Organising and leading systematic quality work in the preschool – preschool managers’ perspectives

Abstract

ABSTRACTPreschool managers’ responsibility for and leadership of systematic quality work has come to the fore in connection with changes made to the Swedish preschool curriculum. The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of preschool managers’ leadership and management of the systematic quality work in Swedish preschools with reference to three specific domains: (i) governance, leadership/management and organisation, (ii) content and methods and (iii) development work and collegiate learning. Using qualitative methods, 18 preschool managers’ perspectives of leading systematic quality work have been analysed in relation to previous research. The results show a tension between linear and interactive forms of governance in the systematic quality work, but also that knowledge gaps among the staff can lead to uncertainties that the preschool manager has to address. At the same time, the results show the diversity of and variation in how children’s development and increased proficiency are documented, while the documentation of the quality of the work focuses on learning environments rather than on teaching and teacher competence. In the study, there are traces of what can be characterised as leadership for learning. This needs to be investigated more closely using other methods in future research.