Kestävä pedagoginen johtajuus varhaiskasvatuksessa : - varhaiskasvatuksen ammattilaisten arvioimana

According to previous research, the leadership in early childhood education (ECE) needs to be strengthened and improved by building sustainable structures. The aim of the current research was to investigate how ECE professionals evaluate its leadership. The context of the study was a development project called Sustainable leadership in ECE conducted in two municipalities in Finland. The purpose of the project was to investigate and create a sustainable structure for ECE leadership with the aim of strengthening pedagogical leadership. The participants were 110 ECE professionals, comprising experts, directors, teachers, and nurses. The research was based on responses to an electronic questionnaire about the quality of ECE leadership built around six themes: leadership of the organisation, Human resource management, Structure of the organisation, Pedagogical leadership, Knowledge management and work well-being, and Leadership of self. The results indicate that only in the pedagogical leadership theme were there statistically significant differences between the groups of professionals. Having high professional status and being highly qualified seem to enhance the ability of professionals to reflect critically on pedagogical leadership and to have more demanding attitudes about the quality of pedagogical leadership.Peer reviewe

Kestääkö johtajuus? Kestävä johtajuus varhaiskasvatuksessa

Peer reviewe

Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Professional Development towards Pedagogical Leadership

Background: In recent years, early childhood education (ECE) has faced many reforms that have led to new requirements for pedagogy. Due to this evolution, there is, in turn, an increasing need to enhance the professional competence of ECE teachers through further training. Purpose: This article examines ECE teachers' interpretations of the changes in their pedagogical thinking during a further training course for ECE teachers in Finland. The aim of this qualitative research was to investigate the professional development that can be related to the further training. The context of the study was an 18-month long ECE teachers' further training course called 'Pedagogy of Early Childhood Education during Changing Practices'. Sample: The study involved 32 ECE teachers participating in the further training course. The data consisted of the written responses of the further training participants in respect of their interpretation of pedagogy. Design and methods: The research was carried out using a participatory action approach. The written data were collected from the teacher participants. Thematic analysis was firstly conducted inductively from the data. In the second phase, content analysis was applied using abductive reasoning. The theory-based content analysis was conducted using pedagogical leadership aspects of the theory of human capital. Results: The features of professional development that were identified were explored through the lens of pedagogical leadership and grouped into four dimensions: increased knowledge, awareness of the quality of previously implemented pedagogy, developmental skills, and ability to make the case for ECE pedagogy. Conclusions: The research identified connections and relationships between the further training and professional development in pedagogical leadership. The significance of and demand for a participatory action research approach to further training for ECE teachers are discussed.Peer reviewe

Suomalaisen varhaiskasvatuksen opettajan pedagogisen työn tutkimimen Layderin tutkimuskartan avulla

This study examines the experiences of early childhood teachers in their everyday pedagogical work. The data for this qualitative study consists of the diaries of early childhood teachers. Layder’s (1993) research map has been used to structure the theoretical background and provide an analytical frame to categorise the data. The results show that early childhood teachers’ work is complex and demanding, but they did encounter successes in their work. Certain common themes were identified on the levels of Layder’s research map. These themes, which were experienced both as successes and challenges, included laws and steering documents, values and attitudes, pedagogical principles and solutions, leadership, collaborative structures, interaction, professional self-conception and skills. The challenges in the teachers’ work were caused by differing professional values, a lack of discussion, and inoperative organisational structures and practices, among others.This study examines the experiences of early childhood teachers in their everyday pedagogical work. The data for this qualitative study consists of the diaries of early childhood teachers. Layder’s (1993) research map has been used to structure the theoretical background and provide an analytical frame to categorise the data. The results show that early childhood teachers’ work is complex and demanding, but they did encounter successes in their work. Certain common themes were identified on the levels of Layder’s research map. These themes, which were experienced both as successes and challenges, included laws and steering documents, values and attitudes, pedagogical principles and solutions, leadership, collaborative structures, interaction, professional self-conception and skills. The challenges in the teachers’ work were caused by differing professional values, a lack of discussion, and inoperative organisational structures and practices, among others.Peer reviewe

Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care Leaders’ Perceptions of Pedagogical Leadership and Assessment of the Implementation of the National Core Curriculum in Times of Change

Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) experienced system-wide changes in legislation, curriculum, and teachers’ and centre leaders’ qualification requirements between 2013 and 2018. Through these changes, the Finnish ECEC follows the global trends shifting the focus of ECEC from care towards education. The data are leaders’ (N = 41) written responses to three open-ended questions in a survey completed in 2018. The analytical framework draws on the models of educational change and human capital for pedagogical leadership. The framework directs focus on leaders’ understanding about and realisation of these new policies in their ECEC centres. Results indicate that leaders have the capacity to interpret and lead the curriculum process. However, to secure the coherence in and quality of ECEC, guidance that is more systematic and instruments (e.g. for development of pedagogy), that support the implementation of the curriculum and its assessment are needed.Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) experienced system-wide changes in legislation, curriculum, and teachers’ and centre leaders’ qualification requirements between 2013 and 2018. Through these changes, the Finnish ECEC follows the global trends shifting the focus of ECEC from care towards education. The data are leaders’ (N = 41) written responses to three open-ended questions in a survey completed in 2018. The analytical framework draws on the models of educational change and human capital of pedagogical leadership. The framework directs focus on leaders’ understanding about and realisation of these new policies in their ECEC centres. Results indicate that leaders have the capacity to interpret and lead the curriculum process. However, to secure the coherence in and quality of ECEC, guidance that is more systematic and instruments (e.g. for development of pedagogy) that support the implementation of the curriculum and its assessment are needed.Peer reviewe

Varhaiskasvatuksen yhteisen johtajuusmallin arviointierot

Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan varhaiskasvatuksen uuden yhteisen johtajuusmallin arviointia Hämeenlinnassa, Suomessa. Yhteisen johtajuuden mallissa varhaiskasvatusyksiköitä johtaa johtajapari, joista toinen on vastuussa taloudesta ja henkilöstöstä ja toinen johtaja vastaa pedagogiikasta ja asiakasprosesseista. Johtajuusmallin tavoitteena on vahvistaa johtajuutta ja pedagogiikkaa johtamisen keskiössä. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan henkilöstön antamia arviointeja johtajuudesta varhaiskasvatusyksiköissä. Tarkastelun kohteena on erityisesti johtajaparien eri yksiköiden arviointien erot. Kvantitatiivinen aineisto kerättiin sähköisenä Survey-kyselynä johtajilta ja henkilöstöltä. Joidenkin johtajaparien eri yksiköiden henkilöstöjen antamien johtajuusarviointien erot osoittautuivat tilastollisesti merkitseviksi. Sekä korkeat että matalat arvioinnit näyttivät noudattavat samankaltaista yhtenevää linjaa ja näyttäisi siten olevan kokonaisvaltainen organisaation kulttuurinen tapa tarkastella johtajuutta kyseisissä yksiköissä. Tulosten perusteella on tärkeää kiinnittää huomiota siihen, miten voitaisiin tukea johtajuuden kehittämisen taustalla olevia organisaation olosuhteita.This article provides the assessments of a joint leadership model based on research in early childhood education (ECE) leadership in the city of Hämeenlinna, Finland. In this new leadership model, the ECE units were led by a pair of directors, with one responsible for the financial and human resources aspects and the other responsible for the pedagogy and client processes. The aim of the new leadership model was to strengthen the leadership and pedagogy as the core of leadership. The study explored how the staff members evaluated the quality of leadership in several ECE units. Furthermore, this study examined if there were differences in the assessments of the quality of leadership of the pair of two directors. The quantitative data for the study were collected by electronic questionnaire completed by ECE directors and staff. Statistically significant differences were found in the assessments of the units led by the same director pair. The parallel line in high and low assessments indicated that satisfaction or dissatisfaction with leadership was a holistic way to see the impact of leadership on the organisational culture of the units. The findings drew attention to the question of how the conditions that were necessary for distributed leadership should be supported.Peer reviewe

