This thesis is a study of early years practitioners’ experiences of their working lives. The data was collected from 25 semi-structured interviews with 25 participants in four early years settings. This is a qualitative study that explores what influences early years practitioners’ working identities and considers the similarities and differences of experiences working in a private day nursery (PDN) and a voluntary sector pre-school (VSPS). The findings demonstrate that the type of provision directly affects early years practitioners’ working experiences, which has a marked impact on their working identities. Commonalities between the two groups exist in daily tasks, the rewarding aspect of emotional labour and in the experiences of policy and inspection. Likewise, the two groups share a similar disregard for the qualification system. However, there are differences in the two groups, especially the process of being managed, pay, working conditions, hours worked and professional development opportunities. Participants in the PDN settings voiced much more unhappiness in their work and experienced greater frustrations. This resulted in higher staff turnover, and managers reported continued recruitment problems. Different management styles between the two types of settings had a marked impact on how valued and empowered staff felt. This directly affected staff retention. There was a clear difference in staff profiles within the two setting types, with the VSPS settings having older, more-experienced staff and the PDN settings having a high turnover of young and inexperienced staff.

Set against the rapid development of private kindergartens in China in the last two decades, this thesis explores the Chinese perspectives of practitioners, parents and children on the curriculum and pedagogy of a private kindergarten delivering the Western Multiple Intelligence (MI) programme. This ethnographic study captures practitioners and parents perspectives by employing multiple methods including participant and non-participant observations, formal and informal interviews. It generated data on children's views through multiple participatory techniques. Research findings identify a changing perspective of childhood and children's rights in early childhood education and care (ECEC) provision in China. Practitioners and parents demonstrated a positive view about the MI programme and supporting children’s learning in relation to their different patterns of intelligences. Children liked the opportunities to develop their own interests in the areas of play provision linked to individual intelligences. Whilst practitioners and parents valued play-based activities in the MI programme, children conceptualised play differently and viewed some activities as 'learning' rather than 'play', which were defined by adults as 'play'. Practitioners and parents believed there was rich provision for 'play', however children felt opportunities for 'play' at kindergarten were fairly limited, in particular their 'play' time had been reduced in the final year of kindergarten due to the pressure of the transition from kindergarten to primary school. Children generally felt controlled and led by adults for most of their time at kindergarten and they articulated competently their interests, preferences and experiences in the kindergarten. The thesis identifies a need for Chinese policy-makers and ECEC practitioners to address the challenges of transplanting international programmes to a society with a Confucian educational tradition. Addressing the issue of children's participation in and construction of their kindergarten life would require acknowledging a wider range of stakeholder perspectives, including children's own voices.

The thesis focuses on the experiences of sixteen to nineteen year-old, full-time, Level 3 early years student-practitioners and considers how their understanding of the role of the practitioner changes from the start of their course to when they commence employment. The aim is to develop a coherent understanding of their developing knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions in preparation for employment. The study uses a mixed-methods approach to identify how their pre-service qualification contributes to the development of their practice. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using an on-line survey, a focus group and semi-structured interviews. From the one-hundred and fifty-eight responses to the survey, seven student-practitioners participated in a focus group and three participants, who had taken up employment, were interviewed. Building on existing research, which has provided strong evidence to show the impact of highly qualified staff on children’s outcomes, this study concluded that young, developing practitioners are motivated, knowledgeable and passionate about their contribution to children’s learning and development. Of central importance to them were: the development of caring relationships and communication. Knowledge of child development theory was considered an essential knowledge base for ECEC practice; however, the newly qualified practitioners were unprepared for the level of responsibility of being in sole charge of children’s care, learning and development. The study has contributed a new understanding of the process of transformation of the student practitioners in three dimensions: Principles, Professional, and Practice. However, the transformations are not consistent and do not represent each student-practitioner in the same way; The constant across all student-practitioners is the Level 3 qualification, which, the thesis argues, is a proxy for what the student-practitioners know, can do, and understand, as well as a catalyst for their continued individual development.

