EDU40003 Report: Exploring the Early Childhood Professional Identity

This report provides an overview of the early childhood profession in Australia, focusing on the benefits and challenges associated with funding and supporting new education settings. It discusses the distinctive characteristics and complexities of the profession, including the need for enthusiastic, patient, and tolerant professionals who can adapt to diverse cultural backgrounds. The report highlights the strengths of the profession, such as providing equal opportunities and promoting diversity, while also addressing challenges like inadequate salaries and increasing workloads. Trends and movements influencing early childhood education, such as the Reggio Emilia approach, nature play, and sustainable practices, are examined, along with key legal obligations and policies like the National Quality Framework and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. A SWOT analysis is conducted to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the development of community-based ECE services, and recommendations are made for future funding resources and support for early childhood education programs. Desklib offers more resources for students, including past papers and solved assignments.

The Early Childhood
Professional

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
An early childhood professional who are directly works with the young children's and
society. The main purpose of this report is refers to programme for young children's because
many parents needs the support of early childhood professional to deliver quality care and
promote education and development of their children's. This report includes the benefits and
different challenges associated with funding and supporting of new education setting. The early
childhood professional is responsible for managing different steams of funding according to the
state regulation. The benefit of early childhood education is to help in promoting the brain
development and enhancing the learning skills of children's. A new education setting for early
childhood education(ECE) is to deliver the quality services to children's in their development.
Strong benefit of the early childhood education is to allocate new resources and development of
various new services implemented in child care with suitable funding resources and various
professional challenges identified and address them because early childhood professional
benefits to children's, families and society (Stamopoulos & Barblett, (2020)). The
recommendation for establishing the future funding resources is useful for apportionment of
additional staff which can leads to provide more support to meet the needs early childhood
education program and helps children's and society by enhancing the learning skills of individual
children's.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................................1
Distinctive and complexities of the early childhood profession............................................1
Strengths of early childhood profession.................................................................................2
Challenges of early childhood educator’s..............................................................................3
Trends and movements influencing ECE...............................................................................3
The key legal obligations and policies that impact the early childhood profession...............4
Identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for the
development of a community-based ECE service..................................................................5
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Early childhood professional in Australia focused on providing care and well-being of
young children's and it is most important for society. It can also provide family support and
children's care which can leads to enhance child development. Parents needs support of early
childhood professional because they can promote the brain development of children's in early
ages an also encourage long term health and building range of learning skills in individual
children's. Professional analysed and focuses on education care of children's and element
children from unfavourable environment which give negative impact on child development.
Local government of Australia focuses on professional challenges and resources which are
essential for the early childhood education programme(ECE). Australian Children’s Education
and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is an independent body which assist government in
implementing various policies and guidelines by which they can support and provide framework
for early childhood education. Professional pay more attention on individual activity of the
children's and they help in boosting the brain activity by which children's increases their learning
skills and knowledge from their childhood (Logan, Cumming & Wong, (2020)). Many parents
having busy schedule because of their professional and they are unable to take care of their
children's and they need early childhood professional to promote their child development.
Australian government focuses on funding resources and challenges which are faced by the
professional. Local government of Australia set up new education setting for delivery quality
education to children's (Eadie Stark & Niklas, (2019)). This report includes current strengths,
challenges and complexities of the early childhood profession, trends and movements, legal
policies which impact on early childhood profession. Additionally, it includes SWOT analysis
and recommendation for successful development of early childhood education (Almeida, Moore
& Barnes, (2018)).
DISCUSSION
Distinctive and complexities of the early childhood profession
Early childhood professional works with young children's by promoting brain
development, enhancing learning skills and also providing support to individual child. Early
childhood profession is similar as teaching job but professional should have some characteristics
which includes enthusiastic, patient, and tolerant. These features require in early childhood
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profession because they are more focused on providing the education care to the children’s
(Shelley, (2021)). Flexibility is also another feature of early childhood profession because while
interacting with children's they should have to make best decision towards the child development
programme. Professional should have to ensure about the needs of individual children's and
providing best resources to teach children in an effective manner. Early childhood professional
deals with different culture of children's so they should have to understand the need of individual
child and satisfied them by providing the appropriate knowledge (Elliott, Ärlemalm-Hagsér &
Davis, (2020)). Professional are responsible to analyse children and also choose a perfect way of
dealing with individual child.
