P Professionalism P Paperwork P Pedagogy LL L D C · professional practice in long day care An Education Horizon Project OCTOBER 2018 Professionalism Paperwork Pedagogy LL L D C P

Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care

An Education Horizon Project OCTOBER 2018

Professionalism Paperwork Pedagogy

D L L L C P P

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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.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

SUMMARY REPORT Interactive Policy Workshop Friday 20 July 2018 | QUT Brisbane

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

PROFESSIONALISM, PAPERWORK AND PEDAGOGY: Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care

2 LEADERSHIP ENABLING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN LDC

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.



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



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.



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



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).



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%



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



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



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?



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



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?



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



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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



Appendix 2: Policy workshop program



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 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


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.



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.



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.




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.




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




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]

P Professionalism P Paperwork P Pedagogy LL L D C · professional practice in long day care An Education Horizon Project OCTOBER 2018 Professionalism Paperwork Pedagogy LL L D C P

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