Early Childhood Teacher Self-Efficacy in Rural Australian Contexts

This pilot study examines how rural New South Wales early childhood teachers and educators develop and maintain self-efficacy for implementing quality practices in their communities. While recent Australian research demonstrates that rural teachers face unique professional challenges including limited professional learning access, professional isolation, and irrelevant professional development (Elston, 2019; Kingsford-Smith et al., 2023), this research has focused primarily on school teachers. Early childhood educators and teachers working with children from birth to five years remain an underserved cohort requiring research attention, despite the critical importance of teacher self-efficacy for quality practice and workforce retention (Lipscomb et al., 2022; Nolan et al., 2025).

This research addresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Rural communities face significant early childhood education and care access challenges, with 24% of Australian regions classified as "childcare deserts" (Mitchell Institute, 2024). When rural families cannot access quality ECEC, cascading negative effects impact family wellbeing, economic participation, and community sustainability (Rogers et al., 2025). Confident, self-efficacious early childhood teachers are essential for creating sustainable rural ECEC services that retain families in rural communities.

The study employs an online self-administered questionnaire (12-week data collection period) adapting the teacher self-efficacy scale from the NSW Rural and Regional Education Project for early childhood contexts. This pilot study will test instrument validity, examine recruitment feasibility, and generate preliminary findings to inform a larger research program examining rural early childhood workforce sustainability. Findings will contribute to understanding how to support rural EC teacher confidence, informing policies and professional learning strategies that strengthen quality early learning access for all Australian children.