Questionnaire Results

What is the purpose of this research?

The research aims to contribute positively to knowledge and understanding of GTCS-registered teachers within the early years sector in Scotland. Previous research undertaken within Scotland details the importance of teacher deployment within the sector, in spite of an on-going decline in teacher employment. In this climate of decline, I wish to further extend knowledge of who our teaching professionals are within the sector. To do this, the study will investigate early years teachers from their own perspective. A nationally available questionnaire to generate data which focusses on the experience of GTCS-registered teachers working with children aged 3 – 5. The study will explore the views of teachers with direct experience of teaching in the early years across Scotland, highlighting a very personal and contextualised experience.

Questionnaire

Many thanks to those who participated in the research questionnaire. I was overwhelmed with the support received, a total of 88 questionnaires were submitted.

Responses were received from across all regional improvement collaboratives in Scotland, and included teachers employed within the early years sector and those now in different stages or careers.

Outline of Questionnaire data obtained – visual representation

We asked if teachers felt that the role of an early years teacher is unique. If so, then we asked, what 3 things did teachers feel were unique about the role? The majority of responses identified the role as unique, with a visual representation of the responses shown below:

Click the image above to view an interactive version.

We then asked what 3 skills or attributes that teachers felt an Early Years teacher would need? A visual representation of the responses are shown below:

Click the image above to view an interactive version.

We asked, as an early years teacher what is your time spent on? Responses indicated:

Next Stage in the research process

The next stage of the research will involve individual conversations and reflection on the experience of being an early years teacher. Within this stage I have planned to speak with 10 teachers. Over the next few months I will begin reaching out to those who completed the questionnaire and indicated that they would be interested in hearing more about this stage.

I am extremely grateful to everyone who indicated an interest, I was overwhelmed with support. Due to the second phase including two conversations and a period of creative reflection, it won’t be possible to reach out to everyone to become involved in the second stage. But I am very thankful for everyone’s support, and I look forward to sharing more results from my research as it progresses.

Researcher contact details:

Laura Gilbertson – Educational Doctorate Student – laura.gilbertson@strath.ac.uk

Chief Investigator details:

Professor Kate Wall – kate.wall@strath.ac.uk – 141 St. James Road, Glasgow, G4 0LT

Dr. Rebekah Sims – Rebekah.sims@strath.ac.uk – 141 St. James Road, Glasgow, G4 0LT

This research was granted ethical approval by the University of Strathclyde’s School of Education Ethics Committee.