From March 22 to 25, 2026, the 30th Congress of the German Educational Research Association (DGfE) will take place at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU). As part of the congress, Nicole Voss, Dr. Theresia Hummel, Elisabeth Resa, and Prof. Dr. Katharina Kluczniok will organize a joint working group entitled “Turning Points in Professional Practice? – Early Childhood Professionals in the Context of Quality Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care Centers.”

The working group brings together three thematically interrelated contributions:

• The first paper examines the significance of early childhood professionals’ biographical experiences for their pedagogical practice in early childhood education and care centers (Voss & Sideris).

• The second paper analyzes the role of leadership strategies of ECEC center directors for the goal orientations of early childhood professionals (Resa & Kluczniok).

• The third paper focuses on interaction quality in so-called “doorstep interactions” (informal exchanges during drop-off and pick-up times), which are examined in detail (Hummel, Prokupek, Pickardt & Anders).

The contributions open up differentiated perspectives on professional demands in the field of early childhood education and invite professional discussion.