Parent partnership and 'quality' early years services: practitioners' perspectives

TY - JOUR

T1 - Parent partnership and 'quality' early years services:

T2 - practitioners' perspectives

AU - Cottle, Michelle

AU - Alexander, Elise

N1 - Author note: the attached document (embargoed until 20/12/2014) is an author produced version of an article published in European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22:5, 637-659. The final published version (version of record) is available at the publisher's website. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it.

PY - 2014/10/20

Y1 - 2014/10/20

N2 - This article begins by outlining the historical and political context of ‘parent partnership’ within the UK. It locates the perspectives of early years’ practitioners within this context, drawing on data from an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded study of eighteen English early years settings, including interviews and focus groups with 165 practitioners in a variety of roles. The findings reveal that, although all practitioners considered parent partnership to be an essential element in quality early years services, the partnerships themselves were understood and enacted in very different ways. Practitioners appear to be influenced by dominant policy discourses as well as their personal and professional histories and their perceptions of the purposes and priorities of their setting. In discussing the nature of ‘parent partnership’, we focus on tensions inherent in English policy discourses, reflecting on the previous Labour government policy as well as changes introduced by the current Coalition government.

AB - This article begins by outlining the historical and political context of ‘parent partnership’ within the UK. It locates the perspectives of early years’ practitioners within this context, drawing on data from an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded study of eighteen English early years settings, including interviews and focus groups with 165 practitioners in a variety of roles. The findings reveal that, although all practitioners considered parent partnership to be an essential element in quality early years services, the partnerships themselves were understood and enacted in very different ways. Practitioners appear to be influenced by dominant policy discourses as well as their personal and professional histories and their perceptions of the purposes and priorities of their setting. In discussing the nature of ‘parent partnership’, we focus on tensions inherent in English policy discourses, reflecting on the previous Labour government policy as well as changes introduced by the current Coalition government.

U2 - 10.1080/1350293X.2013.788314

DO - 10.1080/1350293X.2013.788314

M3 - Article

SN - 1350-293X

VL - 22

SP - 637

EP - 659

JO - EUROPEAN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL

JF - EUROPEAN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL

IS - 5

ER -