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Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) workforce in ECE sector

Thank you very much for participating in this survey

Survey Consent

I agree to participate in this study, with the understanding that: 

  • My participation is entirely voluntary
  • My contribution is anonymous
  • Information concerning my identity will not be required, and 
  • I may withdraw at any time without any consequences.  

I understand that the anonymous research data collected via this survey will form part of a PhD thesis and may be published in professional publication and/or presented at conferences.

I am 18 years of age and older.

In preservation of anonymity, I understand that no name or signature is required of me to give consent.

By selecting the ‘I  give consent to participate in this research’ option below I am agreeing to the above and also to participate in this project.  

 

 

 

CONSENT and ELIGIBILITY

Macquarie School of Education

Faculty of Arts

MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY   NSW   2109

Email: sene.gide@hdr.mq.edu.au

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Participants Information Sheet

 

My name is Sene Gide, and I am conducting this research as the second of three phases of my PhD in the School of Education at Macquarie University. My supervisors are  Professor Sandie Wong, Professor Frances Press, and Dr Belinda Davis.   

I would like to invite you to participate in this research project, described below. 

Research Project

A study to explore the leadership experiences of Early Childhood  Education (ECE) directors from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds in high quality ECE settings – Phase 2

Aim of the Research

Anecdotally, the Australian early childhood sector has a highly multicultural workforce. Yet there is a noticeable lack of data and research concerning cultural diversity in the Australian ECE workforce. Developing a richer understanding of the status, experiences, and contributions of CALD educators would enable the sector to recognise and support the potential benefits of such a workforce for children and families and facilitate social cohesion in Australia. Therefore, the aim of Phase 2 of this study (consisting of a survey) is to collect demographic data regarding the CALD workforce and the inclusive practices in centre-based ECE services in Australia. 

Survey

The survey:

  • will be conducted online using the Lime survey platform

  • should be completed by an ECE director/nominated supervisor, assistant director, or acting director

  • will take between 15-20 minutes to complete

  • will be open until 26th May 2023.

  • contains a second survey link to protect anonymity of participants who wish to:

    • participate in Phase 3 and/or

    • enter a draw to win one of six $50 gift vouchers. 

Only one survey per ECE service should be completed.

Incentive

You may wish to go into a draw to win one of the six $50 gift vouchers as a small thank-you gift for your participation. There is a second link at the end of the main survey for you to provide your contact details to enter the draw. As the main survey and second survey will be saved separately, your survey responses will not be linked to your contact details.

Confidentiality

The main survey is anonymous. The main survey and second survey will be saved separately. Therefore, your responses to the main survey will not be linked to your contact details provided in the second survey. No service/organisation or person completing this survey will be identified in any data analysis or in any publication reporting the results of the survey. If you provide your name and contact details in the second survey for the future research or to go into the draw your details will be saved in a password-protected computer and will not be shared outside of the research team.

Participation is voluntary

Please understand that your participation in this project is entirely voluntary and I respect your right to stop participating at any time without any consequences or any explanation by ceasing to answer questions. If you submit the survey without fully answering all the questions, the questions that you have answered will still be included in our data analysis.

Questions

The survey questions will not be of a sensitive nature; rather they are general and will enable me to gather some demographic data regarding the CALD workforce in the ECE sector.

Use of Information

The information from the main survey will be used for my PhD research. The collected data and information from this survey may also be used in academic journal articles, conference presentations and professional publications. As the main survey is anonymous there is no risk of your being identified in any of these publications.

If you participate in the second survey for future research, the contact details/personal information you provide will only be used to invite you to participate in Phase 3 of this PhD research. If you are interested in entering the draw to win one of the six gift vouchers, your contact details will also be used for the draw.  

The collected data via the main survey and second survey will not be disclosed or shared with anyone other than the research team.

Storage of Information

The collected data will be stored in my password-protected computer, and any hard copies of the documents will be stored in a locked cabinet in my office.

