The construction of early childhood teachers' professional identities, then and now

Abstract

This paper explores the ideas of teacher educator Lillian de Lissa, who established the Kindergarten Training College in Adelaide in 1907 and spent the following 40 years in early childhood teacher education in Australia and the United Kingdom. I argue that de Lissa's enduring concern was the construction of early childhood teachers' professional identities. To this end, the curriculum, teaching methods and culture of the training colleges focused on the 'all round development' of the pre-service teacher- that is her head, heart and hand. These historical understandings are used to discuss early childhood teachers' professional identities in contemporary times.