title: The journey of leaders: Planned or unplanned?

authors: Ryan, Nicole

subjects: leadership in early childhood education

abstract: According to Ren-Etta Sullivan (2003) pathways that lead to career progression within the early childhood education sector are unclear. Furthermore it seems that there is a lack of research which underpins leadership theory in the early childhood education sector (Ebbeck  Waniganayake, 2004; Rodd, 2006; Scrivens, 2003; Thornton, 2003). Due to the absence of research, early childhood education professionals have not formed clear opinions about leadership (Ren-Etta Sullivan, 2003). This lack of opinion has lead to leadership in early childhood education being under researched, undefined, undervalued and under-represented in dialogue, policy and practice.
This study is the investigation of how early childhood education leaders have come to be in positions of leadership. This study explores research that underpins theories of leadership in the early childhood education context. Through exploring the career path of 6 early childhood education leaders, this study gives an insight into the ideas, opinions and explanations of how the participant has come to be in positions of leadership.
The overarching research questions of this study are:
  How do early childhood educational leaders come to be in positions of leadership?
  What career path have early childhood education leaders taken in order to get to their position of leadership?
  What experiences do early childhood educational leaders come to leadership positions with?
  Is there a specific path which early childhood education leaders have taken in order to get into positions of leadership? (Is there a pathway to becoming an early childhood education leader?)
Arising from these stories were personal accounts of each participants experiences, professional roles and varied career journeys. Through interviewing the six early childhood education leaders, many other insights into leadership within early childhood education became evident. Early childhood education leadership arena includes many different positions of leadership across a range of early childhood education services and departments. As Rodd (2006) states leadership is shown in different ways and means different things to different people. This study explores current ideas and perspectives about leadership in early childhood education.
This study tells the story of how early childhood education has been undervalued and women dominated which has led to different approaches and understanding about leadership and a lack of interest in this area by policymakers and authoritarian figures. In spite of this, strong leaders (and mainly women) have arisen through different pathways. These leaders are likely to view leadership differently and see models of leadership needing to be different for the context of early childhood education.
Early childhood education needs good leadership particularly in light of the significant growth and changes within the sector; therefore it is imperative that leadership professional development is provided, and discussions about leadership become part of early childhood contexts.

text: The journey of leaders: Planned or unplanned? According to Ren-Etta Sullivan (2003) pathways that lead to career progression within the early childhood education sector are unclear. Furthermore it seems that there is a lack of research which underpins leadership theory in the early childhood education sector (Ebbeck  Waniganayake, 2004; Rodd, 2006; Scrivens, 2003; Thornton, 2003). Due to the absence of research, early childhood education professionals have not formed clear opinions about leadership (Ren-Etta Sullivan, 2003). This lack of opinion has lead to leadership in early childhood education being under researched, undefined, undervalued and under-represented in dialogue, policy and practice.
This study is the investigation of how early childhood education leaders have come to be in positions of leadership. This study explores research that underpins theories of leadership in the early childhood education context. Through exploring the career path of 6 early childhood education leaders, this study gives an insight into the ideas, opinions and explanations of how the participant has come to be in positions of leadership.
The overarching research questions of this study are:
  How do early childhood educational leaders come to be in positions of leadership?
  What career path have early childhood education leaders taken in order to get to their position of leadership?
  What experiences do early childhood educational leaders come to leadership positions with?
  Is there a specific path which early childhood education leaders have taken in order to get into positions of leadership? (Is there a pathway to becoming an early childhood education leader?)
Arising from these stories were personal accounts of each participants experiences, professional roles and varied career journeys. Through interviewing the six early childhood education leaders, many other insights into leadership within early childhood education became evident. Early childhood education leadership arena includes many different positions of leadership across a range of early childhood education services and departments. As Rodd (2006) states leadership is shown in different ways and means different things to different people. This study explores current ideas and perspectives about leadership in early childhood education.
This study tells the story of how early childhood education has been undervalued and women dominated which has led to different approaches and understanding about leadership and a lack of interest in this area by policymakers and authoritarian figures. In spite of this, strong leaders (and mainly women) have arisen through different pathways. These leaders are likely to view leadership differently and see models of leadership needing to be different for the context of early childhood education.
Early childhood education needs good leadership particularly in light of the significant growth and changes within the sector; therefore it is imperative that leadership professional development is provided, and discussions about leadership become part of early childhood contexts.

