Early Childhood Leadership Research Articles

Early childhood leadership: Risk and protective factors during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has impacted Early Childhood Education (ECE) globally. The cancellation of a final year leadership practicum presented an opportunity to partner with pre-service teachers as co-researchers to investigate the leadership experience of four service directors during COVID-19. A multi-case study design included four focus groups consisting of one early childhood sector leader, final year pre-service teachers and one academic mentor aimed to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on service leadership while identifying the leadership strategies that offered protective mitigation for the risks posed by the pandemic. Leadership challenges included shifting health orders, support for the home learning context and disseminating policy shifts to staff and families, all while maintaining viability, managing anxieties of staff, parents and children, while negotiating lockdowns and service restrictions. Findings spoke to the complexity of the situation for leaders, while spotlighting the protective function of high-quality practice; strong service-based philosophy; and prioritisation of relationships.

Christian Early Childhood Leadership: Relational Values and Practices

Using constructive grounded theory, this research investigated relational values and practices implemented by Christian early childhood leaders. Data was collected through a survey-questionnaire and four in-depth case studies using semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis. The findings showed that these leaders placed their relationship with God at the center of everything they did. Based on this relationship they implemented six relational values of accepting, welcoming, loving, respecting, empathizing and caring. These Christian values were then reflected in their daily relational practices, and were identified as empowering others, supporting others, modeling authenticity, providing social justice, ministering, helping and serving.

Early childhood educators’ psychological distress and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

There is growing awareness of the impacts of COVID-19 on children, families, and more recently, early childhood educators. This study aimed to add to this research and explore Australian early childhood educators’ psychological distress and wellbeing in relation to COVID-19. Accordingly, 205 educators (117 early childhood educators, 86 leaders and 2 others) completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, measuring levels of post-traumatic distress, and an open-ended question on wellbeing, both in relation to COVID-19. Educators’ responses to the open-ended question were matched to those who scored high, medium, and low on the Impact of Events Scale-Revised. Results demonstrated 66.8% of educators scored in the low range for post-traumatic distress, 11.7% scored in the moderate range, and 21.5% scored in the high range for post-traumatic distress on the Impact of Events Scale-Revised. Participants scoring in the low range on the Impact of Events Scale-Revised provided fewer comments regarding the emotional impacts of COVID-19. There were no differences between the groups in terms of fear of COVID-19 infection, challenges related to increased workload during the pandemic, and frustration with the Australian government response to COVID-19. Educators and early childhood leaders reported comparable wellbeing challenges during the pandemic. This research has implications for the types of support provided to educators during future pandemics.

Christian early childhood leaders: Management challenges and responses

This study investigated the management challenges that Christian early childhood leaders, from four different Christian denominations, encountered in their responsibilities, and in particular, the approaches they used in resolving them. A research design of grounded theory using data collected from survey questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis enabled themes to emerge. A Christian worldview underpinned and framed the leaders’ thoughts, actions, communication, and relationships with students, staff, parents, and the community. For these leaders, their close, reciprocal connection with God sustained, guided and even at times impelled their approach to their daily practice and especially in managing challenges.

A Learning Journey through a Heart-Centered Book

As faculty for a graduate program in early childhood leadership, we co-designed a course on community-based action research around Patricia Wilson’s book, The Heart of Community Engagement: Practitioner Stories from Across the Globe. In this review we share how it mirrored our own deepening sense of community engagement practices, and how our students engaged with this unique text on their individual and collective learning journeys. We share highlights from the text that reinforced our sense of liberatory pedagogy. Wilson’s personal stories, as well as the stories of community-engaged practitioners across the globe , invite all of us to create our own purpose and intentions for the evolving path of facilitating change within ourselves and with others.

Supervisors as definers of a new middle-level managers’ leadership model: Typology of four middle-level leadership prototypes in early childhood education

ABSTRACT Much research is concerned with the contribution of middle-level management in the education system. Yet, little research has been devoted to investigating supervisors’ considerations in outlining job definitions of middle-level managers, and how these elements shape diverse middle-level managers’ leadership models. This study draws on role theory to understand supervisors’ contribution to the design of middle-level management roles, with emphasis on leadership styles. Data included 25 interviews with preschool superintendents who appointed new middle-level managers in the role of early childhood leaders. Based on the interviews, we identified four types of middle-level leadership models: pedagogical, supportive, change, and administrative.

