Review of Research on Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care

Effective leadership in early years has been researched in many countries including international comparison and its importance is emphasized related to the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC). This paper reviewed international and domestic ECEC leadership research and addressed significant issues for future discussion on ECEC leadership research. First, the transition of ECEC leadership models was overviewed. Then, empirical studies on the relation between ECEC leadership and the quality of ECEC were reviewed, including structural quality, process quality, and children’s outcome. Also, policy and system for ECEC leadership education, training, and qualification were introduced. Finally, the agendas for future ECEC leadership research were discussed referring to the newest trends in school leadership research. This paper proposes the need for research on dynamism and process of ECEC leadership