In Australia the responsibilities of early childhood profession have changed about three
decades ago. The professional is responsible to develop and design the framework for pre-
schooler children's. There are various complexities generated which are faced by the early
childhood profession which includes autonomous decision which affect the child development
(Johnston, Hadley& Waniganayake, (2020)). Early childhood policies are restructured in
Australia which contributes to various complexities associated with early childhood profession.
Strengths of early childhood profession
Australian government initiated the framework which has aim to providing the quality
education care to the children's. The strength of the early childhood profession is that it provides
the equal opportunity to the individual children’s and also promotes diversity and equity among
the children's (O'connell, (2021)). Early childhood professional has more opportunities so that
they can increases their knowledge by attending the workshops. They can also enhance their
skills by experiencing and sharing ideas to the children's. Early childhood education creating and
maintaining the partnership with the family, society and children's to promoting the skills of
children's (Wyatt & O’Neill, (2021)). The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia
(EYLF) and ACECQA build a relationship between community to provide best resources to the
child development. Various community gives the best outcomes and a good environment for the
children to increase their self-adaptability. Educator prepare children for their future
development and also give the learning environment which is essential for the development
(Molla & Nolan, (2019)). Early childhood educator having skills for analysing power inequities
and also providing the quality education and care to all learners. The profession acknowledges
that children's having different capabilities and also they are belonging to different culture.
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Australian government acquires the educator who are well educated and skilled for providing the
quality environment to the children's (Whitebread & et. al., (2019)).
Challenges of early childhood educator’s
There are number of challenges in early childhood education in which many educators
are in course of changing their carrier because government do not offer appropriate salary to the
educator’s. The increases of workload are another challenges for the early childhood education.
Maintaining positive, professional and good relationship between the parents and children's. ECE
all day focuses on children's activity and make sure about the satisfaction of individual children
(Swit, McMaugh & Warburton, (2018)). The challenging movement for educator is to
implementing the curriculum, encouraging and maintaining a schedule and policies for child
development. One of the major challenge is poor recompense to the early childhood
professionals, Australian government does not focus on the challenges which are faced by the
educators. According to the current challenges of early childhood educator is in completing their
documentation work due to more load. The educators are more focused on funding for quality
resources which is essential for the children's development.
Trends and movements influencing ECE
There are number of trends and movement which can influences the early childhood
education. Policies which are enhanced the staff to child ratio, and provide training to the
professional so that they can deliver the best education quality care to the children's. Early year
learning framework policy which impact on early childhood profession in Australia. The current
trends of early childhood services are to creation of different protocols, policies and agencies
which has aim to regulating the teacher education. There are trends and movements of early
childhood education which includes: -
Reggio Emilia: - This is an education approaches and pedagogy which focuses on
preschools and primary school. It is child centred approach which have collective responsibility
of children's and it can also engage children's parents and community together to make the
environment and essential for the learning process. It is the current trend in Australia in context
of early childhood education. It is an appropriate approach which is used to providing the relaxed
learning environment to the children's (Zhang & et. al., (2020)).
Nature play: - It is an activity which provides many opportunities to children's by which
they can explore and learn new skills and interact with the other children's. It is an outdoor
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environment of early childhood education but play a major role in child development. In this
movement educators provides various equipment by which they can learn and identifying by
analysing the various equipment’s. Local government of Australia has focused on providing the
funding resource for the child development, natural play is effective approach by which
children's get to involve in physical activity which is also more beneficial for their physical and
emotional health. Educators involves children's in spending more time in nature which is
essential for children's for cognitive development. Children's who are spending more time in
playing activity have increased concentration and creativity development. Educators have more
focused on individual child action and help those children's who are less activate in participating
the playing activity.
