Images of work with young children as being easy and instinctive, or of teaching only occurring in schools, mislead potential early childhood educators and erode the status of educators, leading to attrition. The project, which commenced in 2017, investigates the complexity of early childhood educators’ work to inform strategies to better attract, prepare, recognise, support and retain a high quality workforce. It entails audit and description of exemplary educators’ work and builds an alliance of university researchers, employers, unions, and professional development agencies to address skill shortages and inform evidence-based strategies to prepare and sustain the profession. The research team is cross-institutional, with members from Charles Sturt, Macquarie University, Rutgers University and Queensland University of Technology. For more information visit exemplaryeducators.wordpress.com
Project Chief Investigators
- Professor Frances Press, Charles Sturt University
- Professor Linda Harrison, Macquarie University
- Associate Professor Sandie Wong, Macquarie University
- Dr Megan Gibson, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology
Partner Investigator
- Professor Sharon Ryan, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University
Project summary
Project updates
Funding / Grants
- Australian Research Council LP160100532 ($515 000)
