ECEs
as Professionals

What does it mean to be a professional in early childhood education?

ECE practitioners are passionate and creative professionals in the field of early childhood education and human development. Reflective practice and ongoing learning are cornerstones of ECE professional development, and there are many career pathways through early childhood education as a field. ECEs support each others’ career development through peer mentorship and communities of practice.

In Atlantic Canada, just under 10,000 early childhood educators provide care and learning services for more than 60,000 children. The vast majority of ECE professions in Canada are women, and the same is true in Atlantic Canada. A decade ago fewer ECEs working in Atlantic Canada had newcomer backgrounds, and on the whole the Atlantic provinces had less racial and cultural diversity represented among the ECE workforce compared to the national average. However, these trends are changing as overall regional demographics shift and the ECE workforce adapts and grows.

Early learning and care

Systemic challenges, resourceful ECEs

Developing an ECE practice

ECEs as professional learners

ECEs as professional learners

In research for the ECE Lab we learned about what makes professional learning useful for ECEs building their practices and developing their careers, as well as the most common challenges ECEs face in accessing professional learning. These include challenges with professional learning itself, as well as the context in which ECEs are engaging in professional learning.

Educators reported that the highest-impact professional development helped them to:

Connect theory to practice, demonstrating how theory can be applied in their specific centre context. On-site learning opportunities with experts were especially valued.

Address real needs they faced in their centre, such as leadership responsibilities or special needs care.

Reflect on their own professional identity and experience.

Be re-inspired and reconnected to their sense of purpose and joy of ECE.

Educators most frequent complaints about professional training included:

Online courses, while increasing geographic access to training, reduce networking opportunities with other educators and increase social barriers to class participation.

Relevance of the content in both PD and certification training was criticized. Educators described how new graduates lacked basic skills, for example facility maintenance and child hygeine.

Regarding PD, the level of content was difficult to assess before taking the course, resulting in frustration with courses being either too advanced or too basic, wasting resources without meeting needs.

Training and Professional Development done outside of work hours competes with other care responsibilities in their lives. The most commonly reported care responsibilities were:

Primary financial earner in her household (25% of ECEs have a second job to make ends meet)

Primary caregiver of own kids

Caregiver for elders

Participation in cultural community

Emotional and professional support of colleagues

Coaching/supporting parents at centre

Maintenance of housing, transportation & physical health

When it comes to professional development, research for the ECE Lab identified four ECE learner archetypes or personas. We depicted the archetypes as metaphorical birds to make them memorable and help them function as a general description of different learners. Lab participants used the birds to discuss challenges and design training and other career supports that respond to ECEs’ capabilities, goals and needs.

Fledgling Apprentices

Pragmatic and curious: learning what it means to work in early childhood education. The Fledgling Apprentice is relatively new to the field and trying to figure out if this is the right career for her. She starts in ECE because she needs a job and likes children but doesn’t know if she should commit to ECE as a career and get a certification.

Expert Learners

Educational insightful: seeking opportunities to learn, adapt and apply best practices. The Expert Learner is dedicated to providing the best possible education to the children in her classroom. She loves learning but is frustrated by the theory-practice gap between what is taught in school and PD/PL, and the reality of her place of work.

Seasoned Practitioners

Experienced and dedicated: delivering early childhood education without training or recognition. The Seasoned Practitioner is being told that she should become qualified. She has worked in the field for years and would love the recognition and wage raise that would come with a qualification but is overwhelmed by the thought of going back to school and being treated like a newbie.

Visionary Leaders

Passionate and big-picture thinker: advocates for improvement and professionalization of the field. The Visionary Leader is striving for excellence in the field.She sees the significant impact that high quality early childhood education has on children, their families, and communities but feels constrained by a society that misunderstands and undervalues the profession.

Read more about the challenges ECEs face at work, and efforts to address them, in the ECE Lab Report.

ECE lab report

Atlantic Canada ECE Lab Report 2020-2021