Enabling professionals to change practices aimed at tackling social inequality through professional development: results from a case study

ABSTRACT

Research has shown the potential for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in making a difference for all children. However, research also highlights how hard overcoming the ‘gaps’ between children from differing social backgrounds still is. The overall aim of this article is to examine the impact of a professional development programme on changing practices that can address social inequality in ECEC. The article explores how a professional development programme, VIDA, can contribute to enabling professionals in enhancing the change potentials in ECEC, with a view to enhancing the learning conditions and well-being of all children, and socially disadvantaged children in particular. The overall argument is that co-construction as well as openness and reflection in the ECEC field is needed when professionals are to change their pedagogical practices towards tackling the issues of social inequality. The study emphasises that practices are enhanced through professional development that makes sense for participants, is organised in communities of practices (CoP) and communities of innovation (CoI), and is facilitated and integrated in entire ECEC systems.

KEYWORDS:

• communities of practice (CoP)
• early childhood education and care (ECEC)
• professional development
• reflection
• social innovation
• social inequality
• case studies

Acknowledgement

This article represents a part of the larger project with involvement from four municipalities, teachers from University Colleges and researchers from an interdisciplinary field.

Notes

1 VIDA is an acronym for knowledge-based efforts for socially disadvantaged children in day care.

Additional information

Funding

This article has been prepared and accomplished within the research project VIDA funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Gender Equality, Integration and Social Affairs 2010–2013 and papers also supported economically by the Centre for Strategic research in Education (CSER).