Early childhood education (ECE) teacher-identity formation starts from the time student-teachers enter initial teacher education (ITE) programmes through to the end of their teaching careers. Because teachers' identities are socially constructed, everyone involved in educational contexts plays a role in supporting or hindering a teacher's sense of…

Early childhood (EC) environments that are safe and engaging can positively influence developmental outcomes in children. Indeed, the benefits of a high-quality environment for young children are numerous (Kostelnik et al., 2019). The EC classroom is also the primary workplace of EC teachers and much like the children they serve, they can also…

Fundamentally concerning the relationship and dynamics between education, professionalism and ethical awareness, this interdisciplinary, edited volume showcases novel research perspectives on professional ethics in education, practice, and the work life of welfare professionals in the Nordic countries. Contextualising the term 'welfare…

Work climate affects the quality of early childhood education and care activities. The aim was to explore how the staff describe demands and resources in their jobs, and whether different profiles could be distinguished among those with turnover intentions and those without. The research was based on the Job Demands-Resources model [Bakker, A. B.,…

This article aims to explain how ECE teachers' discourses of participation in Chilean professional associations (ECEPAs) are a core trait and builds professionalism in the field. Following the Constructivist-Grounded Theory approach, it adopted a holistic abductive case study method, with a sample of 18 national ECEPA cases and 78 ECE teachers.…

This study investigates the burnout and coping in the work experience of educators-caregivers (ECs) employed in early childhood day-care centers in Israel, given that the interaction between ECs and children is a decisive factor in the quality of care for children. The study included 40 participants and used qualitative-phenomenological and…

This study aimed at identifying the interplay between individual and organizational factors and predictors of work motivation, job satisfaction, and burnout. This was a cross-sectional study, conducted with 460 early education teachers in Kosovo. Based on the results, job satisfaction and professional development are significant positive…

Teacher registration is increasingly utilised as a governance mechanism to audit teachers' work and drive professional practice. There is limited and mixed empirical evidence, however, as to whether registration drives teaching quality. Our study extends this limited empirical base by critically examining the policy trajectory in Australia to…

Teaching is a stressful profession given teachers' competing demands. Due to COVID-19, teachers struggle to balance maintaining a safe classroom environment and the traditional child-directed focus of early education. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an adaptation of Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation…

Workplace bullying in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is a pervasive and significant issue in Australia and globally. Workplace bullying can negatively impact early childhood professionals' mental health, contributing to staff turnover and attrition. Given the current, and predicted, future shortages of ECEC staff, it is…

Early childhood educators (birth through second grade) have faced a wide range of challenges while providing education and care for the youngest group of children. Their positions often range from child-care settings to grade school, with different configurations for benefits, class size, and salary. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic,…

Background: South African narratives of and by early childhood development (ECD) practitioners often focus on policies, practices and perspectives in research. While these are important for the development of the field, the voices of ECD practitioners, in this marginalised space, are silent. Aim: This article aims to understand: Who are the ECD…

Attracting and recruiting qualified, high-quality teachers is a global challenge. In Finland, the recruitment of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) teachers has been particularly problematic, especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area. This paper investigates the incentives used in job advertisements to attract ECEC teachers in Finland…

The majority of teachers in the early care and education (ECE) workforce face disparities in physical and psychological well-being as well as working conditions. This study examined the working conditions and physical, psychological, and professional well-being of early childhood teachers and compared the results by the child age group they care…

School choice is expected to generate competition and thereby lead to organizational improvements. Using teachers' original survey responses, this study uses the market culture within the competing values framework and finds substantial variation in how rural schoolteachers perceive competitive pressure and school climate. When we restricted our…