.

Leadership in Early Childhood Assessment answers

Emerging Issues in Conceptualization of Leadership in Early Childhood

Abstract

This paper attempts to define leadership as it manifests and can be used to enhance performance in early childhood settings. It aims to crystallize emerging issues in the fundamental understanding of leadership skills in this field that arise from a lack of leadership training specific to the early childhood period. An analysis of the complex dynamics in the education and care settings presents a dire need to understand the value of leadership training. It  equips one to deal with constant change; to move toward a more change making and facilitation outlook. Ideas of continuous and bidirectional growth are also explored as being central to leadership in this field.

Leading the leaders of tomorrow!

Leadership as virtue is fundamental to successfully extracting the most from one’s environment. Education especially, is significantly influenced by leadership skills. Research has shown that leadership is second only to teaching as an influence on learning. Student outcomes and learning equity is greatly dependent on quality of leadership. (Leithwood et al., 2006, p. 4; Mitgang, 2012, p. 3). This just goes to show the centrality of leadership skills in early childhood settings. The capability of unlocking highest potential and making the most out of the changing environments, hallmarks of effective leadership are of utmost importance when it comes to dealing with young children.

Early Childhood Leaders.

The research on effective leadership for the school and other education sectors has increased significantly. However when it comes the early childhood (EC) period, the research has gone through long periods of paucity interrupted only by a few anecdotal studies. Early Childhood settings mostly include day care centres; playgroups; nurseries; family centres; community nurseries; reception classes in schools (Alexander, 1995) but these arenas have been increasing steadily.  Individuals working in this sector have a great responsibility of laying down the foundations on which young children start building their personalities. As an individual present in either the educational or care setting in the early childhood period, one becomes a facilitator and influences the direction in which the child starts to develop his/her personality.  The delicate nature of psychological development of children in this age thus presents a need for early childhood professionals to develop the ability to read the child, using highly developed skills of observation and interpretation; the significance of the community context in all aspects of work; and the development of a knowledge base that is grounded in child development (Fasoli, Scrivens & Woodrow, 2007, p. 215). All of this  is possible only through Leadership which goes beyond a conventional notion of authority. It requires bringing together a vision, effective organisation with joint inquiry, exploration and reflection (Waniganayake & Semann, 2011).

Key Issues in EC leadership and Strategies for reform.

There are numerous issues with how leadership is conceptualized in the early childhood settings but three main issues that this paper is focusing on are the narrow focus or understanding of the role of an EC professional, lack of theoretical basis to what an EC leader is like and lastly the issue of gender dynamics and one’s social role intermingling with being an EC leader.

One study (Bloom,1992) showed that EC professionals had a very narrow view of their role in the child’s life. They viewed it only in terms of direct interaction with the children and found managerial aspects uncomfortable. This puts them at a disadvantaged position when it comes to aligning their everyday work with the children to a bigger picture, some vision of the future. Beyond just caregiving, to make an effective learning and growth environment there are many aspects like identifying and articulating a vision, ensuring shared understandings, defining meaningful goals, effective communication, encouraging reflection and much more, that  need to be incorporated in the understanding of the Role of an EC Professional.

Another issue comes from a serious lack of theoretical focus on understanding the role of an EC professional. One reason for this can be the fact that leadership in the early childhood settings is very different from that in conventional business settings (Kagan and Hallmark, 2001). The thought processes guiding leadership in the early childhood settings are complex and varying from situation to situation. A certain sense of adaptability is necessary to be able to keep the learning environment thriving  with innovation and creativity. What works for one group of children will be very different from what works for some others or what one might have seen working in the past. Therefore adaptability is central to the EC Leader.

Finally, the last issue that we will look at is that of Gender dynamics. Statistical studies have shown that most EC professionals are women. One meta-analysis of such studies theorized that lack of leadership skills and such a gender ratio could be interlinked (Rodd 1999). However misogynistic this view may sound, it is important to consider that the way women leadership develops in most social settings is very different from that of men. Especially in the Indian context, it has only been in the last few decades that women have been taking on serious leadership roles and that too mostly in urban settings. The way women view leadership was for a long time has created a certain aversion to leadership (Rodd,1999). Conventional narratives of leadership portray leaders as cold-hearted heads of a brutal hierarchy which women as caregivers and as people who are generally oppressed by such hierarchies  do not want to incorporate in their role description. This creates an urgency to redefine leadership in terms of the early childhood environments. EC leadership is more about the interconnected pursuit of a vision of nurturing the individuals of tomorrow, than about just ensuring order and functionality of a hierarchy.

In Conclusion,

Contemporary issues with the way leadership is viewed in the early childhood settings arise from a fundamental lack of clarity in terms of what a leader in such an environment would do, be characterized as and so on. This creates a certain aversion to leadership in EC professionals,  takes away any semblance of goal directed growth and narrows in on a very niche way of dealing with young children. ‘Making a difference’ for the children and affecting real positive change in the way they perceive the world and themselves later in life, requires strong leadership based on innovation and exploration riding the wave of adaptability to take the leaders of tomorrow where they belong!

References

Fasoli, L., Scrivens, C., & Woodrow, C. (2007). Challenges for leadership in Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australian early childhood contexts. In L. Keesing-Styles & H. Hedges (Eds), Theorising early childhood practice: Emerging dialogues. Sydney, NSW: Pademelon Press.

Leithwood, K., Day, C., Sammons, P., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2006). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership. England: National College for School Leadership.

Mitgang, L. (2012). The making of the principal: Five lessons in leadership training. Perspective: The Wallace Foundation, June.

Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Manni, L. (2007). Effective leadership in the early years sector: The ELEYS study. London: Institute of Education, University of London.

Waniganayake, M., & Semann, A. (2011). Being and becoming leaders. Rattler, 100, Summer, 24.

.