Early childhood educators’ understandings of quality in five countries
Similarities and differences to policy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21685998 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marg Rogers (0000-0001-8407-7256, University of New England, corresponding author), Khatuna Dolidze (0009-0009-9980-9371, Ilia State University), Astrid Mus Rasmussen (0009-0005-6982-0458, Aarhus University), Fabio Dovigo (0000-0001-9684-618X, Northumbria University), Laura Doan (0000-0002-8921-4114, Thompson Rivers University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 19-35 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1350-293X • E-ISSN: 1752-1807 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1350293x.2025.2484241 |
| OpenAlex | W4409163867 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Early childhood educators work in a highly regulated environment in many countries and are constantly asked to produce and improve quality. Our international study of Australian, Canadian, Danish, Georgian and Italian educators’ work examined their notions of quality and how this was impacted by government policies and documents such as frameworks, standards and curricula. Quantitative data were analysed using cross-tabulation and descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that some educators’ notions of quality aligned with their governments’ ideas, but many revealed nuanced concepts. Educators expressed frustration at these differences and the perceived limitations and impact of the imposed policies and documents. Many educators identified how these differences were experienced in the workplace and impacted their teaching, relationships and children's learning. This study will interest policymakers, educators, and teacher educators
Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Early childhood education · Epistemology · Pedagogy · Sociology · Early Childhood Education and Development · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
Neoliberalism and Early Childhood Education
Neoliberalism and early childhood
Eecera ethical code for early childhood researchers
Complexifying quality
The hidden complexity of early childhood educators’ work
Educator identity in a neoliberal context
Embracing the breadth of ethical complexities in early childhood research
Capitalism, Pedagogy, and the Politics of Being
In the Ruins of Neoliberalism
Contextualised, Not Neoliberalised, Approaches to Families in Five Countries
The performance of compliance in early childhood
Pisa for scandalisation, Pisa for projection
Conforming to reform
Neoliberalism and education
Devastating impacts? Investigating ‘edu-quality’ discourse in early childhood policy and its implications
What is Present and Absent in Critical Analyses of Neoliberalism in Education
Using thematic analysis in psychology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |