Pedagogical Leadership in Early Childhood Education

Pedagogical leadership views leadership as something separate from formal authority or qualifications, seeing educators' understanding, interpretation and passion as the key lever for continuous improvement in early childhood education (ECE). This book shows how effective pedagogical leadership can create the right conditions for quality ECE provision, to increase motivation and engagement among staff, and impact positively on staff recruitment and retention. Written by a team of international experts based in Australia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the USA, this book explores pedagogical leadership in ECE in-depth and through an international lens. The chapters address questions including: what is pedagogic leadership?; what does it look like?; what impact can pedagogic leadership have on the everyday work of nurseries and other ECE providers? The contributors cover a range of topics including trauma-responsive pedagogy, child-initiated pedagogies, conflict management, change management theory and social leadership theory.

Mona Sakr is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood at Middlesex University, UK. She is co-editor, with Jayne Osgood, of Postdevelopmental Approaches to Childhood Art (Bloomsbury, 2019) and co-author, with Bindu Trivedy, Nichola Hall, Laura O'Brien and Roberto Federici, of Creativity and Making in Early Childhood (Bloomsbury, 2018).
June O'Sullivan MBE is Chief Executive of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), UK. She is the author of Leadership Skills in the Early Years (Bloomsbury, 2009) and Successful Leadership in the Early Years (Bloomsbury, 2015).

List of Illustrations
List of Contributors
Introduction, June O'Sullivan (London Early Years Foundation, UK) and Mona Sakr (Middlesex University, UK)
1. 'Intellectually Alive Early Childhood Education': A Conversation about Pedagogical Leadership with Julian Grenier, Julian Grenier (Sheringham Nursery School and Children's Centre, UK)
2. Pedagogic Cultures in Early Childhood: Framing Children's Experiences, Lorna Arnott (University of Strathclyde, UK)
3. The Pedagogical Leader at London Early Years Foundation: Defining and Developing the Role, June O'Sullivan (London Early Years Foundation, UK)
4. Trauma-Responsive Pedagogical Leadership in Early Childhood Education, Julie Nicholson ((Mills College, USA)
5. Pedagogies Leadership in Practice with Babies, Mandy Cuttler (London Early Years Foundation, UK)
6. Plan-Do-Review: What Can We Learn from Change Management Theories About Pedagogical Leadership?, Helen Perkins (Wolverhampton University, UK)
7. Pedagogical Leadership: Comparing Approaches and Practices in England, Greece and Sweden, Ioanna Palaiologou (University of Bristol, UK), Eleftheria Argyropoulou (University of Crete, Greece), Maria Styf (Mid-Sweden University, Sweden), Catarina Arvidsson (Mid Sweden University, Sweden) Amanda Ince (UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK) and Trevor Male (UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK)
8. Pedagogical Leadership Among Directors and Deputies in Early Childhood Settings in Australia, Finland and Norway: A Summary of a Small-Scale Study, Leena Halttunen (University of Jyväskylä, Finland), Margaret Sims (Macquarie University, Australia), Marit Bøe (University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway), Karin Hognestad (University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway), Johanna Heikka (University of Eastern Finland, Finland), Manjula Waniganayake (Macquarie University, Australia) and Fay Hadley (Macquarie University, Australia)
9. An Organizational Approach to Supporting Pedagogical Leadership: Reporting on a Case Study with the London Early Years Foundation, Mona Sakr (Middlesex University, UK)
10. 'If You're Going to Build a House where Everyone Develops and Learns, You Can't Have Hoarders': A Conversation About Pedagogical Leadership with Nichole Leigh Mosty, Nichole Leigh Mosty (National Multicultural Information Center Iceland, Iceland)
11. Fostering Pedagogical Leadership through Action Research: A Practical Perspective, Mandy Cuttler (London Early Years Foundation, UK) and Nick Corlett (London Early Years Foundation, UK) with Mona Sakr (Middlesex University, UK)
12. Interpretations of Pedagogical Leadership among Community-Based Early Childhood Education Leaders in Azerbaijan, Ulviyya Mikailova (ADA University, Azerbaijan), Gwendolyn Burchell (United Aid for Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan)
13. Pedagogical Leadership in Italian Early Childhood Education Settings: Managing Conflicts While Facilitating Participative Decision-Making, Federico Farini (Northampton University, UK)
14. Advancing Pedagogical Leadership at National Level: Looking for a Policy Window, Sara Bonetti (Education Policy Institute, UK) and Mona Sakr (Middlesex University, UK)
Conclusion: Sustaining the Vision of Pedagogical Leadership, June O'Sullivan (London Early Years Foundation, UK) and Mona Sakr (Middlesex University, UK)
References
Index