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) provision is an underdeveloped service in the Egyptian context and predominantly an urban phenomenon, it is also one which has been markedly under researched. This thesis applies a mixed-method quantitative-qualitative sequential approach to identify and consider the relationship between socio-demographic factors and ECCE provision in the semi-remote setting of Egypt’s region of North Sinai. In addition, it seeks to uncover the perceptions of ECCE stakeholders (parents, care practitioners and policy makers) towards the existing ECCE policy and provision. The findings indicated that the socio-demographic characteristics of parents and their children, in addition to the economically disadvantaged condition of the semi-remote area affected the availability, accessibility and quality of ECCE. More specifically, children’s age and health alongside parental characteristics such as education, marital status, income, employment and family structure, significantly impacted childcare arrangements. Furthermore,localised contextual factors, such as neighbourhood poverty and infrastructure were also found to be affecting childcare provision. The data suggest that the top-down approach to ECCE policy design and implementation is to be rendered inappropriate and ineffectual in dealing with the socio-demographic realities associated with ECCE provision in North Sinai.

Trainees on the Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) Graduate Employed Pathway are graduate practitioners working in the school or Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sectors of early years services. On this one-year pathway, trainees undertake a placement in the alternate and unfamiliar sector to complement their workplace practice. There is little published research on teachers’ lived experience of placement in early years services with children aged between 0-5 years. This longitudinal study sought to address gaps in the research literature by focussing on the placement experience for EYTS trainees using a novel approach of combining Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) with creative methods and semi-structured interviews. Five trainees represented their lived experience through multi-dimensional models using Lego and playdough. I discuss my findings in relation to two worlds, a world of learning and development that promotes a predominantly relationship-based pedagogy, partially overlapping with a world of schooling that promotes a predominantly readiness-based pedagogy. The trainees’ perceptions of commonalities and differences pertaining to enactments of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (DfE 2014) suggest that these two distinct worlds exist, despite a single statutory framework, indicating that the historical split in early years services in England continues today. The findings suggest a dichotomy of professional identity for EYTS trainees that rests on the different teaching cultures of each world. This dichotomy troubles the current policy concept of a single graduate practitioner successfully teaching across the different worlds. The study has implications for professional practice in the field of early years, specifically for the preparation and support of EYTS trainees undertaking placements. Wider implications include the need for greater clarity and guidance in early years policy.

The provision of high quality education for three, four and five year-olds has become a major concern of Government. Set in the context of control, economic considerations and raising standards, Government has introduced statutory initiatives with a view to improving the quality of education for all young children. The introduction of the Foundation Stage based on Early Learning Goals has provided a framework for children's learning in the Early Years. The development of the Worcestershire Early Years support programme has provided a vehicle for the new initiatives and is seen in a context of improvement and effectiveness. Ensuring quality for all three, four and five year-olds in the variety of the County's Early Years settings has become the responsibility of the practitioners in those settings, supported by a team of experienced Early Years practitioners described as 'Mentor Teachers.' The County strategy for developing, supporting and maintaining quality provision in the Early Years has provided a unique opportunity to examine the value of the strategy to the settings and the practitioners who work in those settings. The role of the Mentor Teacher in that process has been central to the investigation. The complexities of developing appropriate research dialogues and methodological approaches was another area examined. The use of survey research with its quantitative and qualitative elements provided an appropriate methodological tool that revealed a wealth of data. A postal survey was employed. Questionnaires were mailed to all Worcestershire Early Years settings in June 1999 and June 2000. Statistical information was obtained from the questions together with opinions and views expressed in the open-ended comments sections. Similar questionnaires were distributed to the Mentor Teachers. Twelve practitioners across the range of Early years settings were selected as a sample for interview, as were six Mentor Teachers who supported practitioners in the Worcestershire administrative areas of Malvern, Worcester, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Droitwich. All were engaged in the interview process between January and March 2001. Semi-structured interview schedules were used to allow interviewees the freedom to offer a depth of elaborated information and opinion. The research evidence revealed the problematic nature of purpose, role responsibility and relationships and of developing effective learning environments. The complex nature of developing a coherent and cohesive programme exposed the difficulties of establishing truths and realities, and the value and the weaknesses of the programme. The many positive revelations provided a degree of optimism for the future development of the programme. Quality education is the right of all children, but particularly those in the Early Years. A good foundation will support children throughout their lives. The challenge for the future is to develop a framework for quality Early Years experiences. An enhanced support programme based on a shared vision and collaboration would allow Handy's (1994) 'prophets' and 'kings' to flourish, and Early Years settings of excellence to become the norm for education provision for our youngest children.

