Exploring the Incumbent Early Childhood Workforce as Teachers Who Student and Students Who Teach: A Phenomenological Study

The professionalization efforts within the early childhood workforce continue to push for current workforce members to return to college to earn associate or baccalaureate degrees. Leaders of these efforts have called for higher education institutions to be flexible and supportive. At the same time, there is little research on the experiences of teachers returning to college, particularly those attending community colleges where most early childhood higher education programs exist. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of early childhood teachers returning to school to earn their Associate of Applied Science degree in Early Childhood while working in classroom settings. The study addressed two major questions: (1) What are the lived experiences of members of the incumbent workforce attending a community college for their Associate of Applied Science degree? and (2) What is the impact of degree completion on these individuals? Utilizing persistence and completion research, with a special focus on Laura Rendon's Validation Theory and Tara Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth, data were collected through two semi-structured interviews with six teachers attending the same college while working in an early childhood classroom. Teachers discussed their college experiences, work-life balance, and the supports that facilitated their success. They also reflected on the significance of their degree attainment for themselves and their families. Four themes emerged: changes in teachers' practices and identities, the support from social networks, the role of college relationships and curriculum, and the employer's role. The findings underscore the need for further exploration of the connection between college curriculum and persistence theory and highlights actionable steps higher education institutions can take to support teachers and their families. This research has important implications for institutions whose students juggle school, work, and various life responsibilities.