Leadership is not a dirty word: Exploring and embracing leadership in ECEC

Hard, Louise; Jónsdóttir, Arna H.

doi:10.1080/1350293x.2013.814355

Cited by 35 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Woodrow and Busch (2008) and Hard and Jónsdóttir (2013) argue that the prevalence of the traditional male authoritarian model of leadership hinders a strong leadership identity in ECEC. This perception may, in part, account for the directors’ reticence to identify their leadership as a key quality contributor.…”

Section: Provocations About ‘Quality’ Early Childhood Education and Carementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two of the four Exceeding ratings must be for quality areas 1 (educational programme & practice), 5 (relationships with children), 6 (collaborative partnerships) or 7 (governance and leadership). Woodrow and Busch (2008) and Hard and Jónsdóttir (2013) argue that the prevalence of the traditional male authoritarian model of leadership hinders a strong leadership identity in ECEC. This perception may, in part, account for the directors' reticence to identify their leadership as a key quality contributor.…”

Section: The Facilitative Stance and Impact Of Leaders In The Enactmementioning

confidence: 99%

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Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

Fenech

Harrison

Press

et al. 2020

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood

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This paper reports on a study in which educators from four early childhood centres used metaphor to discuss their provision of high-quality early childhood education. Qualitative mining of focus group data confirmed ‘quality’ to be complex, multi-dimensional and value-laden. Findings contribute to understandings of quality in early childhood education through four key themes: ‘quality’ as a synergetic flow; the facilitative stance and impact of leaders in the enactment of leadership; children as active contributors to quality; and the role of love. Metaphor is shown to be a valuable tool that can highlight tangible and intangible quality contributors, how these contributors link together and the contextual specificity from which quality in individual early childhood education settings emanates.

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Section: Provocations About ‘Quality’ Early Childhood Education and Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Facilitative Stance and Impact Of Leaders In The Enactmementioning

confidence: 99%

Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

Fenech

Harrison

Press

et al. 2020

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood

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“…In relation to this standard, the assessors who visit early childhood settings for accreditation purposes are tasked to look for 'what strategies and processes the educational leader uses to lead the development of the curriculum and set goals for teaching and learning' and may cite 'professional conversations' (Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, 2011c: 178), but relationships with staff are not explicitly mentioned. This is worth exploring because there is a clear disjunction between the concept of leadership as consisting of relationship work (a position held for many years by the 'nice ladies' who worked in early childhood), the literature that addresses the feminine aspects of leadership (Due Billing and Alvesson, 2000;Hard, 2005;Hard and Jónsdóttir, 2013;Vinkenburg et al, 2000) and the positioning of leadership in the policy documents (policy documents as identified above, with the implication of a distributive model but no clear guidance). We see ECELs struggle with this disjunction in their own sense-making, drawing on their experience in the feminized early childhood sector (Nupponen, 2006) where relationship work is valued, but at the same time undermined by the absence of this discourse in the policy documents, at least as far as relationships with staff are concerned.…”

Section: Sense-making and Street-level Bureaucratization Of Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Educational leadership

Sims¹,

Waniganayake²,

Hadley³

2017

Educational Management Administration & Leadership

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In the Australian early childhood sector the role of educational leader emerged as part of a very large process of policy reform that began in 2009. The position of educational leader was established to drive the quality improvement requirements of the reform, but many organizations did not establish these positions until several years after the reforms were introduced. Lack of clear role descriptions and authority make it difficult for educational leaders to fulfil the expectations held of them. This study examines the sense leaders make of the policy reforms and the street-level bureaucracy they perform to translate the policy into action. This sense-making and street-level bureaucracy is taking place in a neoliberal context where, we argue, the demands for professional discretionary decision-making are in conflict with the top-down standardization inherent in neoliberalism. Educational leaders have the potential to challenge neoliberalism through their professional decision-making but, in the Australian context, many are currently focusing on compliance with their street-level bureaucracy.

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“…Several researchers claim that the kindergarten teachers adapt to a non-academic culture, avoiding conflicts of interests between different groups (Børhaug et al 2011;Hard andJóhnsdóttir 2013, 2011;Nørregård-Nielsen 2006;Olsen 2011). Parts of the empirical material could support this notion.…”

Section: Assessment Of Competencementioning

confidence: 99%

Common sense or professional qualifications? Division of labour in kindergartens

Steinnes

2014

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal

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This article compares the division of labour between kindergarten teachers and assistants in Norwegian kindergartens and discusses the two groups' perceptions of what kind of knowledge is important in order to carry out their tasks. This study is based on a survey representing kindergartens from all over Norway, and is part of a national research project. 1 Responses to the survey show that differences are fewer than expected, both regarding the kind of tasks kindergarten teachers and assistants perform, and the way they see themselves as qualified for their work. Does this imply that kindergarten culture is less dominated by kindergarten teachers' formal qualifications, and characterised more by common sense and popular views on upbringing? The article discusses these questions in the light of empirical data and theoretical perspectives on knowledge and its impact on professional practice. RÉSUMÉ: Cet article compare la division du travail entre enseignants et assistants dans les jardins d'enfants norvégiens, et discute de la facon dont ces deux groupes concoivent les savoir nécessaires pour accomplir leur tâches. Cette étude, qui fait partie d'une recherche nationale, s'appuie sur une enquête concernant les jardins d'enfants de toute la Norvège. Les réponses au questionnaire montrent que les différences sont moindres que prévu, en ce qui concerne le type de tâches que enseignants et assistants accomplissent, comme la facon dont ils se considèrent qualifiés pour les accomplir. Est-ce que cela signifie que les jardins d'enfants sont moins dominés par les qualifications formelles des enseignants et plus caractérisés par le sens commun et les opinions courantes sur l'éducationCet article discute cette question à la lumière des données empiriques et des perspectives théoriques sur le savoir et son impact sur la pratique professionnelle.ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Der vorliegende Artikel vergleicht die Aufgabenverteilung zwischen Erzieher/innen und Assistent/innen in norwegischen Kindergärten und diskutiert die jeweilige Auffassung der Gruppen darüber, welches Wissen wichtig ist, um die Aufgaben zu bewältigen. Die Studie basiert auf einer landesweiten Befragung in Kindergärten in Norwegen und ist Teil eines nationalen Forschungsprojekts. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung zeigen, dass die Unterschiede zwischen den Gruppen kleiner sind als erwartet. Das gilt sowohl für die Aufgaben, die Erzieher/innen und Assistent/innen ausführen, als auch für die Beurteilung von Wissen bezüglich der zu bewältigenden Aufgaben. Es muss also danach gefragt werden, ob die Kindergartenkultur weniger von der formalen Kompetenz der Erzieher/innen als vom 'common sense' und populären Sichtweisen über Erziehung geprägt ist. Der Artikel diskutiert diese Fragen unter Bezug auf empirische Daten Downloaded by [Universidad de Sevilla] at 08:59 25 March 2015 und theoretischen Perspektiven auf professionelles Wissen sowie dessen Auswirkung auf die Praxis.RESUMEN: El presente artículo compara la división del trabajo entre los maestros y asistentes en los jardines...

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Leadership is not a dirty word: Exploring and embracing leadership in ECEC

Cited by 35 publications

References 17 publications

Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

Educational leadership

Common sense or professional qualifications? Division of labour in kindergartens

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