A1 Journal article (refereed)
Varhaiskasvatuksen työ muuttuu : muuttuuko asiantuntijuus? (2020)
The work of early childhood education is changing : is expertise changing with it?

Ukkonen-Mikkola, T., Yliniemi, R., & Wallin, O. (2020). Varhaiskasvatuksen työ muuttuu : muuttuuko asiantuntijuus?. Työelämän tutkimus, 18(4), 323-339. https://doi.org/10.37455/tt.89217

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Ukkonen-Mikkola, Tuulikki; Yliniemi, Raija; Wallin, Outi

Journal or series: Työelämän tutkimus

ISSN: 0788-091X

eISSN: 2670-1758

Publication year: 2020

Volume: 18

Issue number: 4

Pages range: 323-339

Publisher: Tampereen yliopisto

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37455/tt.89217

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/73697

Abstract

Early childhood education (ECE) is changing in terms of both educational work and work-ing life. In ECE, the increased number of high-er educated professionals and the clarification of professional expertise have been solutions to face the new challenges. This qualitative re-search investigated the expertise and the pro-cess of change in expertise of early childhood professionals. The data consist of diaries, de-velopment plans, and group interviews, and we used discourse analysis as our analytical tool. Three discourses were detected related to the process of change, namely the discourses of pow-erlessness, development, and the best in-terest of the child. Teachers positioned them-selves as being in charge of the team’s peda-gogical activities and holding responsibility for promoting the children’s learning. The position of those with a bachelor’s degree in social ser-vices was constructed through the shared re-sponsibility of the team, and their expertise fo-cused on the well-being of the children. Child carers positioned themselves mainly through their participation in the team, with childcare being their expertise.

Keywords: care and education sector; early childhood education and care; staff; working life; change; early childhood education and care teachers; Bachelors of Social Services; nannies; expertise; discourse analysis

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2020

JUFO rating: 1