This presentation illustrates the findings of the literature review carried out within the European study 'CoRe: Competence Requirements in ECEC'. This European research project was jointly conducted by the University of East London (UEL) and the University of Ghent (UGent). The study explored conceptualisations of competence and professionalism in early childhood practice, and identified systemic conditions for developing, supporting and maintaining competence in all layers of the early childhood system. The European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture commissioned the research conducted between January 2010 and September 2011. The full report is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/education/more-information/doc/2011/core_en.pdf The CoRe research documents are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/education/more-information/doc/2011/coreannex_en.pdf

1. CoRe
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and
Care A Study for the European Commission Directorate General for Education and Cu
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

2. CORE Literature Review:
Conceptualisations and
Key-findings
Pr. Michel Vandenbroek, Dr. Jan Peeters and Katrien Van Laere
(University of Ghent, Department of Social Welfare Studies)
Pr. Mathias Urban and Dr. Arianna Lazzari
(University of East London)
Dr. Claire Cameron (Anglia Ruskin University)
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

3. Literature Providing a summary of the
Review current international discussion
about the competence required
Survey 15 by ECEC staff
countries
Informing the case
7 Case study analysis and
studies the policy
recommendations
Recommendations
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

4. Aim of literature review
• Framing key-concepts: professionalism,
competence, quality and qualification
• Overview that takes into account different
perspectives:
- academic debate (ISI, European view on ECEC
professionalism including publications written
in languages other than English)
- policy debate (EC, OECD, UNESCO)
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

5. Organisation of presentation:
1- the concept of competence in context: LLL policies
(EC, OECD, UNESCO) and insights from research
2- the relationship between quality of ECEC services
and qualification of ECEC workforce
3- perspectives on professional competence
development in the ECEC field: contributions from
the French, Italian, Danish, German and Croatian
debates
4- a systemic approach toward the re-conceptualisation
of competence in ECEC
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

6. The concept of competence in context
• Competence discourse takes origin contextually to the shift
of focus on LLL: from emancipator education
(UNESCO,1960-70) to individual responsibility of citizens for
their employability (EC,1993-95; CEU,2000; EC, 2000-08-
10)
• The European Qualification Framework (EC, 2005)
Competence: ‘proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social
and/or methodological abilities, in work or study situations and in
professional and personal development’
• Key-competences for LLL: a European Framework (EC,
2007)
Key-competences for knowledge-based society: ‘combination of knowledge,
skill, attitudes as appropriate to the context’
• Definition and selection of key-competences (OECD, 2005)
CoRe
Key-competences: ‘mobilisation of cognitive and practical skills, creative
abilities and other psychosocial resources such as attitudes, motivation
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

7. The concept of competence in context
(contd.)
More specifically on teacher competences:
• Common European principles for teacher competences and
qualifications (EC, 2005)
Key-competences referring to knowledge (human development & subject
knowledge), pedagogical skills (practical and theoretical) and values (social
inclusion, respect for diversity, nurturing potential of every learner).
• Improving the quality of teacher education (EC, 2007)
‘At every point in their career, teachers need to have, or be able to acquire, the
full range of subject knowledge, attitudes and pedagogic skills to be able to
help young people to reach their full potential.’ Reflective practices and
qualifications are dealt separately.
• Council Conclusions on professional development of teachers
and school leaders (EC, 2009)
Teachers competences referred to in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes
that need to be constantly revised in the light of social, cultural, economical
CoRe
changes.
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

8. The concept of competence in context
(contd.)
• Different conceptualisations of competence are found in academic
research (Barnett, 1994; McKenzie, Mitchelle & Oliver, 1995; Rychen and
Salganik, 2003)
• Studies specifically focused on professional competence of practitioners
emphasise:
> value-bound elements associated with professional practices
(Kunneman, 2005)
> reflective nature of professional actions (Schon, 1983)
> centrality of co-constructed and democratic processes in shaping
pedagogical practices (Moss, 2005; Oberhuemer, 2005)
> need for contextualised approaches (Bennett, 2003)
• Practitioners’ understandings of competence also differ across EU
countries according to different socio-cultural traditions (Cameron, 2007)
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

9. ECEC quality and workforce qualification
• It is generally recognised that workforce is central in increasing the
quality of ECEC provision (Dalli, 2003-2005; MacNaughton, 2003;
Oberhuemer, 2005; Siraj-Blatchford, Sylva, Muttock, Gilden, & Bell, 2002)
• Most of the studies focus on the relationship between ECEC quality
and level of qualification obtained by staff:
- Qualifications matters (Sylva, Melhuish, Sammons, Siraj-Blatchford, &
Taggart, 2004)
- Broad consensus that places the ideal level of qualification needed
for core professionals at bachelor level (OECD, 2006)
- Research also shows that providing opportunities for continuing
professional development on the job may be equally important as
initial professional preparation provided that it is of sufficient
length and intensity (Fukkink, & Lont, 2007; Jaegher, Shlay, & Weinraub,
2000; Pianta, Mashburn, Downer, Hamre, & Justice, 2008)
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

10. ECEC quality and workforce qualification
(contd)
• However research findings also show that qualifications
do not suffice (Early, Maxwell, Burchinal, Bender, Ebanks, Henry et
al., 2007):
 the relationship between ECEC quality and workforce
qualification is not causal but rather depends on
interaction of multiple factors
• Other systemic conditions are equally important:
- content and delivery of initial and in-service professional
preparation
- pedagogical support or guidance on the job
- team work
All these aspects tend to be underdeveloped in English
CoRe language academic literature
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

11. Insights from literature in other
languages
• Participatory approaches to the evaluation of ECEC quality -
involving practitioners, parents, researchers and local
administrators - become opportunities for staff professionalisation
(Bondioli & Ghedini, 2000; Musatti, Picchio & Di Giandomenico, 2010)
• Professional competence development framed by a systemic
approach to ECEC quality: joint action-research, self-evaluation and
collective reflectivity enhance practitioners’ competence at team
level improving the quality of ECEC institutions (Žogla, 2008)
• Professional competence explored as a never-ending process of
transformation that lead to the production of new knowledge
starting from reflection on education practices (Meunier, 2004)
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

12. Insights from literature in other languages
(contd)
• Professional competence developed through the awarness of
one’s capability, norms and collective values (BUPL, 2006)
• Competence build upon a reciprocal interplay of theory and
practices through critical reflection that takes place both in
training college and workplace (Bayer, 2000; Nigris, 2004)
 The importance of continuous reflection on pedagogical practices
as well as the need for systemic approaches to professionalisation
has been acknowledged by the recent Communication on ECEC
(COMM(2011))
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

13. Toward a systemic approach to
competence
• A conceptualisation of competence as a set of knowledge,
skills and attitudes universally applicable is not appropriate to
the ECEC field
• Need to address competence within a multidimensional
framework which encompasses both individual and collective
components
• Need to address professional competence as a process that
constantly evolves in socio-cultural contexts rather than as a
once-for-all acquisition
> Redefining competence by adopting a systemic approach that
involves all layers of ECEC system
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care

14. Thank You!
arianna.lazzari2@unibo.it
CoRe
Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care