Disposal of information

All the data collected in this survey will be kept for a minimum of five years after publishing the results. The soft copy of the data will be disposed of by deleting all relevant computer files, and all hard copy materials will be disposed of by shredding them.   

Ethics Approval

This project has been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research and Ethics Committee as Phase 2 of the PhD research.

Macquarie University Ethics Approval No: 520221079837039

Researchers Contact Details

If you require any further information regarding this research project, please contact me via sene.gide@hdr.mq.edu.au or one of my supervisors:

Complaints

If you have any complaints or reservations about any ethical aspect of your participation in this research, you may contact the Committee through the Director, Research Ethics & Integrity

Phone: (02) 9850 7854;

Email ethics@mq.edu.au.

Any complaint you make will be treated in confidence and investigated, and you will be informed of the outcome.

Thank you for helping us with this project and for your commitment to quality early childhood education in Australia.

Regards,

Sene Gide

PhD candidate, Macquarie University

(This question is mandatory)
 
What is your current role? 
You are not giving consent so will not be eligible to complete this survey. Thank you. 
CALD DESCRIPTION

Please read the below definition of CALD before you start answering the questions. 

For this survey, a CALD person will be defined as someone who:

(a) was born overseas (first-generation CALD) or had at least one of their parents born overseas (second-generation CALD) and

(b) does not have English as their first language; and

(c) may have cultural and/or religious values different to the mainstream community and First Nation Indigenous community.

Please write here if you have any comments on the description of a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) person used for this survey.

CENTRE
This set of questions will ask you general information about your centre/ECE service. 
What type of service are you working in?

Which state or territory is your service located in? 

 

What rating did your service receive in its last Assessment and Rating visit? 

 

Is the area in which your ECE service located considered
WORKFORCE

This section has questions related to your workforce including both CALD background and non-CALD background employees in all qualifications and positions.  

 

What is the total number of employees (including full-time, part-time, and casuals) at your ECE service? Please type in numbers. 

 

Do you have any permanent employees from CALD backgrounds?

How many of your permanent employees from CALD backgrounds have the following qualifications? Please type in numbers. 

How many of your permanent CALD employees are employed in the following positions? Please type in numbers. 

 

 

Do you have any casual employees from CALD backgrounds that you call upon regularly?
How many of your casual employees from CALD backgrounds have the following qualifications? Please type in numbers. 
How many of your casual employees from CALD backgrounds are employed in the following positions? Please type in numbers. 

What are the countries of origin of your permanent CALD employees? Seven of the top 10 countries based on the country of birth of the Australian population are listed here (ABS, 2021). The other 3 countries are not included as they are English-speaking countries. Please type in numbers

 

INCLUSIVE PRACTICES
This section contains questions about the importance of inclusive practices in your ECE service. 

How people feel about diversity and inclusion in their workplace can have an impact on employees' engagement and performance. Thinking of your ECE service, how would you rate the following statements?

 

 

 

 

My ECE service values cultural diversity within its employees.
My ECE service invests time, energy, and funds into building a culturally diverse workforce.
The process for career advancement/promotion is transparent to all (including CALD) employees.
Employees from CALD backgrounds have equitable opportunities to advance their careers at my ECE service.
A culturally diverse workplace is beneficial for all stakeholders
A culturally diverse workplace has its challenges
In the past 18 months how many of your CALD employees have been supported to: 
enrol in a higher qualification degree
gain a higher qualification
move to a position of greater responsibility (e.g. educational leader, team leader, etc.)?
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about how your CALD employees are supported in your organisation/service?

In your opinion what can be done to improve culturally inclusive practices in the Australian ECE sector? 

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?
RESPONDENT
The questions in this section are about the respondent/person who is completing this survey. 
What is your highest qualification?
How many years have you been working in:  
Are you from a CALD background?
Would you be interested to participate in either / both of the following:
 
Continue without answering Answer question