An Analysis of Early Childhood Education Teachers' Competencies: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This article reviews research on Indonesian Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers' pedagogical, personality, social, and professional competency.  This study examines four factors of ECE teacher competence as perceived by 45 teachers. This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews to collect data. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The study found that ECE teachers stimulated early childhood development appropriately. The study also revealed several findings, including teachers' limited awareness of early childhood development theories, a lack of understanding of their ethical responsibilities, and various barriers to ECE teacher competence. This qualitative study highlights Indonesian ECE teachers' expertise and pedagogy. These findings can help create more effective and sustainable ECE teacher training programs. This study also encourages reflection on teachers' role in early childhood development and identifies areas that need more attention in Indonesia's early childhood education system.