In a webinar, the researchers from the Possible Me project, Professor Claire McLachlan, Associate Professor Anna Fletcher, and  Dr Vicki Hargraves, shared findings from their research. The Possible Me project focused on the development of an evidence base of experiences which are effective for inspiring children’s career aspirations and their purpose for learning.

The research, conducted in early childhood settings in Australia, explored children’s perceptions of workplaces and their potential role in the world of work in early childhood, and aimed to support emergent aspirations and expectations of participation in learning that leads to rewarding engagement in the world of work. The project emerged from a literature review which highlighted the need to start talking with children about future education and career paths not in high school, but much, much earlier, in early childhood. It evolved to include understanding the relationship between engaging in education and moving into a particular career.

Here are some of the key points from the webinar:

Without support and guidance, it can be very difficult for children to gain a realistic idea about what might be possible in terms of future education and career possibilities. The research found that children’s ideas about career aspirations can actually become fixed quite early on (often by the age of 7), and this has an impact on the jobs they end up in. For example, if a child lives in a community where every generation of their family has worked in the local power station, that limits their conceptions about the career possibilities open to them. This can be particularly important for children in areas where there are high levels of poverty and unemployment, whose direct experience of the world of work can be limited. Being aware of this is an important equity concern, and teaching children that they have agency and can make choices is one of the most valuable things that teachers can do.

Intentional teaching around the world of work, and contextualising it in existing curriculum areas, can be really useful. One way to do this is to intentionally teach vocabulary related to careers and the world of work. For example, one child interviewed for the research talked about the fact that his father ‘fixed cars’ but didn’t know the word ‘mechanic’. Similarly, dramatic and role-play can be valuable for teaching children about a very broad range of professions, beyond the usual examples that tend to arise, such as teacher and firefighter. For example, in play involving hospital settings, teachers can encourage child to consider the many roles within a hospital, such as cleaner, phlebotomist, and x-ray technician.

An important theme throughout the project was teaching children about the value and worthwhile nature of work, and that it can be fun and enjoyable, in addition to seeing work as a source of income. Another important aspect of this was holding high expectations in regard to children’s career aspirations, and never communicating a sense that any job was beyond the capacity of any child. These high expectations were also communicated to parents in discussions about their children’s play.

The research found that effective pedagogical strategies for talking to children about the world of work do not different greatly from pedagogical approaches used in other curriculum areas. For example, using children’s interests is a great place to start, as is using incidental conversations as an occasion to extend children’s thinking. For example, one centre spent time discussing the weather during mat time each day, so they extended this existing practice by including discussion about the science of meteorology and the job of forecasting the weather. Being thoughtful about curriculum and what it can offer children, and making use of teachable moments, are as effective in relation to teaching children about careers and the world of the work as they are in other aspects of early childhood practice.