Posted: January 27th, 2025

Leadership and Advocacy in Early Childhood Education: Exploring the Role of an Educational Leader

TCHR3004 LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Assessment Two: Portfolio

Assessment Brief

Assessment name: Portfolio
Due Date: 4th October 2024 (Week 6)
Weighting: 50% of final grade
Length: 1500 words (10% leeway above and below)

Unit Learning Outcomes
You will demonstrate the following Unit Learning Outcomes on the successful completion of this task:

Demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of leadership and management in practice in early childhood education and care services and settings underpinned by theoretical and practical perspectives on administration, management, and leadership. This includes demonstrating how leadership theory informs strategic decisions and daily interactions with educators, staff, and families.

Demonstrate an understanding of how to build supportive and collaborative environments for children, parents, the community, and staff. Effective collaboration in these settings fosters inclusivity and respects diverse cultural and societal contexts.

Critically reflect on the role that advocacy plays in early childhood education (locally, nationally, and internationally) and identify the skills that a strong advocate for the ECEC profession should display. Advocacy often requires clear communication, resilience, and the ability to mobilize stakeholders to support initiatives that benefit children and educators.

Critically analyse and understand the role of the educational leader: including relationships, responsibilities, expectations, ethical practice, and transitions to an educational leader. Ethical practices ensure that the leader’s decisions align with the values and principles of early childhood education frameworks.

Task Description:
Three interviews with educational leaders in ECEC have been provided under the Assignment 2 information link.

Choose ONE interview with an educational leader and prepare a critical review of the role, responsibilities, and challenges of the early childhood educational leader. This critical review should reflect evidence-based observations supported by references to theoretical frameworks.

The information collected from the interview is to be analysed to describe the educational leader’s position with respect to:

Key roles and responsibilities of the educational leader
The leadership style, and linking this to early childhood leadership theory
Additionally, consider how the practical approaches align or deviate from these theoretical foundations.

Discuss the challenges faced by the early childhood educational leader with respect to leadership style, processes, and practices employed; provide examples in practice.

Present and discuss measures the educational leader takes to advocate for children’s learning and development. Include real-world applications that showcase improvement in educational outcomes and alignment with ethical practice.

Critically review what quality means in terms of the leadership role regarding educational outcomes for children; provide examples in practice. This involves linking practice to quality standards and acknowledging the role of continuous professional development.

Rationale:
As an early childhood educator, it is important you have a strong understanding of leadership and your role as a leader. Leadership is essential for fostering an engaging, inclusive, and effective educational environment for children and staff alike. It is also helpful to have a good understanding of interview expectations for the role of an educational leader. Interview insights provide practical perspectives, bridging theoretical knowledge and real-world application.

Referencing:
APA 7th referencing format is required in Faculty of Education assessment tasks.
A minimum of 10 references must be included in this assessment task, including the set text, National Quality Standard, and the Early Years Learning Framework (V2.0). Ensure all references are critically analysed and integrated effectively into the discussion.

Support Resources:

Academic Integrity – SCU guidelines
Learning Zone – workshops, Quick Guides, videos, study hub
Digital Receipt Download – Evidence of submission and compliance with due dates
Submission details:
Submission of your assessment is via TURNITIN. Early submission is encouraged to avoid unforeseen technical issues.

