"Forearmed with professional awareness"

Preschool teachers' experience of their role as a vanguard during a pandemic

Abstract

The role of preschools is multifaceted and changes according to societal needs at any given time. Preschools are the first school level in Iceland, and they also serve parents who want to know that their children are in safe hands while they work. In preschool work, care and education are intertwined, and therefore, the work of preschool teachers, among other things, involves a very close relationship with every child (Hallet, 2016). During the pandemic from 2020 to 2022, Icelandic society has found how important preschools are in various aspects. At the beginning of the epidemic, restrictions were placed on schooling, which, inter alia, applied to the preschool level so that in most municipalities, children and staff attended every other day (Embætti landlæknis [The Directorate of Health], 2020). Soon, these restrictions were lifted, and sometimes, it needed to be clarified which rules applied at the preschool level or how it would be possible to enforce what had been decided. During the pandemic, it became clear how vital preschools are in the Icelandic society. Overnight, preschool teachers and other preschool educators felt as if they were in the vanguard, where preschool activities were kept going in uncertain times, albeit with certain limitations, and staff could do little to protect themselves from the virus in their work. In the long run, preschools had to be open so the health system and economy would not be paralysed. This meant that the preschool staff had to report to work. Preschool staff, therefore, faced a new role in the pandemic.

This study aims to examine the effect of restrictions on preschool work due to the Covid-19 epidemic on the experience of preschool directors and department heads in their vanguard role. Data was collected through 11 individual interviews with preschool principals and department heads, who were asked how the pandemic affected their work and professionalism.

The findings show that preschool principals felt that preschool staff were vulnerable vanguards during Covid-19 who could not protect themselves against infection due to the closeness with the children required in the job. When the managers were asked about their experience in the front line, mixed feelings were revealed. Some felt their education needed to prepare them for this new role, which was reflected in insecurity and uncertainty. Anger regarding the prioritisation of vaccinations and disrespect towards the profession was expressed in the interviews, as preschool staff received vaccinations a few months after vaccinations started, and they felt unprotected and vulnerable at work. While other school levels were closed and others in the vanguard could use protective clothing and keep their distance, the interviewees felt this did not apply to the preschool. Staff felt vulnerable and could not protect themselves from the virus.

The findings also revealed that the interviewees experienced how vital preschool is as a link in the community. Some interviewees felt that preschool’s role as the first level of schooling was subordinate, but all agreed on its importance in society. The findings showed evidence of tension among preschool teachers regarding the educational and service roles of the preschool. Many people find it difficult to combine the two and see education and service as having one and the same role, rather than two separate functions. These discussions need to be opened up, and those involved in educating preschool teachers are aware of preparing prospective preschool teachers for this interwoven role.

The professional education of preschool teachers was clearly revealed when the societal role of preschool and other people’s attitudes towards it were discussed. The findings also showed the importance of maintaining the professionalism of preschool teachers and the value of paying attention to the role of the preschool as an educational institution. That role does not yield to a service role in the working world.

The results highlight the importance to preschool teachers of having their expertise recognised. They feel such recognition is essential, and it is time for society to see their professionalism as necessary to the education of young children and not merely as a custodial resource. The interviewees’ experience was that in the era of Covid-19, the societal role of preschool has only focused on service to the working world and parents, not on children’s education. Many felt disappointed as if they had gone back in time and the development of the past decades had evaporated. However, it is worth noting that the administrators in this study used their expertise to deal with new, unprecedented situations guided by the children’s needs.