CPD and Working with Children Under Three

This seminar will focus on a recent research study which explored continuing professional development provision for early years practitioners and managers working with children under three years of age.

The current political environment in Scotland is conducive to flexible, transformational working practices (Scottish Government, 2008) and the new Standard in Childhood Practice (QAA 2007) gives working with children aged birth to three years equal status with other age groups. It is timely therefore to consider not only how we support our youngest children but also the practitioners who work with them.

Last year Learning and Teaching Scotland commissioned a team of researchers from the University of Strathclyde to review continuing professional development provision for early years practitioners and managers who work with children under three years of age.

The review was undertaken using documentary analysis, followed by two phases of qualitative and quantitative evidence gathering from practitioners, their managers and local authority officers.

This session will present some of the key findings of the research in the context of the Scottish Pedagogy debate and the Government's aspirations outlined in their Early Years Framework and the Curriculum for Excellence. It will draw on case study material from three local authorities to put forward the perspectives of practitioners and what they consider to be good practice in the delivery of CPD.

Jacqué Fee is Assistant Director, Childhood and Families: research and development centre (CAF) in the University of Strathclyde and Course Director of the BA Education and Social Services degree. She has also been centrally involved in the development and delivery of the new BA in Childhood Practice, a joint programme between the University of Strathclyde and UHI that responds to Scottish Government's Early Years and Childcare Workforce Review.

Jacqué's original background was in nursing before moving into research and evaluation concerned with early childhood, family and community issues.

Currently her key research interest is how professionals are supported in constructing their professional knowledge and identity and she has been one of the research team in this review of CPD provision related to working with children aged birth to 3 years.