If you have any difficulties submitting your assignment, please contact Technology Services and ensure that a support ticket is logged. Timely submission demonstrates your responsibility and organizational skills.
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TCHR3004 LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Assessment Two: Portfolio
Assessment Brief
Assessment name: Portfolio
Due Date: 4th October 2024 (Week 6)
Weighting: 50% of final grade
Length: 1500 words (10% leeway above and below)
Unit Learning
Outcomes
You will demonstrate the following Unit Learning Outcomes on the successful completion
of this task:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of leadership and management in
practice in early childhood education and care services and settings underpinned
by theoretical and practical perspectives on administration, management and
leadership.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of how to build supportive and collaborative
environments for children, parents, community and staff.
3. Critically reflect on the role that advocacy plays in early childhood education
(locally, nationally and internationally) and identify the skills that a strong advocate
for the ECEC profession should display.
4. Critically analyse and understand the role of the educational leader: including
relationships, responsibilities, expectations, ethical practice and transition to an
educational leader.
Task Description: Three interviews with educational leaders in ECEC have been provided under the
assignment 2 information link.
Choose ONE interview with an educational leader and prepare a critical review of the role,
responsibilities and challenges of the early childhood educational leader.
The information collected from the interview is to be analysed to describe the educational
leader’s position with respect to:
• key roles and responsibilities of the educational leader
• the leadership style, and link this to early childhood leadership theory
Discuss the challenges faced by the early childhood educational leader with respect to
leadership style, processes and practices employed; provide examples in practice.
Present and discuss measures the educational leader takes to advocate for children’s
learning and development.
Critically review what quality means in terms of the leadership role regarding educational
outcomes for children; provide examples in practice.
Rationale As an early childhood educator, it is important you have an understanding about leadership
and your role as a leader. It is also helpful to have a good understanding of interview
expectations for the role of the educational leader.
Referencing APA 7th referencing format is required in Faculty of Education assessment tasks – link to
SCU Libguide here: APA 7 Referencing.
A minimum of 10 references must be included in this assessment task, including the set
text, National Quality Standard and the Early Years Learning Framework (V2.0).
Support Resources Academic Integrity – SCU guidelines
Learning Zone – workshops, Quick Guides, videos, study hub
Submission Submission of your assessment is via TURNITIN. The submission link can be found in
the Assessment Tasks and Submission Tab in the TCHR3004 Blackboard site.
Please note:
• It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the correct file and
the FINAL version of your assessment for marking BEFORE the due date/time.
• After you have followed the TurnItin submission it is essential you download the
Digital Receipt.
• If you have any difficulty submitting your assignment, please contact
Technology Services and make sure that you log a job with them so you have
evidence of your attempted submission. To avoid any last-minute problems,
make sure you submit well before 11:59pm on the due date.
• As per SCU Rules Relating to Awards – Rule 3 – Coursework Awards – Student
Assessment and Examinations: Section 6 – Assessment Resubmission, there are
NO resubmissions for this unit.
Late
Submission/Extension
If you need to apply for special consideration you may do so HERE
If your special consideration application is approved you will need to include a copy of the
approval in your assessment task.
According to SCU Policy, late penalties apply. More information found HERE
Academic Integrity
At Southern Cross University academic integrity means behaving with the values of honesty, fairness,
trustworthiness, courage, responsibility and respect in relation to academic work.
The Southern Cross University Academic Integrity Framework aims to develop a holistic, systematic and consistent
approach to addressing academic integrity across the entire University.
For more information see the SCU Academic Integrity Framework
GenAI May be Used
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as Grammarly Premium, may be used for this Assessment
Task. If you use GenAI tools, you must use these ethically and acknowledge their use. To find out how to reference
GenAI in your work consult the referencing style for your unit via SCU Library referencing guides and the Student
Learning Zone Quick Guide on Acknowledging and referencing GenAI. If you use GenAI tools without
acknowledgment it may result in an academic integrity breach against you as described in the Student Academic and
Non-Academic Misconduct Rules, Section 3.
You may use Grammarly Premium to provide feedback and suggestions on your writing for academic tone, written
expression, grammar, Australian English spelling, and punctuation. You must not use GenAI to generate ideas for this
assessment task. If you choose to use these tools, you must include an appendix to demonstrate your work prior to
using GenAI.
If you have used GenAI in this task, you must include an acknowledgement of how and when you used these tools.
Please use the Assessment Task Coversheet provided under the assessment tasks link and indicate whether or not
you have used GenAI
TCHR3004 Assessment 2 Rubric

