paper submitted for RECE conference 2011

1. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Names and affiliations of the presenters
Arianna Lazzari, PhD
Department of Educational Science, Bologna University – ITALY
Manuela Loforte, early childhood teacher
Scuola dell’infanzia “Mario Rocca” – Bologna, ITALY
and president of the “Associazione Frame”, association for the social promotion of childhood rights
Addresses
Arianna Lazzari
c/o studio 43 – Dipartimento di scienze dell’Educazione
Università di Bologna
Via Filippo Re, 6
40126 Bologna - ITALY
e-mail: arianna.lazzari2@unibo.it
ari_lazzari@hotmail.com
Manuela Loforte
c/o Associazione Frame
via Lame, 2
40122 Bologna - ITALY
e-mail: info@associazioneframe.it
web-site: www.associazioneframe.it/index.html
Title and brief description of the session in relation to the conference theme
Longing for future: ethic, politics and professionalism in early childhood education
The attempt to liberate hopes for a new human culture of childhood
is the reason of our work. A reason which is grounded on a
deep longing for future and humankind.
(Loris Malaguzzi, 1993, p. 110)
The first part of the presentation will discuss the findings of a recently concluded PhD project that
covers the topic of professionalism in early childhood education. The issue of early childhood
professionalism has become increasingly important in the academic debate over the last decade
as it is documented by a growing body of research published on this topic both nationally (Contini
& Manini, 2007; Bondioli & Ferrari, 2004) and internationally (Dalli & Urban, 2010; Urban, 2009;
Peeters, 2008).
This study investigates the topic of professionalism as a multilevel and multifaceted phenomenon
that involves socio-cultural issues (Dalli, 2010). Sixty teachers working in state, municipal and
private scuole dell’infanzia (ECE institutions attended by children aged 3 to 6) within the province
of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) took part to the research that was carried out using a
qualitative methodology (hermeneutic phenomenography). Teachers’ perspectives on their
professionalism were therefore analysed within a multi-dimensional framework that gave account
of the socio-cultural context that contributed to shape teachers’ perceptions over time. By exploring
the relations between micro- and macro- politics from an historical perspective, an in-depth
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2. analysis of the issues related to early childhood professionalism was carried out and current critical
issues identified.
The findings of the study highlight that teachers conceptualisations of their professionalism – that
are grounded in the values of collegiality, participation and experimentation – have been shaped by
a culture of childhood that was locally developed by building upon a tradition of civic engagement
and political activism committed to social justice. Through collegiality, participation and
experimentation teachers’ professionalism is continuously enhanced at team level within ECE
institutions. However from the findings of the study it also emerges that these values are
challenged nowadays by recent neoliberal influence and changed social conditions. By drawing on
the analysis of the economical, political and socio-cultural conditions that allowed the flourishing of
culture of childhood within public ECE institutions, I argue that the political and financial measures
undertaken by the current government within the recent educational reform are undermining the
conditions for the professionalization of teachers’ work within scuola dell’infanzia. The discourses
of individualism, objective evaluation and efficient management underpinning the recent
educational reform in fact are in stark contradiction with teachers’ conceptions of their educational
role which is constructed through collegial work, reflection on their practices and ethical
commitment towards children, parents and wider society. Through the analysis of the themes
emerged from teachers’ narratives I reconceptualise early childhood professionalism in the light of
the ethic of care (Tronto, 1993), as way to contest the managerial steering of educational policy
under the current government. Finally, I propose a re-conceptualisation of professional
development within ECE institutions as a space of resistance, in which the authoritarian logic
imposed by governmental policies in name of economic necessities can be contrasted by collective
actions driven by pedagogical choices and aimed to the furthering of democracy within local
communities. The next part of the presentation will explore a case in which these initiatives are
currently being undertaken in practice.