Perspectives on leadership in early childhood education and care centers through community of practice

This article investigates early childhood education and care (ECEC) leadership through the concept of community of practice (COP). The focus is on ECEC leaders’ perceptions regarding their leadership during the educational changes taking place in the context of Finnish ECEC. The purpose is to increase understanding of how leaders see themselves in relation to the ECEC multiprofessional working community and practices of distributed leadership. The data are five focus group interviews of ECEC leaders analyzed with directed content analysis within the theoretical frame of domain, practice, and community forming the core of COP in Lave and Wenger. The results show how all three COP components comprise several dimensions in ECEC leaders’ perceptions of their leadership. For example, the component of the leadership domain consists of ECEC values, ECEC legislation, and ECEC curriculum. The results indicate that a formal leadership role is essential in leading the community and its vision. Moreover, building flexible leadership structures and supporting multiprofessional cooperation in the community augment leadership as a community’s joint enterprisePeer reviewe

Pedagogical leadership and children’s well-being in Finnish early education

In this paper, we present research that focuses on pedagogical leadership that is evaluated by the staff in the early education unit. The evaluations relate to the observed indicators of the well-being of children and leadership evaluations conducted by the early education centre directors. The methods include systematic observation of children, educators’ evaluation of leadership and directors’ evaluation of their leadership. The measurements are independent of each other. The data were collected between 2017 and 2019 in Finnish early education units. The results indicate the connection between the pedagogical leadership of director and observed activities of children, including involved learning, positive emotion, physical activity and participation. The connection between pedagogical leadership evaluated by the staff was also connected with leadership evaluated by the director, highlighting the need for the director to focus on pedagogical leadership and staff involvement. The results provide a perspective to help the director to focus on the main task of early education, the well-being of the children.Peer reviewe

Varhaiskasvatuksen yhteinen johtajuus vastakohtaisten diskurssien valossa

Artikkelissa tarkastellaan yhteisen johtajuuden taustalla vallitsevia diskursseja. Lähtökohtaisesti yhteisessä johtajuudessa keskeistä on dialogisuus ja yhteinen ymmärrys organisaation todellisuudesta. Tutkimuksella pyritään löytämään vastauksia siihen, millaisia diskursseja johtajuudesta on löydettävissä varhaiskasvatusyksiköiden henkilöstön puheessa ja eroavatko diskurssit varhaiskasvatusyksiköiden kasvattajatiimien välillä. Tutkimus perustuu keväällä 2017 toteutettuun kyselytutkimukseen, josta saatua aineistoa analysoitiin diskurssianalyysilla. Kysely toteutettiin sähköpostikyselynä, jossa pyydettiin kasvattajatiimejä koostamaan yhteisen keskustelun kautta vastaukset siihen, millaisiin seikkoihin he arvelivat oman yksikkönsä saaman arviointituloksen vuoden 2015 kyselyssä perustuvan. Positiivinen diskurssi yhteisestä johtajuudesta nousi puheesta, jossa kerrottiin luottamuksesta, joka voimaannuttaa henkilöstöä. Negatiivista diskurssia edusti puhe, jolle leimallista oli muutosten tuomat epävakauden ja epävarmuuden kuvaukset. Henkilöstömuutokset yhdessä organisatoristen muutosten kanssa nousivat henkilöstön puheessa taustasyiksi tyytymättömyyteen. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että tyytyväisyyden tai tyytymättömyyden diskurssi muodostuu kokonaisvaltaiseksi yhden varhaiskasvatusyksikön tavaksi nähdä johtajuus osana laajempaa organisaatiokulttuuria.Peer reviewe