 
Critical Review of the Early Childhood Educational Leader’s Role
Introduction
Since educational leaders are responsible for overseeing the quality of early childhood education and care in their settings, they hold a central position in any program or organisation. This interview-based critical review aims to explore the position of an educational leader that was established by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) in 2012. The study focuses on the understanding of the role and responsibilities of an educational leader, leadership style, challenges, advocacy for children’s learning, and approach to quality in educational outcomes. These areas thus offer the level of understanding of the factors that make educational leadership in early childhood settings crucial and challenging.
Key Roles and Responsibilities of the Educational Leader
The interviewed educational leader has been in the position for almost a decade and thus enters the position with significant understanding and experience. Their academic achievements which include a Bachelor of Education (Primary), Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, and Diploma in Child Care and Education offer the knowledge and skills needed in their leadership capacity. This broad educational experience enables the leader to grasp both the fundamental theories and field implementation in early childhood education. The educational leader was able to identify several key functions that closely relate to the ACECQA principles. One of their core functions is to establish professional relationships by educating, directing, and encouraging the educators and teachers under them (ACECQA, 2018). This aspect of their work refers to being able to respect and embrace the learning experiences and preferences of each of the educators and teachers to facilitate their professional needs.
Another critical duty is to create a coherent and mutually understood vision of the curriculum references and instructional strategies toward learning outcomes for children. This involves consultation with the team to confirm that education programs are compliant with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and address the needs of all children within care (AGDE, 2022). The ideas that are underlined by the leader to plan and reflect with other teachers to develop the educational program highlight that the leader perceives his or her responsibilities in a proper way to organise education that is child-centred and provides ample learning opportunities. The educational leader also emphasised the need to show the passion of the team towards professional learning and improvement (Barblett, 2017). This commitment to continued education benefits their practice as well as establishes a culture of continued education for the rest of the team within the service.
Leadership Style and Early Childhood Leadership Theory
The educational leader also self-identifies as a collaborative leader, which is common in the current early childhood leadership theories. This approach is aimed at ensuring the attainment of common objectives, developing relationships based on understanding, observance of diversity and cultural variations, constant interactivity, mapping different groups/ stakeholders, analysis and logical reasoning, and fostering self-motivated and active learning. This form of leadership is very much in line with the distributed leadership model that has been proposed in early childhood education. According to Heikka and Waniganayake (2011), distributed leadership in early childhood is characterised by the sharing of roles and responsibilities and the process of decision-making. The emphasis of the educational leader on goals and relationship construction corresponds with this theoretical framework, igniting the evidence that distributed leadership theory is being applied in practice.
Furthermore, the concentration of the leader on the importance of critical thinking and self-learning also embody certain transformational leadership aspects. Bass and Riggio (2006) refer to transformational leadership as a leadership style that encourages the volunteers to work hard with the aim of producing outstanding results. Through these strategies, the educational leader empowers educators to reflect on their practice and embrace personal and professional responsibility for learning and growth that cultivates a culture of innovation in the education system. It also aligns with the EYLF, as it focuses on partnerships and collaborative relationships within early childhood facilities (AGDE, 2022). The educational leader works in partnership with staff to effect the principles and practice of EYLF within the learning environment, promoting a structured and cooperative atmosphere for children as well as teachers.
Challenges Faced by the Educational Leader
In this narrative, the educational leader highlighted several critical issues that they encounter in their practice, a move that offers an understanding of the topic under consideration, that is, educational leadership in early childhood institutions. Another issue is workload management especially when it comes to managing two positions of Director and Educational Leader (Douglass, 2019). This dual role may mean that the leader needs to divide time between administrative work and pedagogical leadership, which may lead to conflicts in terms of resource allocation. The other concern mentioned by the leader is the lack of cooperation since he is the only person in this position in the service. This can help reduce social interaction and decrease chances of getting support and collaboration further affecting the growth and health of the leader.
Moreover, the leader pointed out that the specifics of the role were not entirely clear and supportive in the beginning, which did not leave much room for defining the scope of the position upon inauguration. All these challenges are relatable to any early childhood leadership position. In another study, Rodd (2013) also identifies a lack of time management as a significant issue among leaders in early childhood settings and additional responsibilities. Loneliness is also a well-known phenomenon in educational leadership, underscoring the need for professional communities and continuous supportive structures (Waniganayake et al., 2017).
