Integrative Leadership Framework for Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care

Several changes have taken place both in the content and structure of early childhood education and care (ECEC) throughout the world, which has led to a need for developing leadership and quality evaluation strategies in early educational settings. Recent changes call for understanding leadership as part of comprehensive ECEC governance. The purpose of this conceptual chapter is to describe how governance, leadership, and operational culture in the ECEC context are integrated and how they provide the foundation for examining quality in ECEC. The aim of the chapter is to introduce a comprehensive approach to ECEC leadership, called an integrative leadership framework, developed in the Finnish ECEC context. The integrative leadership framework introduces the dimensions affecting operational culture in ECEC leadership and curriculum implementation when developing quality of ECEC services and their pedagogical practices. Legislation and administrative premises provide the frame for the leadership and management functions, as well as for quality management. The integrative leadership framework combines the dimensions connected to leadership to provide high-quality ECEC services.