Voices from the field: Insights into the mental wellbeing of early childhood leaders

Early childhood teachers enact a relationship-based pedagogy in contexts requiring their consistent emotional labour, not just with children but also with their families. Leaders have additional responsibilities for the wellbeing of teaching teams, meeting the expectations of those in governance roles, and accountabilities to agencies such as the Ministry of Education, the Education Review Office (ERO), and the Teaching Council. Little has been reported about the impacts of this work for the wellbeing of leaders. This article gives voice to the lived experiences of a group of early childhood leaders, raising issues of workload, lack of resources and support, and stress. Comparisons are made with primary principals, noting similarities in experiences of workload and stress but differences in supports for principals that are not available to early childhood leaders. Although early childhood leaders are taking steps to protect their personal wellbeing, a systemic response is urgently needed.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Early Care and Education Professionals’ Social and Emotional Well-being

ABSTRACT Early care and education (ECE) professionals’ social and emotional well-being has emerged as an area of focus for improving program quality. ECE professionals are experiencing increasing levels of stress and burnout, which is threatening the quality of early childhood education and care. This article introduces the special issue devoted to understanding early childhood professionals’ social and emotional competence and well-being and their relationship to program quality and child outcomes. The purposes of this special issue are to (a) describe the nature of ECE professionals’ social and emotional competence and well-being, (b) understand the factors that contribute to ECE professionals’ social and emotional competence and well-being, (c) understand to what extent and how ECE professionals’ social and emotional competence and well-being impacts classroom quality as well as children’s developmental outcomes, and (d) present evidence-based approaches that support ECE professionals’ social and emotional competence and well-being. For the purposes of this issue, ECE professionals include early childhood educators (e.g., teachers or home-based child care providers), practitioners (e.g., home visitors, mental health consultants, specialists, etc.) and early childhood leaders (e.g., directors, principals, or administrators) who serve children from birth to third grade. In this introductory article we conclude with a discussion of implications of this research for future research, policy, and practice.

Constructing early childhood leadership models in China: a mixed-methods study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to construct a scale that is contextually suitable for measuring early childhood leadership in China.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a standard scale development procedure, both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were addressed. Qualitative data was collected from 21 semistructured interviews with formal and informal teacher leaders in Xiamen City, China. Using survey data of 120 respondents and 305 respondents, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted twice to determine the underlying factorial structure of the scale. A further sample of 317 respondents were used to test the latent structure and validity of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis.FindingsBased on the results from reliability and validity tests, this study indicates that the scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties. A three-factor model was determined, including staff management and development, peer learning and support and communication with parents.Originality/valueThe scale is the first of its kind for measuring early childhood leadership in China.

Training early childhood leaders: developing a new paradigm for professional development using a practice to theory approach

ABSTRACT Given the predictive nature of high-quality early childhood programs on children’s social and learning outcomes, effective leadership is critical to facilitate program improvement. Recognizing the need for cohesive conceptual frameworks that undergird research-based practice, a 5-year training institute for early childhood program directors was evaluated to assess training effectiveness. Moreover, we developed a model of early childhood leadership professional development grounded in our iterative analysis of data from this study and guided by theory-building methods. The findings show positive impacts on leaders’ self-reported facilitation and implementation of developmentally appropriate strategies in positive discipline and prosocial skills in early care and education settings. The practice-to-theory training model developed provides a theoretically cohesive framework to guide the professional development of early childhood program leaders that repositions the theory/practice binary by helping leaders problematize issues of practice and infuse theory as necessary tools and pragmatic anchors for solving real-world problems.

ممارسة القيادة الأخلاقية لدى قائدات مرحلة الطفولة المبکرة بمدينه الطائف في ضوء رؤية المملکة ٢٠٣٠