This three-phase, mixed-methods exploratory study explored parents’ and Children’s Centre practitioners’ attitudes towards and perceptions of the role of parent-child music activities in Children’s Centres in England. A socio-cultural theoretical framework was adopted which views children’s learning as socially and culturally situated: cognitive development is interlinked with social activity. A qualitative interview study (phase one) generated initial themes that were investigated further in a questionnaire study (phase two) so as to establish a rationale for music groups in Children’s Centres from the perspectives of parents and practitioners. The themes to emerge were: social, emotional, learning, teaching, parenting, musical, links to home, and organisational. Differences were found between parents and professionals through analysis of the questionnaire study data. Although both groups were very positive overall in their attitudes to music, practitioners were more positive about the perceived benefits to parents than parents reported themselves, and were slightly more positive overall about the benefits of music for children. Parents perceived the emotional benefits for children as most important, and practitioners the learning benefits: both groups perceived the social benefits for children as being of secondary importance. Phase three was a behavioural observation study that compared a parentchild music group with a similar art and outdoor-play group, and found that the music group worked in a way which was distinct from those of the other two groups. This research led to the proposal of a ‘musical-social-learning model’ which describes the social, cultural, emotional and cognitive learning environment that musical activities afford, in which parent-child pairs co-participate in the musical activities through synchronised use of symbolic actions. This leads to a group symmetry of interaction and shared emotional experiences that may reinforce learning, self-assessment and contribute to positive feelings in the participants.

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This report focuses on exploring peer activity in the early years through a range of contextual frameworks. The research is conducted within a children's centre that provides nursery education for children aged 3-4 years as defined by the Early Years Foundation Stage - EYFS (2007). Research rationale focuses on the notion of, 'reflexive co-construction' through 'sustained shared thinking' (Siraj-Blatchford, 2002, p10). In order to appreciate this concept more fully among peers, it is suggested that a robust pedagogy is required to enhance the practitioner's understanding of peer activity. It is argued that context and peer activity are inextricably linked. If we are to consider peer activity, then its relationship with context must be more fully studied and articulated than in previous discussions. From a socio-constructivist standpoint, the study applies four different, but complementary theoretical perspectives to more fully describe and analyse the social realities children encounter on a daily basis. These perspectives are, an ecological understanding of human development, distributed cognition, activity theory and situated action. Peer literature in the early years is both varied and confusing in terms of context and outcome. Because of this predicament, it is suggested that there is an opening for studying peer activity from a contextual viewpoint. The research applies a qualitative ethnographic and observational approach. Data is generated from documentation, observations of, and discussions with, children and staff and is analysed within the four identified theoretical perspectives. The application of distributed cognition, activity theory and situated action further illuminates how children use a range of strategies to engage with one another. The research argues that such interactions within differing contexts create unique opportunities for reflexive co-construction amongst the children themselves.

This thesis is concerned with assessment practice in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE), and provides an insight into the experiences of five Early Childhood Studies graduates who work in the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector who have achieved either Early Years Professional (EYP) or Early Years Teacher Status. The aim of the research was to examine how the participants were endeavouring to mediate their professional habitus with the culture and practice of their workplace and the wider policy context in relation to assessment. The methodological framework that underpins this study is located within a critical social constructionist stance. Bourdieu’s conceptual framework of ‘thinking tools’, concerned with habitus, capital, field and practice, has been utilised in this thesis to examine the relationships that exist between practitioners and other agents in the field of ECE, considering notions of power, class and status and the implications for assessment practice. The study adopted a collaborative and narrative methodology. The main method employed was the formulation of a focus group, which was supplemented by an on-line discussion site and a personal life history narrative written by the participants. MacNaughton’s (2003) model of critical reflection was used as a basis for analysis of literature relevant to the field, assessment policy texts and the empirical findings from the study. This allowed the data to be read from a technical, practical and critical perspective. The findings from this study reveal how professionals find themselves playing an ‘assessment game’, resulting at times in distorted assessment practices due to the performative culture that dominates assessment policy. The participants had limited opportunities to utilise the capital they had gained through their academic studies to fulfil their roles as change agents and transform assessment practices. Consequently, this study offers an alternative view of assessment that is concerned with a set of commitments, or conditions of the field, that effectively require alternative rules to the game. This set of commitments takes account of relations and relationships within the field in which they are located, therefore viewing assessment as relational. Assessment from this perspective becomes a holistic, equitable and democratic practice, where decisions regarding what is documented and how it is interpreted is something that is negotiated locally, across both home and educational boundaries.