Becoming, being and unbecoming an early childhood educator: a phenomenological case study of teacher attrition

This article reports on a phenomenological case study that explored the blossoming and wilting of an early childhood educator's career commitment and her eventual decision to leave the field. Spanning a 7-year period, the study employs representation and analysis of metaphors as heuristic tools to illuminate the lived experience of becoming, being and unbecoming an early childhood educator. The study highlights the need to explore further the interplay between personal, relational and contextual influences if we are to develop a more comprehensive understanding of staff attrition. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.