Word Limit: 2000

Maddison +/- 10%

Edebohls
EDU30062 – EDUCATIONAL Weight: 50%
Due: Friday 5th May 2023 – 5pm

LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT &

PROGRAM ASSESSMENT
Assignment 1: Essay
In early learning centres, leadership is vital for improving the quality of care for the children
and families who are enrolled and that visit these facilities (Rodd, 2013). Educators in early
childhood settings often receive training where an emphasis on value is placed on
management, rather than leadership (Rodd, 2013). There are many discussions and challenges
based around the word leadership versus management, and this is why the two terms are often
used reciprocally. Generally, someone who is employed as a manager is given roles such as
managing some or all the people in a workplace, managing events, and managing procedures
and processes that need to occur to ensure the workplace runs as it should. Someone who is
employed as a leader has usually earned themselves this job title as they are a good candidate
for leading people in ways that are empowering and assist in the development of others,
which creates a workplace culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and loved (Rodd, 2013).
Understanding the issues that lie within leadership and management can be difficult,
however, this essay is going to delve deeper into three objectives that will describe potential
problems that people who are striving to be leaders are facing. Among these three ideas,
discussion will be made based around the relevant theories or models, and how these can be
aligned with the practice in early childhood education.

An insufficient understanding of the responsibilities and roles within a leadership position in

early childhood [EC] can be supported by the Moyles effective leadership and management
scheme (2006). The lack of training availability to educators in early childhood settings is an
idea that links to the behavioural theory where it is a suggestion that educators can learn new
skills to become a leader (Deshwal & Ali, 2020). Maxwell’s 5 levels of leadership model
(2011) assist those with the belief that there are a restricted number of opportunities in these
roles and not feeling like it is known where to or how to start in these positions. When it
comes to understanding management and leadership roles, there are only a few instances
where educators are faced with confusion, but otherwise when explained, most educators in
early childhood services can understand and make informed choices about their experiences.

The values of community, and belief in society are what reinforce the different ways in which
leadership is defined within different countries around the world (Waniganayake et al., 2017).
Leadership within an early childhood setting can be explained in many different ways,
depending on lived in experiences, workplace cultures, and individual opinions. External
factors are what contributes to and influences leadership in different workplaces. How
leadership is viewed by others is often a contributing factor to how someone would act, and
embrace a role in this manner (Rodd, 2013). In different organisations, leadership is practiced

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and prioritised differently (Waniganayake et al, 2017). In early childhood education centres
the National Quality Standards [NQS] recognise leaders as a person who commits their time
in the workplace to administrative systems and acts towards quality improvement (Australian
Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], n.d). Communication of ideas
and visions with others, focussing on the future success of the centre, and inspiring others to
be committed to effective change, are all attributes that contribute towards what an effective
leader looks like (ACECQA, n.d). People in a leadership role have the ability to contribute
help to others and create environments of empowerment, change, and development, where
these concepts are normalised and many discussions can be held in their importance by
employee collaboration (ACECQA, n.d). Having or entailing the ability to have positive
dispositions such as resilience, equality, trust, and humility, strong interpersonal skills, and a
productive mindset where providing and receiving constructive feedback comes easily are all
attributes and/ or skills required of a leader to be successful (ACECQA, n.d).

In management, the focus remains on daily tasks, procedures, processes, and people, in which
they are just organising, or keeping to a schedule for all of these areas (ACECQA, n.d). A
management role involves focussing on the current situation at the present time which
includes the day to day functioning of the early childhood setting, as well as planning and
organising for the control and coordination of the general running of the centre, including all
aspects such as arrivals and departures of families and staff, sign ins and outs, educator
availability and rosters, programming, what learning plans are happening in each room for
the day, attendance and logging events such as nappies and feeding, to report on and relay to
families should this need to occur. Confidentiality, and correct storage of information is a
management responsibility. There are policies and procedures created and handled by
management that outline that any complaints or negative discourse be dealt with in a positive
and timely manner to ensure that the early childhood centre is always striving to support and
provide the best service possible (ACECQA, n.d). Ensuring a quality service stays that way,
happens by effective administrative systems enabling management to provide this level of
service. Everchanging environments are consistently reviewed by effective management as a
pass to continually improve a service (ACECQA, n.d). A wide range of skills are required in
quality management including a sound knowledge and understanding of early childhood
education on its own, accompanied by the National Quality Standards, and experience within
using this knowledge for effective practice. Being able to practice through these skills allows

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effective management to occur as managers can play their role from a place of experience
and not just a place of assumption or presumption (Tinanoff et al., 2019).

There is a lack of understanding due to no significant definition surrounding leadership and

its expectations. There is also a lack in knowledge around how leadership and management
roles are often seen and used interchangeably. These factors contribute to how there are few
people who are willing to apply and be involved in early childhood settings within a
leadership role. Leadership roles are often not a first-choice job position for many people due
to a few factors that include a lack in understanding of employment rights, low wages, and a
repetition of heavy workload that are associated with leadership roles in early childhood
education (Rodd, 2013). Early childhood educators in leadership and management roles are
provided with support through the Moyles scheme. Moyles created an evaluation of
leadership that was both effective and progressive. It allows educators to receive guidance
throughout the more complex and complicated parts of managing and leading positions in
early childhood settings (Rodd, 2013). The Moyles model provides educators in leadership
and management roles the skills they require to be able to evaluate their own knowledge and
abilities (Rodd, 2013). There are four skills that are seen to be vital to these higher duties and
they include professional skills, leadership qualities, personal characteristics, and
management skills (Rodd, 2013). The Moyles model also entails a system for four levels of
operation (Rodd, 2013). They are similar, but not the same as the stages of professional
development (Rodd, 2013). The four levels are inclusive of reflective and philosophic,
reasoned and articulate, intuitive and pragmatic, and involved and collaborative (Rodd,
2013).

