Megan Gibson
Biographic Data
| ID | 6672556 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Megan Gibson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Megan |
| FAMILY NAME | Gibson |
| SIGNATURE | GIBSON M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Queensland University of Technology |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7264-9189 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Exploring differences between the work of degree qualified early childhood teachers and non-degree qualified educators in Australian exemplary early childhood education and care settings
This mixed-methods study examines differences in the work of degree-qualified early childhood teachers (ECTs) and other qualified educators in exemplary Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Amid workforce shortages and mixed evidence about ECT impact, international policy continues to position ECTs as central to quality, yet research rarely distinguishes educators by qualification. Using the theory of practice architectu…
Gaps, compliance or variation in Australian early childhood teacher education
In Australia, there has been rapid growth in the demand for early childhood education and care programmes, leading to strong demand for early childhood teachers. To become an early childhood teacher, potential candidates must complete an approved early childhood teacher education programme. In this paper we explore the approved programmes in Australia ( N = 102) that provide early childhood teacher education (from January 2024). We look at the na…
‘Diplomatically bossy’: Discursive constructions of ‘good’ leadership in early childhood told through educators’ memories
This article puts forward a discursive analysis of early childhood leadership in Australia, offering new ways of understanding the work of early childhood leaders and adding to the methodological tools used to consider work in early childhood education and care. While an emerging body of work recognises the complexities of early childhood leadership, there is little empirical work that identifies how early childhood leaders draw on discourses to …
All in a day’s work: Job demands and satisfaction in Australian early childhood education and care settings
Despite acknowledged demands and stresses associated with early childhood (EC) work, and high levels of attrition in the EC workforce, research often shows high ratings of job satisfaction. This article explores these discordant findings by applying Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model to explore educator-rated job satisfaction, stress, feeling rushed, and multiple demands using Time Use Diary (TUD) methodology in a sample of well-resourced EC cent…
Discovering the Hidden Work of Commodified Care: The Case of Early Childhood Educators
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the care economy, including commodified early childhood education and care (ECEC). While there is some literature about the low paid, invisible, and undervalued skills among the predominantly female workforce in the ECEC sector, there is little research into what these educators do in their working day and how this contributes to quality education and care for young children. This article provides a de…
Attracting, retaining and sustaining early childhood teachers: An ecological conceptualisation of workforce issues and future research directions
The hidden complexity of early childhood educators’ work: The Exemplary Early Childhood Educators at Work study
A considerable body of research suggests that knowledgeable and skilled educators are key to the quality of early childhood services. However, the skills and knowledge of educators is subject to being underestimated and contested. In response, the Exemplary Early Childhood Educators at Work Study has been designed to bring to light the distinctive nature of the work of early childhood educators and its complexity. The study draws its sample from …
Inconvenient truths about early childhood education and care: Workers’ lives matter
In late 2019, we were offered the great privilege of taking up guest editorship on this special issue on the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce. The changing academic climate in Australia and personal circumstances had made it impossible for the originating editors of the special issue to continue. Our sincere thanks to Yarrow Andrew, Lara Corr, Karen Sinclair and Hani Yulindrasari, who,through this issue provide an invitation to…
Doing’ socio-political sustainability in early childhood: Teacher-as-researcher reflective practices
Young children’s engagement in Education for Sustainability has focussed predominantly on their participation in environment-based initiatives or practices. Reasons for this include a notion that wider dimensions of sustainability, including social, political and economic areas of concern can be too complex and overwhelming for young children. When children experience learning around wider dimensions of sustainability, there is potential to devel…
Governing child care in neoliberal times: Discursive constructions of children as economic units and early childhood educators as investment brokers
At any given time in the field of early childhood, there are discourses at play, producing images of children, and these ways of seeing children might be competing, colliding and/or complementing each other. It is fairly widely accepted that in many countries there are versions of dominant discourses that shape and are shaped by current practices in the field of early childhood. These include (1) romantic notions of children running free and conn…
The Role of Humor in the Relationship Between Transactional Leadership Behavior, Perceived Supervisor Support, and Citizenship Behavior
This study, building on uncertainty management theory, examines the role of humor use by the supervisor and team members in the relationship between leader behaviors, perceived supervisor support, and citizenship behavior. Data were collected from a sample of 284 employees working in nine small organizations. The results show that weak contingent reward leaders are viewed as more supportive when they use constructive and self-defeating humor styl…
Understanding who cares: Creating the evidence to address the long-standing policy problem of staff shortages in early childhood education and care
Evidence-based policy is a means of ensuring that policy is informed by more than ideology or expedience. However, what constitutes robust evidence is highly contested. In this paper, we argue policy must draw on quantitative and qualitative data. We do this in relation to a long entrenched problem in Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce policy. A critical shortage of qualified staff threatens the attainment of broader c…
The Role of Humor in the Relationship Between Transactional Leadership Behavior, Perceived Supervisor Support, and Citizenship Behavior
This study, building on uncertainty management theory, examines the role of humor use by the supervisor and team members in the relationship between leader behaviors, perceived supervisor support, and citizenship behavior. Data were collected from a sample of 284 employees working in nine small organizations. The results show that weak contingent reward leaders are viewed as more supportive when they use constructive and self-defeating humor styl…
