How Leadership Should Be Exercised in Early Childhood Education?

This research article gathers the perceptions about how directors and pedagogical teams understand and experience leadership within five Junji preschools in Chile. Data were collected for from five semi-structured interviews and a participant observation. Findings suggest three forms of exercising leadership: pedagogical,supervisory, and administrative. In all cases, there are the same threats to leadership. The study uncovers some personal skills and characteristics common to the ways of leading. The article also highlights the context as a key element to the exercise of leadership, and the importance of modeling collaborative cultures, which consider the centrality of children's learning in preschool education.