Employees who work in the early childhood education sector can opt to take part in
leadership roles at any time in their career. With this being said, there needs to be supportive
systems providing guidance to educators on a professional level throughout their early
childhood careers as to be able to assist them with transitioning into new progressions along
the way to a new or higher duties role (Waniganayake, et al., 2017). Leadership opportunities
in early childhood settings are multiplex but it allows the Moyles model to provide
opportunities for educators to set objectives and outcomes for themselves both professionally
and personally as they become emerging leaders (Rodd, 2013). Area 7 within the National
Quality Standards suggests that leadership and service management can constitute to be seen
as the same role and person within the workplace (ACECQA, n.d). An organised and
professional learning community can be empowered by efficacious leadership that promotes

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the building and construction of such environment the NQS states (ACECQA, n.d). In line
with the Moyles model of self-evaluations, performance improvement and the performance of
educators is evaluated, and this provides opportunity for ensuring that leadership teams
always have continual commitment.

A limited availability to early childhood educators of professional development means that

due to this ongoing restriction, there are not many people who are trained, or educated
specialists to advocate for educators to be guided towards a continued effort to produce
progression in early childhood settings (Rodd, 2013). As adults, learning occurs through
experiencing experiences. Having a problem-solving focus and being able to focus on the
process’s relevance is helpful to adult learning (Russell, 2006). How leaders behave and act is
what the behavioural theory focuses on, whilst also exploring what behaviours and attributes
a leader possesses (Chiok Foong Loke, 2001). Leaders can decide on the actions they would
like to implement in accordance with the type of person they would like to be as a leader.
This is supported by the behavioural theory (Amanchukwu et al., 2015). There are three
approaches that generally support the behavioural theory of leadership and they are based
primarily on behaviours themselves. These approaches are inclusive of people-orientated
(democratic), task-orientated (autocratic), and easy-going-orientated (laissez-faire) according
to Rodd (2013). Leaders who fall into the democratic category are usually more inclined to
observe people and head straight to feedback-seeking or giving. Those who are leaders that
fall into the autocratic pool are people who look at processes to see if they are required to
make any changes to continue creating flow in the workplace (Amanchukwu et al., 2015).
Leaders practice their roles by putting in a large amount of time to obtaining and retaining
high level skills and certifications that allow them to present in their job role as authentic and
independent (Rodd, 2013).

Coaching, mentoring, and supervising are strategies that can be implemented in early
childhood that will allow educators to collaborate and learn in effective ways from their
colleagues. With educators being limited to opportunities for leadership, lots of people are
unsure of how they would begin or start to enter the next steps toward leadership roles or
opportunities.

There are five levels of leadership outlined in a model called ‘Maxwell’s Level of
Leadership’. All of the levels have an aspect of motivation and inference for anyone who
believes they would like to pursue a leadership position (Rodd, 2013). These levels include

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Level One – the leader is in a position where others feel like they don’t have choices
regarding compliance. Level two – is based around permission, where other employees
follow because they want too. Level three – has a focus on production, where a leader is seen
as someone who is satisfactory at their job and is successful in set outcomes. Level four –
development of people, where the leader wants to always work towards goals and help others
develop in their own roles. Level five – the best achievement leaders can pursue is this level,
referred to as the pinnacle. In level five, a leader engages and empowers everyone to achieve
the most optimal results (Rodd, 2013).

Maxwell’s model, as mentioned, is not based on a hierarchy of job roles. Anyone in an early
childhood setting can show leadership qualities, simply by making strong relationships with
others (Rodd, 2013). Leaders are recognised by their skills, visions, personal qualities, and
leadership skills. Two of the most vital skills to leadership are communication & self-belief
(Rodd, 2013). Leaders who are strong, confident, and enthusiastic are attractive to other
educators and may allow more educators to feel willing and able to apply or strive for a
leadership role in the future (Russell, 2008). Leadership and management are two large
contributors to the care and quality of children’s education. Adapting to change and driving
improvements are qualities of a good leader. Leaders lead because they are focussed on the
future and enjoy empowering people to be their best and achieve their highest goals. The
models and theories regarding any issues to do with early childhood settings allow a
perspective in understanding the importance of the difference between leadership and
management and what skills are required to make an effective leader or manager.

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 References

Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A review of leadership theories,
principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1), 6-
14.

Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA]. (n.d.). Glossary of terms.
Retrieved from http://www.acecqa.gov.au/glossary-of-terms

Chiok Foong Loke, J. (2001). Leadership behaviours: effects on job satisfaction, productivity and
organizational commitment. Journal of nursing management, 9(4), 191-204.

Deshwal, V., & Ali, M. A. (2020). A systematic review of various leadership theories. Shanlax
International Journal of Commerce, 8(1), 38-43.

Moyles, J. (2006). Effective leadership and management in the early years. Open University Press.

Rodd, J. (2013). Leadership in early childhood: the pathway to professionalism (4th ed.). Berkshire,

England: Open University Press.

Russell, J. F. (2008). Enthusiastic Educational Leadership. Florida Journal of Educational

Administration & Policy, 1(2), 79-97.

Russell, S. S. (2006). An overview of adult-learning processes. Urologic nursing, 26(5), 349-352.

Tinanoff, N., Baez, R. J., Diaz Guillory, C., Donly, K. J., Feldens, C. A., McGrath, C., ... &
Twetman, S. (2019). Early childhood caries epidemiology, aetiology, risk assessment,
societal burden, management, education, and policy: Global perspective. International
journal of paediatric dentistry, 29(3), 238-248.

Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shephard, W. (2017). Leadership:
Contexts and complexities in Early Childhood Education (2nd ed.). South Melbourne,
Victoria: Oxford University Press.