title: Making sense of leadership in early childhood education: Tensions and complexities between concepts and practices

authors: Klevering, Nicki

subjects: Leadership

abstract: Effective leadership within early childhood settings is aligned with the perceived successful implementation of high quality care and education programmes (Thornton, Tamati, Clarkin-Philips, Aitken & Wansbrough, 2009). With growing attention on the role early childhood education (ECE) plays in preparing children to be successful in their lives, it is not surprising that there is increased focus on the work and impact of educational leaders in this endeavour. An expanding body of research specifically exploring leadership within ECE settings illustrates how much of the educational leadership theory corpus lacks contextual relevance and fails to recognise the complexities and realities of leading in early years contexts (Rodd, 2013). The qualitative research reported on in this article examines the leadership understandings and perceptions of five qualified, registered early childhood leaders. The findings illustrated that whilst participants were cognisant of the role effective leadership plays in providing quality care and education, there was much confusion about what leadership entailed and how leadership differentiated from management in this context. The contextual complexities of the ECE sector were a significant influence on each participant’s opportunity to learn about, and practise leadership. Findings also revealed a need for contextually relevant and progressive approaches to leadership learning to support early childhood leaders and teachers in their leadership work.

text: Making sense of leadership in early childhood education: Tensions and complexities between concepts and practices Effective leadership within early childhood settings is aligned with the perceived successful implementation of high quality care and education programmes (Thornton, Tamati, Clarkin-Philips, Aitken & Wansbrough, 2009). With growing attention on the role early childhood education (ECE) plays in preparing children to be successful in their lives, it is not surprising that there is increased focus on the work and impact of educational leaders in this endeavour. An expanding body of research specifically exploring leadership within ECE settings illustrates how much of the educational leadership theory corpus lacks contextual relevance and fails to recognise the complexities and realities of leading in early years contexts (Rodd, 2013). The qualitative research reported on in this article examines the leadership understandings and perceptions of five qualified, registered early childhood leaders. The findings illustrated that whilst participants were cognisant of the role effective leadership plays in providing quality care and education, there was much confusion about what leadership entailed and how leadership differentiated from management in this context. The contextual complexities of the ECE sector were a significant influence on each participant’s opportunity to learn about, and practise leadership. Findings also revealed a need for contextually relevant and progressive approaches to leadership learning to support early childhood leaders and teachers in their leadership work.

year: 2019

title: Analysing pedagogical change: Physics teachers' responses to a new curriculum.

authors: Fernandez, Teresa Sushama

subjects: teaching

abstract: This paper describes teachers' attempts to implement the 1994 New Zealand physics curriculum in the first year of its introduction to secondary schools in 1998. Analysis of interviews with 10 physics teachers and the three curriculum writers led to the identification of a number of barriers to changes in pedagogical practices. The barriers identified aligned with factors that had been identified by other researchers as important influences on teachers undergoing change. It is argued that a sociocultural perspective suggests that there were three main reasons why significant pedagogical change was not occasioned by the curriculum document. Firstly, there was very limited knowledge about why changes were being implemented. Secondly, there was little social and system support for the curriculum change. Finally, teachers had no time to focus on and reflect on the change.

text: Analysing pedagogical change: Physics teachers' responses to a new curriculum. This paper describes teachers' attempts to implement the 1994 New Zealand physics curriculum in the first year of its introduction to secondary schools in 1998. Analysis of interviews with 10 physics teachers and the three curriculum writers led to the identification of a number of barriers to changes in pedagogical practices. The barriers identified aligned with factors that had been identified by other researchers as important influences on teachers undergoing change. It is argued that a sociocultural perspective suggests that there were three main reasons why significant pedagogical change was not occasioned by the curriculum document. Firstly, there was very limited knowledge about why changes were being implemented. Secondly, there was little social and system support for the curriculum change. Finally, teachers had no time to focus on and reflect on the change.

year: 2003

title: Putting Sylvia in her place: Ashton-Warner as New Zealand educational theorist

authors: Middleton, Sue

subjects: Sylvia Ashton-Warner

abstract: Sylvia Ashton-Warner, a New Zealand teacher, won international acclaim in the 1950s-1950s with her novels, autobiographies, and accounts of her educational theory. Blurring genres between fiction and autobiography, much of her writing was centred on the ‘creative teaching scheme’ she developed in Maori Schools. At the heart of the scheme was the idea that literacy was best achieved when children captioned their experiences of fear and sex, the two great (Freudian) drives. In Sylvia’s infant room, these erupted to the surface by means of captions (a child’s ‘key vocabulary’). I introduce Lefebvre’s idea of ‘rhythm analysis’, applying it first to the teaching scheme, then to the ‘system’ in which Ashton-Warner taught. With reference to extracts from Ashton-Warner’s Creative Teaching Scheme and Myself, I connect the rhythms of her life with her ‘theory.’ I identify Sylvia’s own ‘key words’ (violence and war; ghosts; sex and the kiss) and their rhythmic engagements and collisions with educational ‘authorities.’

text: Putting Sylvia in her place: Ashton-Warner as New Zealand educational theorist Sylvia Ashton-Warner, a New Zealand teacher, won international acclaim in the 1950s-1950s with her novels, autobiographies, and accounts of her educational theory. Blurring genres between fiction and autobiography, much of her writing was centred on the ‘creative teaching scheme’ she developed in Maori Schools. At the heart of the scheme was the idea that literacy was best achieved when children captioned their experiences of fear and sex, the two great (Freudian) drives. In Sylvia’s infant room, these erupted to the surface by means of captions (a child’s ‘key vocabulary’). I introduce Lefebvre’s idea of ‘rhythm analysis’, applying it first to the teaching scheme, then to the ‘system’ in which Ashton-Warner taught. With reference to extracts from Ashton-Warner’s Creative Teaching Scheme and Myself, I connect the rhythms of her life with her ‘theory.’ I identify Sylvia’s own ‘key words’ (violence and war; ghosts; sex and the kiss) and their rhythmic engagements and collisions with educational ‘authorities.’

year: 2009