Leading by Example: an Examination of Early Education Foundation Degree Students Completing Research Dissertations.

The research was carried out in collaboration with student-practitioners following a part-time Foundation Degree (FdA) in Early Childhood Education and Care, (ECEC). It concentrates on the final phase of the degree programme which requires the presentation of a practice based inquiry (Dissertation) carried out within a workplace setting. The pedagogy underpinning the process is explained in terms of key teaching and learning strategies. A qualitative approach was adopted using content analysis, relational analysis and interviews with students to gather information. This revealed how the practice based focus of the dissertations encompassed both structural and process features of quality improvement. It exposed the value of collaborative engagement and how the process of practice based inquiry influenced and shaped personal and professional refinements to practice. Discussion considers how engaging in practice based inquiry incorporated a number of features associated with leading and developing early childhood practice.