Perceptions of a New Boundary-Crossing Professional in Early Childhood Education and Care

Abstract

There is a growing trend in which new professional roles complement traditional ones to bridge education, childcare, and social care. In the Netherlands, this is reflected in the introduction of the Pedagogical Educational Professional (PEP) as a boundary-crossing professional in pre-service education. In a mixed-methods study with a vignette-based survey (N = 422), followed by three focus group discussions (N = 14), we explored how staff from childcare and primary education, and Integrated Child Centers perceive this new professional. Findings show that perceptions of the PEP are highly context-dependent. Primary education professionals mainly recognized and valued the PEP as a pragmatic generalist providing flexible support, whereas childcare and integrated childcare professionals more strongly recognized boundary-crossing roles related to collaboration, continuity, innovation, and inclusion. These differences reflect challenges in developing knowledgeability through engagement, imagination, and alignment. Practically, supporting PEP integration requires creating “brave spaces” where professionals jointly negotiate roles, responsibilities, and expertise across organizational boundaries.