To meet these challenges, the following measures have been taken by the leader. They value daily communications with educators, teachers, and children in each room and always remain visible to support them during the service. It assists in minimising the disconnection between administrative roles and the educational management duty of the leader by enabling the leader to remain in touch with children and teachers ‘day-to-day realities. Examples of how the leader deals with the above challenges indicate that the leader is tenacious and a constant learner, which are central qualities of leaders in early childhood (Siraj-Blatchford & Manni, 2007). Thus, while searching for solutions and implementing changes, the educational leader meets his/her own professional development needs but also nurtures problem-solving and adaptability within the team.
Advocacy for Children’s Learning and Development
The educational leader thus displays a clear political agenda of promoting children’s learning and development in several ways. One of their key strategies is the frequent use of the National Quality Framework and a concentration on Toots Exceeding Themes. This way the service can guarantee that it follows national quality benchmarks and it is always moving towards improvement. There is constant feedback from educators and teachers to understand their requirements and consider practices. This kind of reflective practice enables the system to identify areas that need to be strengthened, thus ensuring the program is relevant to the needs of children and families. Through such practice, the leader encourages and promotes quality early childhood education that evolves with society.
Another key reform that the educational leaders have come up with in the school is the adoption and use of mechanised learning that has aspects of the Abecedarian Approach. The cultural framework, which comprises language priority, learning games, conversational reading, and enriched caregiving, reflects EYLF in its beliefs on play and learning interactions and intentional teaching (AGDE, 2022). The understanding of such an approach as the Abecedarian Approach shows the leader’s concern about the application of research-based practice and the development of the educational program for the given service. Through implementing this strategy, the educational leader has demonstrated a desire to integrate new ideas that have been effective in improving the learning achievements of children. This reflects the EYLF principle 4 ongoing learning & reflection by the teachers (AGDE, 2022), and portrays a great example of leadership to quality improvement in ECE.
Quality in Leadership and Educational Outcomes
The educational leader said that they use the National Quality Framework when addressing the aspect of quality, calling it their ‘Bible. ’ This focus on quality is in line with what ACECQA alludes to as improvement of quality in early childhood services (ACECQA, n. d. ). The leader models quality practice by frequently referring to the National Quality Framework and Quality Areas, critically assessing their practice and how the support is offered to the team, as well as adopting scholarly approaches such as the Abecedarian Approach. The role of commitment of the leader to professionalism and quality is seen especially when it comes to matters of professional development for the personnel. Regular self-consideration of their behaviour and eliciting the same in the team members create a progressive work environment among the team members. This matches today’s definition of quality in early childhood education as a long and continuous process of thoughtful practice (Arthur et al., 2015).
Conclusion
This critical review emphasises the diverse and challenging dynamics of educational leaders within early childhood facilities. The leader’s collaborative leadership approach enables smooth practising of the EYLF while promoting a favourable learning environment for children and early years educators. Challenges include scheduling, feeling isolated, and being confused at the beginning; solutions illustrate that the leader is determined, and adaptiveness is possible. These positive effects which revealed students’ language development output, sense of belonging, and families’ involvement are clear indicators of effective education leaders’ influence on the children’s learning and development. The outcomes highlighted above stress the exogenous position of the educational leader and the necessity of transforming theoretical and policy constructs of early childhood education into practical and quality.
 
References
ACECQA. (2018). Guide to the National Quality Framework. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about/guide
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2015). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE]. (2022). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (v.2.0). Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council.
Barblett, K., (2017). The role of practitioners in children’s learning and development in the early years. Keynote Presentation Child Australia Conference, Darwin, October 2017.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Douglass, A. (2019). Leadership for Quality Early Childhood Education and Care. OECD Education Working Paper No. 211. OECD https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=EDU/WKP%282019%2919docLanguage=En
Heikka, J., & Waniganayake, M. (2011). Pedagogical leadership from a distributed perspective within the context of early childhood education. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 14(4), 499-512.
Rodd, J. (2013). Leadership in early childhood: The pathway to professionalism (4th ed.). Allen & Unwin.
Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Manni, L. (2007). Effective leadership in the early years sector: The ELEYS study. Institute of Education, University of London.
Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shepherd, W. (2017). Leadership: Contexts and complexities in early childhood education (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

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