Sustainable practices: - In early childhood education sustainability is most important
part of curriculum because children should have to explore values and development in relation to
the environment at young age so that they can use the natural resources in a proper manner and
protect them. Educators should aware the children's about the environment by which children's
can reduce the waste and conserving wildlife. EYLF describes that education is important for
children's and encouraging children's about the conserving the environment is more beneficial for
the children's and natural habitats (Tayler, Peachey & Healey, (2018)).
The key legal obligations and policies that impact the early childhood profession
Policy and procedure are the integral part of the legislative requirement because it
provides the support to the staff members and also provides them roles and responsibilities.
Policy are most important in education setting because it can provide the framework for child
development. Policy procedure is the legal requirement under the national quality framework.
There are various policies which are essential for early childhood professional.
National quality framework: - It is Australian system which has aim to regulating the
early learning child care setting. It can also improve education and care across the pre-schools,
this is an approach which provides equal child care education. It is a framework which assist and
improves the quality for early childhood education outside the school.
National quality standard: - It has aim to provide the benchmark for educators and
services towards the high quality education care to the children's. ACECQA which has seven
quality standard which includes education programme and practice, relationship with children's
and collaborative partnership with families and communities. The early learning framework is a
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guide for early childhood educator who develops learning programme in responsive to children's
strength and abilities.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: - It is an international legal
agreement which is responsible for the civil, political, economic, social and cultural right of
every child. It is a human right treaty which has helped children around the world. It can provide
all equal right to individual children of different religions.
Report Abuse and Neglect - Early Childhood (RAN-EC): - It is a notification of
training which provides the support to the educators and it is legal requirement for educators
which is essential for the development of children's.
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics: - It is documentation procedure which
involves the well-being of children's and it can also provide the guidelines for child protection in
Australia. The Early childhood Australia code is promoting the professional which provides the
role and responsibilities of every educator.
Identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for the development of
a community-based ECE service
It is framework which evaluate and developed an appropriate strategic plan for
development. It can identify the core strength, weakness, opportunities and threats which can
provides the assessment tool for the growth. The strength of early childhood educator is string
partnership with families, children's and community for providing the best quality education to
the children's. Local government of Australia implement the best resources for the development
of children's.
STRENGTH
The strength is to be defined as skills and character traits which have to be considered positive.
This includes attributes, skills, knowledge, talents. Something which make a community standout
which is compared to any other communities. The things which make you proud for calling the
community home. The strength has to be a physical asset, an environmental condition, a program
or a feeling or impression. Local government of Australia focuses on analysing the strength of
the Early childhood education. Early healthcare professional provides best knowledge to the
children's and build a relationship with the parents and children.
WEAKNESSES
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This is totally opposite of strength. These are the problems which have to be addressed as soon
as possible. There is partiality in child education on basis of caste, sex, gender and many more.
New policies which were made for development of a community have negative impact on them.
Some parents do not want to send their children for education. This problem usually raises due to
less finances and in rural areas where facilities for education is less. Unavailability of resources
may impact on early childhood education because professional unable to deliver the education
and resource for well-being of children's and society.
OPPORTUNITIES
These are the things which have to be done for improving the community. The activists for this
take steps for improving the situation in community. There are many NGO's working for this
situation to come over and they are the one who have opportunities to make changes in
community. They start free education for children and convince their parents to send them to
school. This improvise education system and ratio for education in the country.
