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Achieving Early Years Professional

Status: EYPs evaluate the process

and its impact on professional identity

EECERA ConferencePrague - 2007

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Gill GoodliffThe Centre for Research in Education &

Educational Technology

The Open University

Walton HallMilton Keynes

MK7 6AA

www.open.ac.uk

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Introduction In this paper:

I report on EYP candidates evaluation of participating in the OU

Phase one pilot Validation process.

I describe the wider policy context to the reform of the Childrens

workforce in England and the development of the Early Years

Professional role

I outline my theoretical framework and methodology

I describe the stages in the 3 month Validation Process, and Drawing on qualitative analysis of questionnaire and interview

data, I use the written and spoken voices of the EYP candidates

to discuss my emerging findings and themes related to their

professional role and identity.

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Early Years Professionala newrole Graduate (Level 6)key to raising quality of early years

provision

Change agents to improve practice (CWDC, 2006)

Equivalent in level to qualified teacher status

Should lead the delivery of the new Early Years

Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum for 0-5s Aim to have EYPs in all childrens centres offering early

years provision by 2010 and in all full daycare settings

by 2015

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Professionalism An ongoing debate (Oberheumer, 2005, Osgood, 2006,

Cable, Goodliff and Miller, 2007)

A new style of professionalism (Curtis and Hevey, 1996)

EYPsprofessional boundary crossers (Manning-Morton, 2006)

Prevailing deficit view

Occupational status determined by the perceived imageof an occupation (Hoyle, 2001)

it requires high levels of professional knowledgecoupled with self-esteem and self-confidence (Moyles,

2001)

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Professional identity

Cultural construct

Agency and esteem central to the concept of self andconstruction of ones identity relational view (Bruner,

1996)

Belonging to and participating in a community of practice

helps form a persons identity (Wenger, 1998)

How do new EYPs evaluate the EYP role and validation

process?

Where do they position themselves as professionals?

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The Open University in

partnership with National Day

Nurseries Association

National Provider in Pilot phase

Allocated 100 places

107 potential candidates recruited (experienced

practitioners with degree and Level 2 qualifications inEnglish and Maths)

92 commenced the preparation

64 candidates continued after Needs Assessment

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EYP Pilot Validation Process

Candidate preparation (2 days or equivalent) on

understanding EYP Standards and extent of EYP role

before

Needs Assessment (half day) time limited skills based

exercises formative feedback on readiness to proceed

Candidate preparation (2 days or equivalent) for

Assessment Stage:

Written tasks; portfolio of evidence; negotiation of

Setting VisitTour of setting; interviews;

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The Study - Methodology

Evaluation questionnaires sent in December 2006 to all

64 candidates who completed the final assessment

stage

31 responses giving a 48% response rate

10 successful EYPsrandom geographical selection -

invited to participate in telephone interviews

Interviews March/April 2007

Phenomenological approach to analysis of interview

data

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Job role Early years contextOwner/Principal Small private Montessori school

Qualified teacher Large private day nursery on HEI

campus

Senior Practitioner Voluntary pre-school playgroupDeputy Co-ordinator Large community day nursery

Early years support worker Employed by local authority(children

with complex needsBirth to 5)

Owner/Manager Large private day nursery

Advisory teacher Employed by local authority to advise

and support staff in PVI early years

settings

Senior practitioner Private day nursery

Table 1 Occupation and context of

interviewed participants

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Emerging themes

Participation - agency and self-esteem

Positioning and identity

Passion and belonging

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Participation and self-esteem

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Although I understand EYPS is not aqualification just a status which as a

nursery owner will not benefit my career,it will give my ego a boost to havesomething to reflect my years ofexperience in childcare.

I feel extremely proud of having done itand achieved it cos it will help not just mebut my setting.

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I think being at the forefront of a newinitiative is fantastic for professional

development, for improving confidence inour own practice and being able toreceive national recognition for theimportance of the work we do.

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Positioning

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I applied because it was going to give me astatus which I didnt feel that people inmy situation had before EYPS appeared

I didnt feel I had it and I felt that if Icould say to my parents, to my colleagues,to other people in the profession that Ihad this status that was really important

because it represented a certain amountof training and experience and orexpertise.

Principal of small private nursery school

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I think it has given me more confidence inwhat Im doing. So, the people that Iwork with, it has helped them torecognise my skills in a way. .. They

[staff] in a way have more confidence inme now because they can see that I havethis nationally recognised status it gives

them something to think, yeah thats myachievement and that shes that person.

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Being able to have the opportunity to be

accredited for my everyday work; Being able to reflect on my practice when

looking for suitable evidence;

Having my self-esteem boosted throughgathering witness testimony

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Passion and belonging

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The pathway has enabled me to meet with

other professionals working in differentenvironments

It was great having the opportunity to

meet and network with otherprofessionals from a wide range ofsettings across the country

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Because it was something that Isuppose I wanted to see for a

long, long time. Because Ive beenin Early Years Education forsixteen years nearly now, I feltthat this was an affirmation thatEY workers can be seen asprofessionals in their own right.Early Years Support worker

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It gives them [staff] a more definiteidea of what it is that I do. Whereas

before I would get asked if I was ateacher or Id be asked do I trainpeople or what I do. But now it gives

the people who work with me aclearer picture of what I do. Manager, large daynursery

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The EYPS course is still under a great deal ofsuspicion in the industry. It is very difficult tosee how the governments plans to have an EYPin every setting could ever be realized given

the small number of graduates in the childcareworkforce. Every candidate I spoke to duringthe briefing days felt that the scheme wouldbe quietly dropped or the entry requirementswould be reduced dramatically after the pilot

scheme. We felt that we were probablywasting our time but were prepared tosacrifice our free time for a few months topossibly advance our careers.