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Challenges to Effective Early Years Practitioner Professional Development in Disadvantaged Communities and Strategies for Improvement

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Title: Challenges to Effective Early Years Practitioner Professional Development in Disadvantaged Communities and Strategies for Improvement
Language: English
Authors: Okeke Chinedu Ifedi (ORCID 0000-0002-9959-8019)
Source: Journal of Education and e-Learning Research. 2026 13(1):131-139.
Availability: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group. 244 Fifth Avenue Suite D42, New York, NY 10001. Fax: 212-591-6094; e-mail: info@asianonlinejournals.com; Web site: http://www.asianonlinejournals.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 9
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Faculty Development, Early Childhood Education, Child Care Centers, Early Childhood Teachers, Economically Disadvantaged, Transformative Learning, Foreign Countries, Barriers, Program Effectiveness, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Salaries, Government Role, Access to Education
Geographic Terms: South Africa
ISSN: 2518-0169
2410-9991
Abstract: In recent years, practitioner professional development has garnered increasing attention from researchers, resulting in a substantial body of empirical studies from around the world. This paper aims to contribute to the clarification of the concept of professional development and increase knowledge accordingly. Jack Mezirow's transformative learning theory provided the theoretical underpinning for the study. It examined the challenges that impede effective professional development provisioning and the strategies for capacitating the 211 practitioners spread across 45 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres. The setting was the communities in the participating district. The design employed convergent mixed methods research, enabling the use of a questionnaire instrument supplemented by semi-structured interviews. I used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 software to analyse the quantitative data, and the results of the means and standard deviations obtained answered the research sub-questions. The qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results and findings indicate that numerous constraints exist in providing effective professional development for practitioners. An analysis of practitioners' responses identified several strategies to facilitate the provision of their professional development, meeting their needs. I argue that mitigating the challenges confronting community-based practitioners is crucial to achieving quality ECCE, which in turn contributes to sustainable community development.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1507444
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Challenges to Effective Early Years Practitioner Professional Development in Disadvantaged Communities and Strategies for Improvement
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Okeke+Chinedu+Ifedi%22">Okeke Chinedu Ifedi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9959-8019">0000-0002-9959-8019</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Education+and+e-Learning+Research%22"><i>Journal of Education and e-Learning Research</i></searchLink>. 2026 13(1):131-139.
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  Data: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group. 244 Fifth Avenue Suite D42, New York, NY 10001. Fax: 212-591-6094; e-mail: info@asianonlinejournals.com; Web site: http://www.asianonlinejournals.com
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Care+Centers%22">Child Care Centers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Childhood+Teachers%22">Early Childhood Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Economically+Disadvantaged%22">Economically Disadvantaged</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transformative+Learning%22">Transformative Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Salaries%22">Teacher Salaries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Government+Role%22">Government Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Education%22">Access to Education</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink>
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  Data: In recent years, practitioner professional development has garnered increasing attention from researchers, resulting in a substantial body of empirical studies from around the world. This paper aims to contribute to the clarification of the concept of professional development and increase knowledge accordingly. Jack Mezirow's transformative learning theory provided the theoretical underpinning for the study. It examined the challenges that impede effective professional development provisioning and the strategies for capacitating the 211 practitioners spread across 45 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres. The setting was the communities in the participating district. The design employed convergent mixed methods research, enabling the use of a questionnaire instrument supplemented by semi-structured interviews. I used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 software to analyse the quantitative data, and the results of the means and standard deviations obtained answered the research sub-questions. The qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results and findings indicate that numerous constraints exist in providing effective professional development for practitioners. An analysis of practitioners' responses identified several strategies to facilitate the provision of their professional development, meeting their needs. I argue that mitigating the challenges confronting community-based practitioners is crucial to achieving quality ECCE, which in turn contributes to sustainable community development.
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 9
        StartPage: 131
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Care Centers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Childhood Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Economically Disadvantaged
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transformative Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Salaries
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      – SubjectFull: Government Role
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      – SubjectFull: Access to Education
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      – SubjectFull: South Africa
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      – TitleFull: Challenges to Effective Early Years Practitioner Professional Development in Disadvantaged Communities and Strategies for Improvement
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