The second part of the presentation looks at how a small group of people, keen to support and
further develop children’s rights, decided to create an association to do something tangible for
children, their early education and their families, in light of the fact that current government policies
fail to provide adequate support in this area. The association, created a year ago in Bologna (Italy),
is called F.R.A.M.E., an acronym of the following key words: Families, Research,
Antidiscrimination, Children and Education; all of which are encompassed in the one “frame”. Its
founders are teachers, lawyers, psychologists and family mediators, whose aim is to provide free
educational initiatives for children and free training opportunities for adults. FRAME provides
psychological support and legal advice to families, as well as organizing conferences, seminars
and workshops for teachers.
These last initiatives consist of practical workshops created to give teachers the opportunity to
share their knowledge and expertise with each other, meaning that everyone leaves the sessions
with new ideas to take into their school. Interestingly, these workshops are set up by teachers
themselves; in other words ‘by teachers for teachers’. This collaborative sharing of skills with
colleagues means everyone can contribute and everyone can learn something new. It’s essentially
a sort of self-managed training in which every teacher can take part to learn or offer something.
The idea came about due to the need for training that was not only theoretical, but also practical.
These initiative took place in a context in which there was a strong demand for this kind of training
opportunities, that involve an active reflection of participants on practical activities to carry out with
children in scuola dell’infanzia. Teachers are genuinely interested in improving their
professionalism and further developing their educational and didactic skills but there are limited
opportunities to do so. Within these workshops every teacher has an area of enhanced subject
knowledge or a particular area of interest and it shares her expertise with colleagues.
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3. FRAME’s workshops are having a real impact on teachers who have participated thus far and they
prove that if they want to develop professionally, even without certain government policies in
place, it can be done by working together. Fortunately FRAME is not alone. Many other
associations support it, and it’s slowly becoming more known, also within local political
administration, so one can hope it will start to receive even greater support in the future, and many
other initiatives will become possible. A potential ambition for the association would be, for
example, to hold workshops for teachers including those from different countries, so as to create
an international exchange of skills and ideas.
References
Bondioli, A. & Ferrari, M. (2004) Educare la professionalità degli operatori per l’infanzia. Bergamo:
Junior.
Contini, M. G. & Manini M. (2007) La cura in educazione: tra famiglie e servizi. Roma: Carrocci.
Dalli, C. (2010) “Toward the re-emergence of a critical ecology of the early childhood profession in
New-Zealand.” Contemporary Issues in early childhood, 11 (2), 61-74.
Dalli, C. & Urban, M. (2010) Professionalism in early childhood education and care: international
perspectives. London: Routledge.
Malaguzzi, L. (1993) “La storia, le idee, la cultura.” In Edwards, C., Gandini, L. & Forman G. (1993)
I cento linguaggi dei bambini. Bergamo: Junior.
Peeters, J. (2008) The Construction of a new Profession. A European perspective on
professionalism in ECEC. Amsterdam: SWP.
Tronto, J. (1993) Moral Boundaries: a political argument for an ethic of care. New York: Routledge.
Urban, M. (2009) Early childhood Education in Europe. Achievements, Challenges and
Possibilities.Education International.
Summary abstract
This presentation discusses the findings of a recently concluded doctoral research that investigates
the topic of early childhood professionalism. Sixty teachers working in state, municipal and private
pre-schools within Bologna province took part to the study that was carried out using a qualitative
methodology. Teachers’ perspectives on their professionalism were analysed within a multi-
dimensional framework giving account of the socio-cultural context that contributed to shape
teachers’ perceptions over time. By exploring the relations between micro- and macro- politics from
an historical perspective, an in-depth analysis of the issues related to early childhood
professionalism was carried out and current critical issues identified.
Session type
30 minute presentation organised as follow:
- 20 minutes presentation by Arianna Lazzari (PhD)
- 10 minutes presentation by Manuela Loforte (early childhood teacher)
Provisions for involving audience participation
- Handouts and Power-point (first part)
- Video-documentation produced during teachers’ self-organised workshops (second part)
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