Reflection Through The Other: An Exploration Of How Critical Reflection Groups Impact Upon The Professional Development And Professional Identity Of Early Years Practitioners

This thesis originates from my professional journey from Early Years practitioner to consultant, my work with practitioners, and my experience as a doctoral student. It explores how Early Years practitioners construct and renegotiate their professional identities through participation in reflective discussion groups. The research is situated within a Lacanian psychoanalytic framework, drawing on concepts such as the Mirror Stage, the Other, Discourse, Fantasy, Desire, Drive, and Lack to conceptualise identity as fragmented, relational, and always in process. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) design was used, with reflective workshops co-designed alongside practitioners to create collective spaces for dialogue, critical reflection, and inquiry. Findings indicate that participation in reflective groups helped practitioners confront tensions between their imagined professional selves and the expectations of policy, institutions, and colleagues. Through peer interaction, participants became aware of how they are seen by others, reflected on ideals of the 'good practitioner', and considered notions of professional love, maternalism, and emotional labour. Titles and status shaped perceptions of competence and authority, while micro-resistances, small everyday acts of agency, allowed subtle challenges to dominant expectations. The group context offered validation, shared insight, and opportunities to rethink professional identities, highlighting gaps between ideals and reality while supporting new ways of being in the Early Years field. This study contributes to understanding professional identity by applying Lacanian theory to reveal the unconscious and social dimensions of practitioners’ experiences. It suggests that reflective groups provide more than technical learning; they create spaces where practitioners share struggles, examine ideals, and begin to reconfigure their professional identities. The research offers both theoretical insights and practical implications for Early Years practice and professional development.