year: 2010

title: Good mothering in precarity: The societal expectations of solo mothers in Aotearoa - an exploration of the food sourcing, providing and preparing practices or three low-income solo mothers.

authors: McKinnon, Caroline Anne

abstract: This thesis examines the intersection of food insecurity and solo motherhood in Aotearoa New Zealand, focussing on how low-income solo mothers navigate the challenges of food sourcing, preparing, and providing for themselves and their children, with particular attention to the role of the school or ECE lunchbox. Using a qualitative case study methodology, grounded in social and feminist constructionism, this research explores the lived experiences of three solo mothers, Helen, Constance and Melissa, through semi-structured interviews, photo-elicitation, and shop-along interviews.
The findings of this research suggest that food insecurity for solo mothers represents just one layer of broader precarity. In each of the cases, systemic barriers related to welfare, employment and housing significantly shaped their food providing practices. Beyond financial constraints, societal expectations of intensive mothering and the nuclear family unit further compounded their experiences. The pervasive nature of these ideals created conditions of unattainable self-sacrificial parenting that negatively contributed towards the solo mothers’ abilities to thrive.
This research underscores the importance of examining the broader social, cultural and economic contexts of solo mothers in Aotearoa New Zealand when exploring food insecurity and marginalisation for solo mothers.

text: Good mothering in precarity: The societal expectations of solo mothers in Aotearoa - an exploration of the food sourcing, providing and preparing practices or three low-income solo mothers. This thesis examines the intersection of food insecurity and solo motherhood in Aotearoa New Zealand, focussing on how low-income solo mothers navigate the challenges of food sourcing, preparing, and providing for themselves and their children, with particular attention to the role of the school or ECE lunchbox. Using a qualitative case study methodology, grounded in social and feminist constructionism, this research explores the lived experiences of three solo mothers, Helen, Constance and Melissa, through semi-structured interviews, photo-elicitation, and shop-along interviews.
The findings of this research suggest that food insecurity for solo mothers represents just one layer of broader precarity. In each of the cases, systemic barriers related to welfare, employment and housing significantly shaped their food providing practices. Beyond financial constraints, societal expectations of intensive mothering and the nuclear family unit further compounded their experiences. The pervasive nature of these ideals created conditions of unattainable self-sacrificial parenting that negatively contributed towards the solo mothers’ abilities to thrive.
This research underscores the importance of examining the broader social, cultural and economic contexts of solo mothers in Aotearoa New Zealand when exploring food insecurity and marginalisation for solo mothers.

year: 2024

title: Listening and Learning from Rangatahi Māori: the Voices of Māori Youth

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: student self-determination

abstract: This paper presents three stories-over-time of the secondary schooling experiences of New Zealand’s rangatahi Māori–or Māori youth. The stories span fifteen years of New Zealand schooling and are told from three perspectives: the experiences of the students as told in their own words; the voices of youth within the prevailing political contexts of government policy; and, the reframing and repositioning of researchers listening to the experiences of rangatahi Māori who believe they have succeeded as Māori. In reality, the stories are interwoven, however, in an effort to make sense of the various methodological dilemmas, risks, and entanglements across the three points of learning, we have endeavored to disentangle these different threads from the whole and follow these independent of each other. We then weave these threads together again, as we sense-make across this complexity to identify implications for other educators, policy makers and researchers.

text: Listening and Learning from Rangatahi Māori: the Voices of Māori Youth This paper presents three stories-over-time of the secondary schooling experiences of New Zealand’s rangatahi Māori–or Māori youth. The stories span fifteen years of New Zealand schooling and are told from three perspectives: the experiences of the students as told in their own words; the voices of youth within the prevailing political contexts of government policy; and, the reframing and repositioning of researchers listening to the experiences of rangatahi Māori who believe they have succeeded as Māori. In reality, the stories are interwoven, however, in an effort to make sense of the various methodological dilemmas, risks, and entanglements across the three points of learning, we have endeavored to disentangle these different threads from the whole and follow these independent of each other. We then weave these threads together again, as we sense-make across this complexity to identify implications for other educators, policy makers and researchers.

year: 2017