Australian Journal of Teacher Education - Vol 44 Issue 11 - Article 5 - Stories of Becoming, Being and Unbecoming an Early Childhood Teacher

Oct 15, 2026

This article explores the experiences of four individuals who changed careers into early childhood teaching in Victoria, Australia and later left the profession. Using a narrative inquiry approach, it examines motivations for becoming an early childhood teacher, experiences of being an ECT, and factors leading to “un-becoming” an ECT. Participants were driven by pragmatic reasons such as career advancement and family-work compatibility, alongside intrinsic interest, but their experiences affected health and wellbeing. The findings inform policy, employers, and higher education on retaining and sustaining ECTs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Motivators for Becoming an Early Childhood Teacher

Experiences of Becoming to Being an Early Childhood Teacher

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 44 Issue 11 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | | 2020
“That’s What You Want to do as a Teacher, Make a Difference, Let the Child Be, Have High Expectations”: Stories of Becoming, Being and Unbecoming an Early Childhood Teacher
Jessica Ciuciu
Deakin University, Melbourne, [jessica.ciuciu@hotmail.com](jessica.ciuciu@hotmail.com)
Natalie Robertson
Deakin University, Melbourne, [natalie.r@deakin.edu.au](natalie.r@deakin.edu.au)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte)
Part of the Early Childhood Education Commons, and the Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons | | Recommended Citation Ciuciu, J., & Robertson, N. (2019) .“That’s What You Want to do as a Teacher, Make a Difference, Let the Child Be, Have High Expectations”: Stories of Becoming, Being and Unbecoming an Early Childhood Teacher. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(11) . Retrieved from [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss11/5](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss11/5) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss11/5](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss11/5) “That’s What You Want to do as a Teacher, Make a Difference, Let the Child Be, Have High Expectations”: Stories of Becoming, Being and Unbecoming an Early Childhood Teacher Jessica Ciuciu Natalie Robertson Deakin University Abstract: This article explores the experiences of four individuals who changed careers into early childhood teaching in Victoria, Australia and later left the profession. The study was conducted with a narrative inquiry approach and reveals insight into motivations for becoming an early childhood teacher (ECT), experiences of being an ECT and factors that lead to un-becoming an ECT. Participants were motivated by pragmatic reasons such as career advancement and family-work compatibility alongside intrinsic interest when becoming an ECT. They entered the profession eager to support children’s learning and development. However, their experiences compromised their health and wellbeing and inhibited them from teaching as they envisioned. The findings of the study hold implications for policy makers, employers and higher education in effort to retain and sustain ECTs. Introduction It is well known that Early Childhood Teachers (ECT) play a vital role in providing learning-rich programs that support children’s life-long social, emotional and learning outcomes (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; O’Connell, Fox, Hinz & Cole, 2016) . However, ECT shortages and attrition are real problems that threaten the quality of educational experiences offered to young children (Vonderen, 2016). A shortage of ECTs is being felt internationally and nationally. For instance, New Zealand currently fall short 300 ECTs each year due to teacher attrition alone (Wolfe, 2019). Long-term shortages are forecasted in New Zealand, with enrolments in ECT tertiary education declining rapidly (Hipkins, 2018) . The United Kingdom also report great concern, claiming a shortage of nearly 11,000 ECTs (Save The Children, 2018) . Likewise, Australia is experiencing nationwide ECT shortages, alongside inadequate tertiary education enrolments to meet future demand. O’Connell (2019) explains that within the next four years, one-third of all Australian preschools may lack a qualified ECT. The demand for qualified ECTs is due to become even greater in Victoria from 2020 asthe Victorian Government will begin extending kindergarten programs to three-year-old children (The Department of Education and Training, 2019) . This paper reports on research that explores factors that attract individuals to become an ECT, and how their experience of being an ECT led them to unbecome. The insights of this paper aim to cast light on issues pertaining to the attraction and retention of ECTs in the Early Childhood (EC) profession.

FAQs

What does the study investigate about early childhood teachers?

It investigates what motivates individuals to become early childhood teachers, how they experience being an ECT, and what factors lead them to leave the profession.

What motivations do participants report for becoming an early childhood teacher?

Participants were motivated by pragmatic reasons such as career advancement and family-work compatibility, as well as intrinsic interest in early childhood teaching.

Why are ECT shortages and attrition a concern according to the paper?

The paper explains that shortages and attrition threaten the quality of learning experiences for young children, with shortages reported internationally and in Australia.

Oct 15, 2026

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