Leadership in Early Childhood Education Contexts: Looks, Roles, and Functions

Charles Kivunja

School of Education, The University of New England, Armidale, Australia.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2015.616172                

Abstract

Situated in the field of early childhood education (ECE), this paper uses literature on educational leadership to answer four questions about leadership in ECE contexts. Firstly, what is leadership and how important is it for the success of an organisation? Secondly, what does it look like in ECE? Thirdly, what does leadership in ECE involve? And fourthly, how does efficient and effective leadership function in an ECE context? It is important to answer these questions because there is an understanding that leadership in ECE contexts is unlike leadership in other educational institutions. It requires special administrative and managerial skills to plan, organise, lead, control and direct the operations in the ECE context, as well as leadership skills to provide an organisational vision, direction and aculturation. An understanding of what leadership in ECE contexts looks like, its roles and functions can inform ECE leaders in ways that help them to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their educational institution.

Keywords

Educational Leadership, Early Childhood Education Contexts, Managerial Skills, Organisational Vision, Aculturation, Organisational Structural Cultural Synergies

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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