هدف الدراسة إلى التعرف على درجة ممارسة قائدات مرحلة الطفولة المبکرة للقيادة الأخلاقية بمدينة الطائف في ضوء رؤية 2030من حيث تعزيز القيم والهوية الوطنية، واعتمدت الدراسة على المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، واستخدمت الدراسة استبانه تم تطبيقها على عينة عشوائية من معلمات مرحلة الطفولة المبکرة، بلغ عددها(119) معلمة، وکانت أهم نتائج الدراسة: أن درجة ممارسة قائدات مرحلة الطفولة المبکرة للقيادة الأخلاقية لتعزيز القيم والهوية الوطنية للمعلمات بمدينة الطائف في ضوء رؤية 2030کانت بدرجة مرتفعة، کذلک لا توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في الدرجة الکلية حول ممارسة قائدات مرحلة الطفولة المبکرة للقيادة الأخلاقية لتعزيز القيم لدى المعلمات بمدينة الطائف في ضوء رؤية 2030 من وجهة نظر أفراد عينة الدراسة تعزى للمتغيرات التالية: المؤهل العلمي، وعدد سنوات الخبرة، وعدد الدورات التدريبية، بالإضافة الى انه لا توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في الدرجة الکلية حول ممارسة قائدات مرحلة الطفولة المبکرة للقيادة الأخلاقية لتعزيز الهوية الوطنية لدى المعلمات بمدينة الطائف في ضوء رؤية 2030 من وجهة نظر أفراد عينة الدراسة تعزى للمتغيرات التالية: المؤهل العلمي، وعدد سنوات الخبرة، بينما وجدت فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية تعزى لمتغير عدد الدورات التدريبية، وکانت أهم توصيات الدراسة التأکيد على استمرار ممارسة القيادة الاخلاقية لما لها من آثار إيجابية في تعزيز القيم والهوية الوطنية والفضائل الاسلامية حيث تعد ضرورة ملحة لکل قائد تربوي، تبني ثقافة تنظيمية تؤکد على القيم والأخلاقيات التي لا تستقيم مهنة التعليم إلا بها، العمل على تعزيز کفاءة وفاعلية أداء قائدات مرحلة الطفولة المبکرة لقيادة هذه المرحلة المهمة وفق رؤية المملکة 2030، ترسيخ ممارسات القيادة الاخلاقية لدى القيادات في إدارة التعليم من خلال اقتراح برنامج تدريبي قائم على القيادة الاخلاقية بأبعادها المختلفة. Abstract The aim of the study is to identify the degree to which early childhood leaders practice ethical leadership in Taif city in light of Vision 2030 in terms of promoting national values and identity. The study relied on the descriptive analytical approach. It used a questionnaire that was applied to a random sample of early childhood teachers, numbering (119) teachers. The most important results of the study were: The degree to which early childhood leaders practice moral leadership to promote the values and national identity of female teachers in Taif in light of vision 2030 was high. There are also no statistically significant differences in overall score on practice of early childhood leaders of moral leadership to enhance the values of female teachers in Taif in light of vision 2030,from the point of view of study sample, the following variables are attributed:Academic qualification, number of years of experience, and number of training courses, in addition to that there are no statistically significant differences in overall score regarding practice of early childhood leaders of moral leadership to enhance the national identity of female teachers in Taif in light of vision 2030, from the point of view of study sample, the following variables are attributed to: academic qualification, and number of years of experience, while there were statistically significant differences due to the variable of number of training courses. The most important recommendations of the study were to emphasize the continuation of exercise of moral leadership because of its positive effects in promoting national values and identity and Islamic virtues, as it is an urgent necessity for every educational leader, adopting an organizational culture that emphasizes the values and ethics in which the teaching profession is only valid. Working to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness the performance of early childhood leaders to lead this important stage in accordance with the Kingdom's vision 2030. Establishing ethical leadership practices among the leaders in education administration by proposing a training program based on ethical leadership in its various dimensions.

An Evaluation of Leadership Professional Development for Early Childhood Directors

ABSTRACT The Early Childhood Directors Leadership Institute (ECDLI) project addressed a need for effective professional development with a series of Institutes using the Program Administration Scale (PAS), the Program Management Inventory (PMI), and the Plan-Do-Study-Act model, over a 3-year period. Each of the 100 participating program directors in the ECDLI Project from across the state received individualized coaching and support from an early childhood expert and participated in coaching teams in smaller geographically organized groups throughout the project. We describe key features of the development, implementation, and evaluation of this statewide professional development initiative for early childhood leaders.

Early Childhood Leadership: A Qualitative Study of Parent Perceptions

Early Childhood Leadership: A Qualitative Study of Parent Perceptions

유아 리더십 관련 연구동향 분석 : 2004-2018년 국내 학술지 및 학위 논문을 중심으로

본 연구의 목적은 유아 리더십교육에 관한 최근 연구동향을 분석하여, 유아 리더십교육의 방향을 모색하는데 있다. 이를 위해 2004년부터 2018년까지 한국연구재단 등재지에 발표된 279편의 논문들을 5년씩 3주기로 구분하였고, 연구주제, 연구유형, 연구대상, 자료수집방법 등의 기준으로 분석하였다. 분석결과를 살펴보면, 첫째 연구주제로 유아 리더십의 영향 관계를 살펴본 연구가 가장 활발히 진행되었다. 둘째, 3기(2014-2018)로 갈수록 유아 리더십의 영향 관계와 프로그램 개발 및 효과에 관한 연구만이 증가하였다. 셋째, 가장 많이 사용된 연구유형은 양적연구, 연구대상은 만 5세 유아, 자료수집방법은 질문지법인 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 국내 학술 논문과 학위 논문 간의 차이는 연구대상과 자료수집방법측면에서 차이가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구결과에 근거하여 유아 리더십 교육 연구활성화를 위하여 유아 리더십과 관련된 질적연구, 비교 문화 연구, 연구 대상을 부모 및 교사로 확대한 연구, 기초연구로서 내용분석법과 면담법을 활용한 연구들의 필요성을 제언하는 바이다.

