Exploring Educator Presence as a Critical Dimension of Relational Pedagogy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1969) is regarded as highly influential in psychology, particularly in understanding early social and emotional development. It is considered the cornerstone in Developmental psychology research. Central to the theory is the concept of relational security. However, there is a paucity of research examining the lived experience of attachment for Early Years Educators (EYE) working with birth-to-three (BTT) children, in Early Learning and Care (ELC) settings in the Republic of Ireland. Nine female EYE in the Republic of Ireland provided their lived experience of attachment in ELC settings through semi-structured interviews. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was applied in seven stages using thematic analysis to develop personal experiential themes (PETS), and group experiential themes (GETS). Despite reporting challenges EYE managed to create loving relationships with the children. Two Group Experiential Themes (GETS) emerged, “Barriers to Attachment” and “Facilitators to Attachment. Nested within these GETS were twelve Personal Experiential Themes (PETS), which revealed that while EYE used instinctive patterns of attachment, some lacked knowledge of Attachment Theory and attachment-related concepts such as “presence”. Presence involves the capacity to understand children’s behaviour in terms of underlying mental states, through the application of intersubjectivity, attunement, emotional co-regulation, and synchronicity. Attachment-related concepts are not simply psychological theories, they offer a scientific explanation for why relationship-based practice matters, and provide a language for understanding what EYE are actually doing when they build trusting relationships with young children. Without that language EYE may still do excellent work intuitively, but with it they can become more intentional, reflective, and theoretically-informed in their practice, not just knowing that relationships matter, but understanding their key role in supporting socioemotional wellbeing and development in ELC settings. This research was novel as it explored the lived experience of attachment from the perspectives of a sample of the EYE. The original contribution of this study also lies in its conceptualisation of educator presence as a critical dimension of relational pedagogy. The findings demonstrated that the quality of pedagogical relationships is not only notable by the existence of relationships, but by the capacity for emotional presence, attentiveness, attunement, and emotional availability in everyday interactions. By making visible these dimensions of relationships, this study extended existing understandings of relational pedagogy, and offered a framework through which policy, training and practice can better support BTT children in ELC settings. The findings call for an audit of training content to ensure that the importance of relational security in ELC settings is explicitly foregrounded and highlighted as a central organising principle with regard to pedagogy for BTT children.