educators.
Non-contact time
Allocated non-contact time and other opportunities not
officially recognised as non-contact time (e.g. children’s
sleep/rest time) are used well by educators.
There should be flexibility in non-contact time.
Consider QKFS guidelines, and that some staff prefer to
participate in PD or access the support of colleagues.
Workshop participants were surprised by: These educators saw it as a "time to come together
to focus on paperwork and planning". This is
important as true reflection doesn't happen in
isolation. This should be offered to all educators at
the centre (including Assistant Educators).
Place-based responses
Lots of good intentions to improve quality in regional and remote Australia. Need resources and “bigger” thinking.
Community agencies can be contacted for support
Professional growth and ongoing learning are more difficult in remote areas where available student practicum
placements may be away from home and community. Student practicum placements away from family and local
community can cost both financially and emotionally.
Internet connections in remote locations and abilities to use technology can be problematic in supporting
professional practices. Access to webinars can be low.
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Table 2 (cont.) Workshop participants’ reflections on the study findings
Supporting professional practice (cont.)
Recognition & value
Recognition of professional practice by leaders is central. Recognising and valuing the strengths and skills of
individuals within the team builds and drives motivation for the job. Recognising how to draw the best out of staff
increases their sense of value.
Working in alternate roles can build appreciation of the value of others and what they contribute to the centre.
Positive workplace conditions support retention. Conditions include above award wages; ECTs paid in accordance
with teachers’ salaries; consistency in wages with other sectors; availability of PD.
Ongoing learning and professional growth
Workshop participants were interested in the number of
people studying, and suggesting there is “a need for good
support”.
Workshop participants thought the lower ranking of
“professional growth” by study educators might be related
to:
― acceptance of minimum standards
― cost of additional staff to support access to PD which
can in turn be a barrier to professional practice
― financial and emotional costs to centres and staff of
practicum placements when centres are located in
remote communities.
Expecting educators to share the information gathered in
PD opportunities encourages their accountability and
demonstrates that they are valued.
Surprising that “Professional growth” was not ranked higher as professional practice support.
Workshop participants recommended: Good study support provided by training
organisations.
Student access to a suitable space to learn.
Careful consideration of quality of support staff
who temporarily fill positions while regular staff
are studying or on practicum placements.
Work/life balance is considered as part of the
cost of PD.
Educators share their PD learnings with
colleagues at the centre.
Leading professional practice – leadership qualities and dispositions
Qualified
Qualifications contribute to leadership
but do not define it.
Resonated with workshop participants’ experience: The Centre Director role is pivotal to service success in
professional practice and relationships with families
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Table 2 (cont.) Workshop participants’ reflections on the study findings
Collaborating with others in constructing curriculum
Respond to children
Apply strengths and confidence to critically reflect on pedagogy that responds to the child (e.g., in extension
support, growth, observation, intervention, scaffolding, etc.).
Include families and communities
Families and communities provide input into curriculum. Engage and collaborate with parents/families and
community. Relationships can strengthen over time.
Shaping centre culture
Stable and secure workplace
Centres need to be stable, confident and have a comfortable vibe. Retention and
longevity are important.
Workshop participants were disappointed by: Low number of
male staff in
centres.
High turnover of
educators.
Right person, right role
When employing staff, the most qualified may not always be the best fit for the service.
Rigorous focus on right person right role. Turnover of 33-35% of educators (identified in
the National ECEC Workforce Study) is too high. Simultaneous staff changes can be
challenging, often requiring the Centre Director or other staff to take on additional roles
while vacant positions are filled.
Workplace equality
Equity across the service is important. Explore assumptions and perceptions, values and
beliefs. Minimise social cliques and preferential treatment of a favoured few within the
service. Agree on positions as a team.
Recognising the professional status of ECEC
Be an advocate
View self as professional. Be able to articulate professional practice.
Ask “What do I do?”, “Why do I do it?” and “What is important about it?”
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Professionalism, paperwork and pedagogy: Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care
Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy: Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care
Find out more about this study, download this summary report or access the related Fact Sheet and Webinar resources from the Early Childhood Australia Learning Hub at learninghub.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au
Or contact the research leader by email [email protected]