Evidencing leadership and management challenges in early childhood in Australia

The Australian early childhood system is complex and constantly changing and poses challenges to centre director/managers. A major challenge is the difficulty in meeting the responsibilities of leading and managing both organisational and pedagogical goals within the legal and educational frameworks of the system. Preparing educators for a complex and changing role may also present challenges for both initial teacher education and postgraduate professional learning. Concern continues in the sector that such challenges lead to turnover in the role, affecting the quality of programmes provided for children. A national online questionnaire collected quantitative data from director/managers working in centre-based early childhood services in order to gain an understanding of the breadth and scope of the current challenges they experience. The findings from the research reported here suggest challenges are experienced in the organisational leadership domain with managing staff a particular concern.

What makes good even better? Excellent EC leadership

The purpose of this paper is to explore sense-making of early childhood (EC) leaders in EC services rated as exceeding/excellent in Australian accreditation.,An interpretivist ontology and social constructivist epistemology informs the study. The conceptual framework uses the concept of sense-making to explore how leaders make sense of the policy frameworks and use these to shape practice.,Previous research identified that many leaders focussed on ensuring staff complied with new policy requirements. In contrast, this study found that these leaders paid more attention to relationships with staff and less to directing compliance.,The paper posits high quality service delivery is possible when leaders (in the words of a participant) look after their staff.,In Australia, neoliberal discourses have profoundly impacted on recent reforms in the EC sector. Previous research identified the ambiguities inherent in the Australian EC leadership role as leaders and staff grappled with new understandings and practices, and the uncertainties around lines of authority and influence. This paper is the first to explore the understandings of those leaders whose services are assessed to be operating at the highest level of quality.

What early childhood leadership for what kind of world?

This article uses autoethnography as the method of inquiry to explore definitions and contexts of early childhood education leadership. This affords a new space between the subjective and objective, the autobiographical and the cultural, to write in a way that lies between literature and the social sciences. Against a backcloth of scientific and cultural change, five turning-point moments are identified that link personal social circumstances to continuity and change in conceptions of leadership and management, particularly in the early childhood education sector. Modernist hierarchical and more recent subjective or postmodernist models are considered along the way. It is concluded that there is a role for theory in both guiding and interrogating practice. If leaders’ conceptions are to be better informed by knowledge of contrasting and competing theories, then through a process of praxis, critical awareness may increase. This depends, however, on access to the training and development that early childhood education professionals do not currently enjoy.

Early childhood leadership in action: Evidence-based approaches for effective practice

Early childhood leadership in action: Evidence-based approaches for effective practice

Navigating ambiguity: Early childhood leaders’ sense-making of their identity in a new mid-level role

Mid-level roles in education have been widely explored, primarily in schools, but little research has been conducted during the systemic reform that involves creating a mid-level role between end units and the system. The present study explores the sense-making of early childhood leaders (ECLs) at the initial stage of their new role as mid-level managers. The new role was established as a result of a national administrative reform that, among others, made the systemic hierarchy more vertical by establishing a new mid-level layer between superintendents and early childhood teachers. This qualitative research included semi-structured interviews with 47 mid-level preschool managers. The study sought to uncover their views of the main challenges associated with assuming a new mid-level managerial role, and their coping styles in this role. The analysis revealed that the new mid-level management role raises three challenges concerning the ambiguity of identity: power base, voice, and interpersonal loyalty. ECLs cope with these challenges by assuming different types of leader identities, those of the representative, the companion, and the mediator. The implications of the findings for the limited knowledge on ECLs and for the introduction of the new mid-level roles are discussed.

Early Childhood Leadership: A Photovoice Exploration

The first five years of a child’s life represent critical windows in physiological, social-emotional, and cognitive development. Administrators of early childhood (EC) programs play a pivotal role in determining the quality of experiences that unfold for young children in center-based care. Using photovoice, semi-structured administrator interviews, and participant-observation, we aimed to identify the factors contributing to one center’s atypically excellent outcomes with diverse children and families. Our textual and photographic analyses revealed three findings. First, administrators saw themselves as embedded within a larger system of barriers characterized by low positionality within an educational caste system that is marked by pervasive resource scarcity. Second, with external supports marginal at best, they leveraged multiple internal supports and resources, including agency, interdependence, and advocacy. Third, administrators operationalized literacy leadership by building and sustaining a climate of professional support for teachers within a “25 Books a Day” guiding philosophy.