Enabling early childhood care and education (ECCE) managers and practitioners to navigate the complexities of the function shift: A PALAR approach

Abstract

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is a crucial phase in a child's life that lays the foundation for holistic development. When nurtured well, it enables children to prosper throughout life and helps them develop into adults who contribute positively to the socio-economic development of the country. Yet, early childhood education remains one of the least developed sectors, characterised by poor infrastructure, underqualified staff, a lack of specialised programmes, limited access to quality services, and a lack of monitoring and support. To bring about improvement in the quality of and access to ECCE, a shift of responsibility for the function from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education took place in April 2022. This function shift aims to professionalise the ECCE sector, which is largely privately owned and informal. However, those that it affected the most, the ECCE managers and practitioners, were largely unprepared. This study explores their experiences related to the function shift and attempts to help them navigate the changes it requires. I approached this study through participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) methodology. Through PALAR principles, I aimed to establish a collaborative relationship with ECCE managers and practitioners in a semi-rural context. I recruited seven participants who were working in the field, two practitioners and five managers of ECD centres. We formed an action learning set and met weekly for two hours at a time. Data was collected through a combination of transcripts of our discussions and creative and visual methods, including drawings, collages and model building. I also kept a reflective diary that I used throughout the study to reflect on the process and progress, and my own learning. These various methods enabled participants to express themselves effectively in a playful and interactive manner. Guided by critical action learning theory, participants worked collaboratively to identify and navigate the complexities of the function shift. Five key themes emerged through the two PALAR cycles: 1) Participants' lack of knowledge, uncertainty and resistance towards the function shift, 2) Lack of support and training for ECCE managers and practitioners, 3) Emotional and financial challenges, 4) Competitive tendencies delaying collaboration and progress, and 5) Recognising the potential of collaborating to navigate the complexities of the function shift. This last theme emerged in cycle two and enabled them to develop specific actions to address the problems identified in cycle one. These actions included 1) the formation of support groups and promotion of teamwork, 2) promoting stakeholder involvement, 3) ensuring compliance and financial stability, 4) conducting further research, and 5) improving service delivery. Participants collaboratively generated a plan of action with timelines. This included an establishment of a hub that they named Rekopantswe. Participants iv established this hub to enable each other to navigate the complexities of the function shift, and further maximise the benefits thereof. Through this hub, participants can collectively advocate for relevant ECCE sector support to promote sustainability in the sector. This study contributes to improving the practice of ECCE and informs policy in that it highlights the need improved communication from government. It indicates the importance of practitioners forming communities of practice to collaboratively address sector challenges for equitable and inclusive support and monitoring. The study further showed how action learning can enable practitioners and managers to work together to learn with and from each other to support continuous professional development.