"Who Would Bother Getting a Degree When You Would Be on the Exact Same Pay and Conditions . . .?" Professionalism and the Problem with Qualifications in Early Childhood Education and Care: An Irish Perspective

Autor/inn/en	Oke, Ayooluwa; Butler, Judith E.; O'Neill, Cian
Titel	"Who Would Bother Getting a Degree When You Would Be on the Exact Same Pay and Conditions . . .?" Professionalism and the Problem with Qualifications in Early Childhood Education and Care: An Irish Perspective
Quelle	In: SAGE Open, 11 (2021) 3, (12 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Oke, Ayooluwa)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2158-2440
DOI	10.1177/21582440211031883
Schlagwörter	Professionalism; Professional Development; Early Childhood Teachers; Child Caregivers; Young Children; Teacher Attitudes; Parent Attitudes; Barriers; Teacher Qualifications; Educational Attainment; Teacher Persistence; Compensation (Remuneration); Educational Quality; Foreign Countries; Ireland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Professionalität; Early childhood; Early childhood education; Teacher; Teachers; Frühe Kindheit; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Caregiver; Caregivers; Carer; Child; Children; Kinderbetreuung; Lehrerverhalten; Elternverhalten; Lehrqualifikation; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Abfindung; Kompensation; Lohnausgleich; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Ausland; Irland
Abstract	Although the literature is replete with research that indicates the importance of qualified and highly skilled practitioners in the provision of quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), challenges to the retention of highly skilled graduates and the establishment of a professional ECEC workforce persist. This study investigates the barriers that hinder practitioners from obtaining higher level ECEC qualifications. It presents findings from the perspectives of practitioners (n = 18) participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme using semi-structured interviews. This article is part of a doctoral study with practitioners and parents on quality in ECEC and the impact of technology on quality practice. Importantly, this article presents findings from the practitioner interviews as they relate to the barriers faced by practitioners in obtaining higher level qualifications. Findings indicate that practitioners value the role of qualifications in the provision of quality practice. Despite this, findings suggest that the likelihood of obtaining an ECEC degree is largely dependent on the practitioner's financial situation. For example, in the absence of appropriate pay scales and occupational profiles, practitioners are forced to avail of social welfare services. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01