Teacher competencies sought by employers in early childhood education and care recruitment

Given the critical role that teachers play in children's learning and the effective delivery of early childhood education and care, research on early childhood education and care teacher recruitment has been limited. This study examines employer expectations for teacher competencies in early childhood education and care teacher recruitment by analysing 322 job advertisements for early childhood education and care teacher positions in Finland. A deductive qualitative content analysis was conducted using the teacher competencies defined in the multidimensional adapted process model of teaching as a framework. The findings highlight the prominence of relational skills, motivational orientation and personal dispositions in these advertisements. Considering the global challenges of teacher recruitment in rural areas and regional variation within Finland, the study also explores differences across municipalities and regions. Although some associations between municipality type (i.e. urban, semi-urban, rural) or regions and teacher competencies were found, no consistent patterns emerged to suggest systematic differences. The implications for developing competency definitions and teacher education are discussed.