Quality in early years settings: government, research and practitioners' perspectives

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quality in early years settings:

T2 - government, research and practitioners' perspectives

AU - Cottle, Michelle

AU - Alexander, Elise

N1 - Author note: the attached document (embargoed until 2/1/2015) is an author produced version of an article published in the British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 38, No. 4. 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 - 2012/8

Y1 - 2012/8

N2 - This article begins by outlining the UK Government policy context, offering a brief critique before moving on to summarise recent research into ‘quality’ in the early years. The main body of the article locates the perspectives of early years practitioners within this context, drawing on data from an Economic and Social Research Council-funded study of 18 early years settings, including interviews and focused group discussions with 165 practitioners. The findings reveal that practitioners’ understandings of ‘quality’ are influenced by government discourses but appear to be linked to the context of their setting together their personal and professional histories. In discussing the nature of ‘quality’, the authors focus on tensions inherent in the government discourses and draw out the implications for children’s experiences and the training and development of early years practitioners.

AB - This article begins by outlining the UK Government policy context, offering a brief critique before moving on to summarise recent research into ‘quality’ in the early years. The main body of the article locates the perspectives of early years practitioners within this context, drawing on data from an Economic and Social Research Council-funded study of 18 early years settings, including interviews and focused group discussions with 165 practitioners. The findings reveal that practitioners’ understandings of ‘quality’ are influenced by government discourses but appear to be linked to the context of their setting together their personal and professional histories. In discussing the nature of ‘quality’, the authors focus on tensions inherent in the government discourses and draw out the implications for children’s experiences and the training and development of early years practitioners.

U2 - 10.1080/01411926.2011.571661

DO - 10.1080/01411926.2011.571661

M3 - Article

SN - 0141-1926

VL - 38

SP - 635

EP - 654

JO - BRITISH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL

JF - BRITISH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL

IS - 4

ER -