Notions of Leadership in the New Zealand ECE Centres of Innovation Programme

Abstract

Historically there has been limited recognition of, and research into, notions of leadership in the New Zealand early childhood education (ECE) sector. A study completed in 2005 exploring how leadership is defined and enacted in the New Zealand ECE Centres of Innovation (COI) gives us some insights into leadership in this sector. Although the three COI in this study represent different early childhood services, there were significant similarities in how leadership was enacted. This research found that leadership as defined and enacted in the COI was a shared endeavour and was characterised by courage, commitment and collaboration.