Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2014-12
Pre-Service Early Childhood Educators' Leadership Development through Reflective Engagement with Experiential Service Learning and Leadership Literature
THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED WHETHER final-year early childhood education students' aspirations for professional leadership roles, and positive perceptions of themselves as leaders, improved through engagement in a university course requiring reflection on service learning leadership projects, and leadership and advocacy literature.
Before and after surveys found students' leadership self-perceptions and aspirations significantly improved on completing the course. Thematic analysis of students' reflections found initial notions about leadership were narrower, and more focused on positional power and stereotypically male capabilities than at the end of the course. Improved leadership self-perceptions and aspirations arose from leadership self-audits, participation in service learning (in which students practised leadership skills, challenged themselves, wrestled with difficulties, and discussed progress and strategies with other stakeholders), reflection on their current and aspirational leadership capabilities, and utilisation of leadership and advocacy literature to inform actions and reflections. Findings suggest these combined elements can support early childhood leadership development.
AveryG. C. (2004). Understanding leadership: Paradigms and cases.London: Sage.
3.
BraunV., & ClarkeV. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
4.
BriggsM., & BriggsI. (2009). Developing your leadership in the early years.London: Continuum International.
5.
Clarkin-PhillipsJ. (2011). Distributed leadership: Growing strong communities of practice in early childhood centres. Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice, 26(2), 14–25.
6.
ColemanM. (2003). Gender and the orthodoxies of leadership. School Leadership & Management, 23(3), 325–339.
7.
Council of Australian Governments (COAG). (2009). Investing in the early years—a national early childhood development strategy. Retrieved 31 October, 2013, from www.coag.gov.au/node/205.
8.
CrottyM. (1998). The foundations of social research: meaning and perspective in the research process. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Early Childhood Education Taskforce. (2011). An agenda for amazing children: Final report of the ECE taskforce. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.
11.
EbbeckM., & WaniganayakeM. (2004). Early childhood professionals: leading today and tomorrow. Every Child, 10, 29.
12.
GolemanD. (2004). What makes a leader?Harvard Business Review.82, 82–91.
13.
GrarockM., & MorriseyA.M. (2013). Teachers' perceptions of their abilities to be educational leaders in Victorian childcare settings. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(2), 4–12.
14.
GuthrieK. L., & JonesT. B. (2012). Teaching and learning: Using experiential learning and reflection for leadership education. New Directions for Student Services, 140, 53–63.
15.
HeikkaJ., & WaniganayakeM. (2011). Pedagogical leadership from a distributed perspective within the context of early childhood education. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 14(4), 499–512.
16.
HicksonH. (2011). Critical reflection: reflecting on learning to be reflective. Reflective Practice, 12(6), 829–839.
17.
JohnsonB., & ChristensenL. B. (2012). Educational research: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (4th edn). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
18.
JohnsonR. B., & OnwuegbuzieA. J. (2004). Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose time has come. Educational researcher, 33(7), 14–26.
19.
KieffJ. (2009). Informed advocacy in early childhood care and education: making a difference for young children and families. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Pearson.
20.
McCallM. W. (2004). Leadership development through experience. The Academy of Management Executive, 18(3), 127–130.
21.
McDowall ClarkR. (2012). ‘I've never thought of myself as a leader but…’: the early years professional and catalytic leadership. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 20(3), 391–401.
22.
MustardJ. F. (2008). Investing in the early years: closing the gap between what we know and what we do.Adelaide: Department of Premier and Cabinet.
23.
O'SullivanJ. (2009). Leadership skills in the early years: making a difference.London: Network Continuum.
24.
OvertonJ. (2009). Early childhood teachers in contexts of power: Empowerment and a voice. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(2), 1–10.
ReicherS. D., HaslamS. A., & PlatowM. J. (2007). The new psychology of leadership. Scientific American Mind, 18(4), 22–29.
27.
RoddJ. (2006). Leadership in early childhood (3rd edn). St Leonards: Allen & Unwin.
28.
RyderD., ChandraY., DaltonJ., HomerM., & PassinghamD. (2011). The development process of an early childhood education leadership programme: A distributed leadership perspective. Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice, 26(2), 62–68.
29.
SharpC., LordP., HandscombG., MacleodS., SouthcottC., GeorgeN., (2012). Highly effective leadership in children's centres.Nottingham: National College for School Leadership.
30.
Siraj-BlatchfordI., & ManniL. (2007). Effective leadership in the early years sector: The ELEYS study.London: Institute of Education, University of London.
31.
SmithM. M. (2005). Strategies for successful fellowships: Nurturing early childhood leaders. Young Children, 60, 12–18.
32.
SylvaK., MelhuishE., SammonsP., Siraj-BlatchfordI., & TaggartB. (2004). The effective provision of pre-school education (EPPE) project: Final Report. Institute of Education, University of London/Department for Education and Skills/Sure Start.
33.
TannenbaumS. C., & BarrettR. D. (2005). Relevance of service-learning in college courses. Academic Exchange, 9(2), 197–201.
34.
TashakkoriA., & CreswellJ. W. (2007). Editorial: the new era of mixed methods. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1, 3–7.
WalterM. (Ed.). (2013). Social research methods (3rd edn). South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.
39.
WaniganayakeM., CheesemanS., FenechM., HadleyF., & ShepherdW. (2012). Leadership; contexts and complexities in early childhood education.South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
40.
WaniganayakeM., MordaR., & KapsalakisA. (2000). Leadership in child care centres: is it just another job?Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 25, 13–19.
41.
ZhuX. (2011). Student teachers' reflection during practicum: Plenty on action, few in action. Reflective Practice, 12(6), 763–775.
