How are Early Childhood Education students being prepared to confidently and competently transition from initial teacher education to qualified and registered employment?

Author: Allysha Mackie

Supervisors: Helen Mataiti Rachel McNamara

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20 November 2025

 

Mackie, A. (2025). How are Early Childhood Education students being prepared to confidently and competently transition from initial teacher education to qualified and registered employment? [Master's thesis, Otago Polytechnic]. Research Bank. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.7303

 

Abstract

As Early Childhood Education (ECE) students transition from initial teacher education (ITE) into a qualified position, they often face a "theory-to-practice gap" influenced by an ever-changing environment and evolving societal expectations. This research utilises a pragmatic methodology combining document analysis of academic and government literature, alongside Media documentation with an autoethnographic account of the author’s own professional experiences as a student, teacher, mentor, and lecturer. The findings identify critical knowledge gaps in Te Tiriti-based practices, inclusive pedagogy, and the development of teacher identity. The study argues that professional preparedness is an ongoing process of identity formation supported by relational trust and a culture of continuous learning rather than a final academic outcome. To address these gaps, the research provides practical outputs, including a reflective framework for lecturers and focused questioning strategies for students, aimed at fostering a more resilient and responsive ECE workforce.

 

Keywords

Early Childhood Education (ECE), teacher mentoring, initial teacher education, reflective practice, professional identity

 

Licence

A copy of the thesis is publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. This licence applies except where otherwise indicated, especially for images.