ABSTRACT

The research project, with a small grant from the Froebel Trust, studied the professional lives of 21 women involved in the transnational two-way flow of teachers of young children between New Zealand and United Kingdom from 1877 to 1920. The project's central aim was to seek out and identify these largely unknown teachers and to trace the impact of their individual and collective experiences as global travellers both personally and professionally. The broader aim was to move beyond the restoration and celebration of teachers into kindergarten history to provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of their lives and work as teachers. Common across the women's stories was a strong belief in the power of education as a means to bringing about social change. Of the 21 subjects, 20 gained qualifications in kindergarten teaching, predominately through the Froebel Educational Institute.