Governing child care in neoliberal times: Discursive constructions of children as economic units and early childhood educators as investment brokers
At any given time in the field of early childhood, there are discourses at play, producing images of children, and these ways of seeing children might be competing, colliding and/or complementing each other. It is fairly widely accepted that in many countries there are versions of dominant discourses that shape and are shaped by current practices in the field of early childhood. These include (1) romantic notions of children running free and conn…
Governing child care in neoliberal times: Discursive constructions of children as economic units and early childhood educators as investment brokers
At any given time in the field of early childhood, there are discourses at play, producing images of children, and these ways of seeing children might be competing, colliding and/or complementing each other. It is fairly widely accepted that in many countries there are versions of dominant discourses that shape and are shaped by current practices in the field of early childhood. These include (1) romantic notions of children running free and conn…
The Role of Humor in the Relationship Between Transactional Leadership Behavior, Perceived Supervisor Support, and Citizenship Behavior
This study, building on uncertainty management theory, examines the role of humor use by the supervisor and team members in the relationship between leader behaviors, perceived supervisor support, and citizenship behavior. Data were collected from a sample of 284 employees working in nine small organizations. The results show that weak contingent reward leaders are viewed as more supportive when they use constructive and self-defeating humor styl…
Understanding who cares: Creating the evidence to address the long-standing policy problem of staff shortages in early childhood education and care
Evidence-based policy is a means of ensuring that policy is informed by more than ideology or expedience. However, what constitutes robust evidence is highly contested. In this paper, we argue policy must draw on quantitative and qualitative data. We do this in relation to a long entrenched problem in Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce policy. A critical shortage of qualified staff threatens the attainment of broader c…
The hidden complexity of early childhood educators’ work: The Exemplary Early Childhood Educators at Work study
A considerable body of research suggests that knowledgeable and skilled educators are key to the quality of early childhood services. However, the skills and knowledge of educators is subject to being underestimated and contested. In response, the Exemplary Early Childhood Educators at Work Study has been designed to bring to light the distinctive nature of the work of early childhood educators and its complexity. The study draws its sample from …
Inconvenient truths about early childhood education and care: Workers’ lives matter
In late 2019, we were offered the great privilege of taking up guest editorship on this special issue on the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce. The changing academic climate in Australia and personal circumstances had made it impossible for the originating editors of the special issue to continue. Our sincere thanks to Yarrow Andrew, Lara Corr, Karen Sinclair and Hani Yulindrasari, who,through this issue provide an invitation to…
Doing’ socio-political sustainability in early childhood: Teacher-as-researcher reflective practices
Young children’s engagement in Education for Sustainability has focussed predominantly on their participation in environment-based initiatives or practices. Reasons for this include a notion that wider dimensions of sustainability, including social, political and economic areas of concern can be too complex and overwhelming for young children. When children experience learning around wider dimensions of sustainability, there is potential to devel…
Attracting, retaining and sustaining early childhood teachers: An ecological conceptualisation of workforce issues and future research directions
Discovering the Hidden Work of Commodified Care: The Case of Early Childhood Educators
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the care economy, including commodified early childhood education and care (ECEC). While there is some literature about the low paid, invisible, and undervalued skills among the predominantly female workforce in the ECEC sector, there is little research into what these educators do in their working day and how this contributes to quality education and care for young children. This article provides a de…
‘Diplomatically bossy’: Discursive constructions of ‘good’ leadership in early childhood told through educators’ memories
This article puts forward a discursive analysis of early childhood leadership in Australia, offering new ways of understanding the work of early childhood leaders and adding to the methodological tools used to consider work in early childhood education and care. While an emerging body of work recognises the complexities of early childhood leadership, there is little empirical work that identifies how early childhood leaders draw on discourses to …
All in a day’s work: Job demands and satisfaction in Australian early childhood education and care settings
Despite acknowledged demands and stresses associated with early childhood (EC) work, and high levels of attrition in the EC workforce, research often shows high ratings of job satisfaction. This article explores these discordant findings by applying Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model to explore educator-rated job satisfaction, stress, feeling rushed, and multiple demands using Time Use Diary (TUD) methodology in a sample of well-resourced EC cent…
Exploring differences between the work of degree qualified early childhood teachers and non-degree qualified educators in Australian exemplary early childhood education and care settings
This mixed-methods study examines differences in the work of degree-qualified early childhood teachers (ECTs) and other qualified educators in exemplary Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Amid workforce shortages and mixed evidence about ECT impact, international policy continues to position ECTs as central to quality, yet research rarely distinguishes educators by qualification. Using the theory of practice architectu…
Gaps, compliance or variation in Australian early childhood teacher education
In Australia, there has been rapid growth in the demand for early childhood education and care programmes, leading to strong demand for early childhood teachers. To become an early childhood teacher, potential candidates must complete an approved early childhood teacher education programme. In this paper we explore the approved programmes in Australia ( N = 102) that provide early childhood teacher education (from January 2024). We look at the na…
Early childhood (11 works) · Early childhood education (11 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (11 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Developmental psychology (8 works) · Pedagogy (8 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Workforce (5 works) · Child care (4 works) · Children's Rights and Participation (4 works)