THREAT
The threat will be external and internal. A threat has to be anything which can be jeopardize the
future success of the community. The people who are in against for this are the biggest threat for
community and they do not support people who do well in this context. A community cannot be
changed at whole but some individual can be changed and everyone have their own choice for
sending their children to study.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that government of Australia should have to providing funding for the
development of education setting and interact with new community and society to increases the
early childhood education in Australia. Early childhood professional should have to focus on
providing the best resources which can helps them to enhancing their ability. Professionals are
also providing and developing the funding community and natural resources for well-being of
children's and society. The natural resource is essential for the development of children's because
natural play is more helpful in cognitive development of children's. Early childhood education is
more for helpful for the development of children's which can also provide support to the parents
who are busy in their professional work. It is recommended that the providing best funding
resources for the child development is necessary for the early childhood education. Providing
flexibility and relevant wages to the early childhood professional by which they can work with
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more focus. By providing natural play opportunities to the children which can helps in
increasing the environment knowledge among the children's. At an early age children's conserve
the natural resources and protect them.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it is concluded that early childhood education is most
important in Australia for providing best care and education facilities to the children's. There are
various policies for early childhood education which includes national quality framework and
ACECQA which provides the various resources for the children's. Government of Australia
delivery the essential resources in the pre-school which helps in in child development and
encourages children to participate in various activities which can enhance their ability. There are
number of trends and movement which includes the early childhood education. Early year
learning framework policy which impact on early childhood profession in Australia. These
policies and trends helps in developing the education care in Australia and early childhood
profession is more responsible for educating the children's. Professional are more responsible for
the funding and managing the resources which is essential for the early childhood education.
Early childhood professional helps in developing the education setting for providing the best
quality education among the children's. SWOT analysis is done for analysis and implementing
the strategic plan which can give the possible outcomes of policies and government action.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Almeida, S. C., Moore, D., & Barnes, M. (2018). Teacher identities as key to environmental
education for sustainability implementation: A study from Australia. Australian Journal
of Environmental Education, 34(3), 228-243.
Eadie, P., Stark, H., & Niklas, F. (2019). Quality of interactions by early childhood educators
following a language-specific professional learning program. Early Childhood
Education Journal, 47(3), 251-263.
Elliott, S., Ärlemalm-Hagsér, E., & Davis, J. (Eds.). (2020). Researching early childhood
education for sustainability: Challenging assumptions and orthodoxies. Routledge.
Johnston, K., Hadley, F., & Waniganayake, M. (2020). Practitioner inquiry as a professional
learning strategy to support technology integration in early learning centres: Building
understanding through Rogoff’s planes of analysis. Professional development in
education, 46(1), 49-64.
Logan, H., Cumming, T., & Wong, S. (2020). Sustaining the work-related wellbeing of early
childhood educators: Perspectives from key stakeholders in early childhood
organisations. International Journal of Early Childhood, 52(1), 95-113.
Molla, T., & Nolan, A. (2019). The ‘universal access to early childhood education’agenda in
Australia: Rationales and instruments. Educational Research for Policy and
Practice, 18(1), 1-16.
O'connell, M. (2021). Early education research from Australia and around the world. Rattler
(Sydney), (134), 20-22.
Rodd, J. (2020). Leadership in early childhood: The pathway to professionalism. Routledge.
Shelley, B. (2021). System Reform in the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector in
Australia. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.
Stamopoulos, E., & Barblett, L. (2020). Early childhood leadership in action: Evidence-based
approaches for effective practice. Routledge.
Swit, C. S., McMaugh, A. L., & Warburton, W. A. (2018). Teacher and parent perceptions of
relational and physical aggression during early childhood. Journal of Child and Family
Studies, 27(1), 118-130.
Tayler, C., Peachey, T., & Healey, B. (2018). Maintaining the reform momentum in
Australia. The early advantage, 1, 19-43.
Whitebread, D., Grau, V., Kumpulainen, K., McClelland, M., Perry, N., & Pino-Pasternak, D.
(Eds.). (2019). The Sage handbook of developmental psychology and early childhood
education. Sage.
Wyatt, J. E., & O’Neill, M. (2021). Investigation of early career teacher attrition and the impact
of induction programs in Western Australia. International Journal of Educational
Research, 107, 101754.
Zhang, L., Yu, S., & Liu, H. (2019). Understanding teachers’ motivation for and commitment to
teaching: profiles of Chinese early career, early childhood teachers. Teachers and
Teaching, 25(7), 890-914.
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