The ultimate responsibility? The analysis of the position of special education teachers when the child is left without support in early childhood education

Abstract

<p>In this paper, we investigate the discursive positionings of early childhood special education teachers (ECSETs) in situations where they describe challenges in organizing the support for a child in interprofessional collaboration. Relaying on research on occupational well-being of teachers, we state that such situations where professionals experience insurmountable challenges in organizing proper support for a child are potentially burdensome to ECSETs. However, because of ECSETs unique and ambivalent role as part of inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) system in Finland, they are in a particular risk to get burdened by the increasing demands of coordinating and organizing support. In the study, we utilized the writings of 55 ECSETs, collected using empathy-based method and analysed them with position analysis methodology to investigate how ECSETs position themselves in such challenging situations. As a result, we show how ECSETs positions include (1) reflective controller of coping, (2) burdened support organizer, and (3) self-blaming survivor. As a conclusion, we illustrate that while ECSETs hold no official or managerial positions in ECEC community, they strongly position themselves as the ones ultimately responsible for supporting the child but also other ECEC professionals, as well as maintaining their own wellbeing and coping in difficult situations.</p>