Defining Pedagogical Leadership

By Dr Christina Egan Marnell
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I came across a beautiful quote from Maria Montesorri, that was shared during her London Lectures (1946, P131) where she says “Those whom nature has fitted to care for children see a change in them every day, almost every hour. They see these small changes as admirable. This is an art which cannot be acquired without effort. To encourage is to rejoice, so that the child sees that you are rejoicing”.

Noticing

Early Years educators have an incredible ability to notice the learning and development of every child, in the small moments and the big ones alike. This ability comes, in part, from a commitment and belief in the competencies of every baby, toddler and young child.

Relationships

Educators work hard to build warm, respectful relationships with children, valuing the powerful impact of their interactions.  This relational knowledge allows them to recognise when something feels different or new—whether it’s a developmental leap, a sign of emotional distress, or a shift in how the child engages with others. Educators are deeply attuned to the rhythms, behaviours, and expressions of the children. They notice subtle shifts such as changes in mood, energy levels, play patterns, or social interactions by being present and engaged in the moment. These observations often happen during everyday routines like mealtimes, transitions, or outdoor play.

Educators also extend a sincere invitation to parents and families, warmly acknowledging the depth of knowledge and unique insights they bring to their child’s learning journey.

Educators often reflect together as a team, sharing insights and observations to build a fuller picture of the child’s experience. This approach helps ensure that changes are not only noticed, but thoughtfully interpreted and responded to.

Pedagogical leadership and quality

Educators know that these relationships allow them to develop a deeper understanding of the individual child – their needs and wants, their interests and desires. Educators acknowledge that each child learns and develops in their own time and in their own way. And it is through attuned observation, responsive relationships, and reflective practice that educators plan for their learning and development.

This is how pedagogical leadership happens.

This guiding belief underpinned Early Childhood Irelands pilot Pedagogical Leadership CPD programme, which was designed to empower early years professionals to recognise and celebrate their existing pedagogical leadership, while equipping them with the skills and confidence to further develop their leadership capabilities. We believed that pedagogical leadership deserved its own spotlight because it directly influences the quality of the learning experiences of children. It can enhance the quality of the programmes and curriculum by deepening educators understanding of pedagogy and fostering collaborative improvement cycles (Fabry, 2024). Pedagogical Leadership is often distributed among educators rather than centralised in management (Fonsén et al., 2023) which suggests that this type of leadership is already happening within the classrooms.

Defining pedagogical leadership

There are often different understandings of pedagogical leadership in early childhood care and education because the concept is deeply contextual, evolving, and interpreted differently across cultures, settings, and professional roles.

As the Early Years sector in Ireland grows and professionalises, the understanding of pedagogical leadership continues to evolve. We wanted the participants on the Pedagogical Leadership programme and our members to have a definition that truly represents the work that they do. So we went back to our research, the interviews we conducted with members across the country to gain their perspective on pedagogical leadership. We looked at the different academic studies that were conducted, and we considered the child-centred, reflective, and diversity and inclusion affirming practices that is advocated for in Aistear and Siolta. We developed a definition that could guide the Pedagogical Leadership pilot programme and also support any future work:

Pedagogical leadership in early year settings is based on the values of working together, showing respect, and learning from each other. It means planning children’s learning experiences carefully, teaching in thoughtful and intentional ways and by recognising each child as an active, competent learner with unique strengths, interests and backgrounds. Pedagogical Leadership creates a supportive and cooperative place where everyone can learn together.

Educators show pedagogical leadership by understanding how children grow and learn. They collaborate with colleagues, families, and children to share ideas, knowledge and experiences, enhancing each child’s learning journey. This leadership happens when educators work together with a shared vision for children’s learning and development. By fostering respectful relationships/ partnerships and valuing the contributions of all, pedagogical leaders create an inclusive learning community. They continuously reflect on their teaching, seek to improve, and engage in ongoing learning to ensure high-quality early childhood care and education in their setting.

A new view of leadership

This definition reflects a different view of leadership. It is not interested in the traits, behaviours or characteristics of what makes a leader, a leader. It steps away from this idea completely.  Instead, it looks at what is happening in leadership. What are the actions that are happening for us to describe it as leadership. What are the practices that are occurring, what are the tasks. We are not interested in who is doing it, but rather what are they doing.

When you consider leadership from this perspective, a practice perspective, pedagogical leadership can be shown by anyone in a team.  Anyone in your team, regardless of their role, position or qualification.

In October, we have a wonderful podcast episode with Siobhan Barrett who talks about her experience on the Pedagogical Leadership programme. You can listen to it here: https://www.earlychildhoodireland.ie/podcasts/