Louise Thomas

Abstract：The early childhood sector has in recent times engaged in processes of professionalization. The expectations associated with engagement in professional relationships is one element of such processes. Another element is an expectation of ethical practice. The paper considers how particular representations of relationships and representations of ethics contribute to the construction of the professional identities of early childhood teachers. Discussion is presented of the ways early childhood teachers experience relationships with parents and colleagues. Possibilities of ‘new’ constructions of professionalism are explored through disruptions to taken-for-granted discursive practices which shape relationships between teachers and parents and between teachers and colleagues. To engage in such disruptions, a theoretical framework of post structuralism is used to analyze early childhood literature, which works to construct particular identities for early childhood teachers. This analysis identifies possible challenges to a binary response of either acceptance of, or resistance to, dominant discourses at work in identity constructions. One outcome of this challenge is to argue the possibility of holding opposites together in the work of identity construction. Holding opposites together makes possible new, socially and contextually informed ways to think, speak and do constructions of these identities. Representation of ethics as a relational construct is located within these new possibilities of professional identity constructions.

Key words：Early childhood teachers’ professional identity, constructions, ethics

总  结：某些部件的早期儿童教育幼儿教师为成员的文学地位一个专业组（艾比克和菲尼，2003；克里斯坦森2010；莫拉夫希克，纽曼与柏尼兹，2005；奥斯古德，2006）。本鉴定专业利用各种要素是什么这意味着确定的专业。这些措施包括：资格，关系，自主性（虽然这在更换次数）和坚持问责制一种道德规范。采用预期的行为等同于这些元素在早期的童年教育和护理（ECEC）在最近的几十年里，部门有助于本行业的专业化（艾特肯&甘乃迪，2007；纽曼和柏尼兹，2005）。我的兴趣是本文研究专业关系有助于建设专业的幼儿教育工作者的身份，和有特定结构的身份可能会看到影响表示的伦理。本文研究的关系是师生关系父母，老师和同事之间。