A Systematic Review of Early Years Degrees and Employment Pathways

Project description

Degree-level qualifications of those who work in early years services are recognised as pivotal to the quality of provision. However, despite the evidence pointing to their benefits, little is known about what constitutes a degree-level qualification for working in the early years. In England, the issue is compounded by the range of degrees available (e.g., BA, BEd and PGCE), with further variation in their content and composition.

Dr Verity Campbell-Barr (University of Plymouth) and Dr Sara Bonetti (Education Policy Institute), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, undertook research to analyse the full range of early years degrees and the respective employment trajectories of graduates. The research:

• Identified the range of degrees on offer and analysed the entry requirements, structure and content.
  
• Analysed students’ employment trajectories in relation to their type of degree.