Professionalism, paperwork and pedagogy: Identifying leadership strategies that enable professional practice in long day care.

The Professionalism, paperwork and pedagogy study explores the critical role of the Centre Director, as service leader and manager, in creating a work environment that enables professional practice in long day care. This 12 month study was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team comprising researchers from Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland, working in partnership with Early Childhood Australia (Queensland branch). The study was funded through an Education Horizon grant by the Queensland Department of Education. The study applied a mixed method design to investigate leadership approaches and strategies that enabled professional practice in three long day care centres, identified as providing positive and supportive workplaces. Adopting a 360 degree view of leadership, data was collected through face-face semi-structured interviews with the Centre Directors (N=3) and a facilitated questionnaire with educators (N=32). All participants also completed a validated scale measuring work satisfaction and retention in ECEC. Seeking to inform the study and support the translation of findings, the research design included a half-day interactive policy workshop hosted by the research team on 20 July 2018 at QUT Kelvin Grove. The policy workshop drew together colleagues from a range of Queensland ECEC contexts, including ECEC policy officers, peak organisations, long day care service operators and leaders, and representatives from Vocational and Higher Education (N = 30). This report provides workshop participants and other interested parties with a summary of initial findings from the Professionalism, Paperwork and Pedagogy Study shared at the policy workshop. The report also draws together key points from conversations throughout the workshop, capturing participants’ responses to the initial findings, as well as observations and insights on emerging themes and their implications for policy and practice in long day care.