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dimension as “it takes place in relation to the particular field in which the individual is
acting professionally” (Kronqvist & Estola, 1999, p. 221). The process takes place at
three levels. At the micro level, a teacher’s growth is in relation to a particular group of
children. At the meso level, teacher development takes place in relation to the child care
as an organization. Finally, at the macro level, the individual teacher develops in relation
to society at large (Kronqvist & Estola, 1999).
The work of Kronqvist and Estola (1999) suggests that professional development
can be seen as a tension between being and becoming. Is the early childhood teacher a
“static product of an assembly-line socialization process” or “continuously shaped by the
dynamics of social practice, social structure, and history”? The former approach posits a
repressive model of identity and pedagogy. The latter, recognizes identity and pedagogy
as discursively produced, incomplete and subject to change. This dialectic orientation to
professional development begins with the recognition that “multiple realities, voices and
discourses conjoin and clash in the process of coming to know something” (p. 222).
In examining early childhood educators in Finland at the beginner phase of
professional development, Kronqvist and Estola (1999) make the assumption that models
of professional development are learned and constructed socially. The respondents in the
study found the transition from pre-service education to life as a teacher was associated
with an attitude of survival. Contradictions between theory and practice, lack of
resources, and insecurities in working with parents were often cited as issues in the first
phase of their careers. The study concluded with a recommendation that lifelong learning
be a fundamental aspect of a teacher’s development and that support be given by more
experienced educators. A sufficient number of experiences should be made available to