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：儿童早期的行业在最近的时代已经从事过程专业化。随着参与专业相关的期望关系是这种过程的一个元素。另一个元素是一个期望伦理实践。本文认为，特别是如何表示的关系并表示道德有助于专业建设幼儿教师的身份。讨论了早期的方法童年经验的教师与父母的关系和同事。的可能性“职业化的新的建设是探索通过中断理所当然的话语实践所形成的师生关系与家长、教师与同事之间。从事这样的中断，一个后结构主义的理论框架来分析儿童早期文学作品，其构建幼儿教师的特殊身份。这种分析识别的二进制响应可能接受挑战的，或者，在工作中占主导地位的话语身份建构。一个这一挑战的结果是认为持对立统一在一起的可能性身份建构的工作。持对立统一在一起可能的新，社会和环境知情的方式来思考，说话和做的结构恒等式。表示的伦理关系构建坐落在这些新的专业的身份建构的可能性。

出处：《Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 》