A Critical Review of the Literature on Leadership in Early Childhood: Examining Epistemological Foundations and Considerations of Social Justice

• In Event: 16.058 - Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: 16.058-17 - Context and Practice: What Does Social Justice Look Like?

Abstract

This study is a critical review of the literature discussing leadership in early childhood including an analysis of modern and post-modern epistemologies underlying these texts and examination of any references to social justice and equity considered. A search of major electronic databases and bibliographic branching was completed to identify relevant international literature that was then analyzed using an analytic review template and discourse analysis. Findings suggest that hierarchical definitions and modernist epistemologies are privileged, however, contemporary studies are positioning leadership as more inclusive and relational and a small number reflect postmodern positioning of professional identities. Considerations of social justice are almost entirely absent in discussions of leadership suggesting a critical need for expanded theorizing in the field of early childhood.

Author

• Julie M. Nicholson, Mills College