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‘I delight in the company of children’: Understanding motivations of employers and employees in the early childhood sector
Conference presentation

‘I delight in the company of children’: Understanding motivations of employers and employees in the early childhood sector

Prudence M Millear
USC Research Conference, 2013 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 01-Jul-2013–05-Jul-2013)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2013
url
https://www.usc.edu.au/View
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Abstract

Education Systems Psychology early childhood education recruitment remuneration staff turnover
The quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Recent federal legislation has mandated access for all pre-prep children to degree-qualified teachers, whether in kindergartens or long day care centres (LDCs). However, ECEC has lower wages and status than teaching in schools and difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff. Three studies explored working in ECEC to understand why some long term employees remain enthusiastic and committed to their work and why some employers easily keep their staff. In Study 1, interviews with kindergarten teachers and staff of three LDCs explored what it means to 'love working with children'. Openness, enthusiasm, and the opportunity to foster children's best outcomes were given as reasons, but these were balanced by office and regulatory requirements. Positive interactions with children maintained personal resources and engagement and provided a buffer from work demands. Employers were then interviewed in Study 2 about what characterised well-regarded workplaces with low staff turnover. As with good employers elsewhere, when employers actively support and respect the efforts of their staff, staff happily stayed. Employers who valued child development invested in resources and better conditions for staff, rather than focusing on fi nancial returns. Finally, in Study 3, ECEC staff completed online surveys to test these relationships, using the Jobs Demands-Resources model. Reflecting the interviews, social support from employers and colleagues increased the enjoyment and involvement with the children and lessened the impact of workplace demands, leading to greater engagement and less burnout. In summary, resources and demands provided a useful framework for understanding work in early childhood. Employees with more resources (e.g., enjoyment of work, contributions to child development) were better able to manage the demands of their work (e.g., regulatory requirements). Support from employers buttressed this engagement and prevented burnout and turnover amongst staff.

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