Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care Through Leadership and Organizational Learning

Early childhood education and care years (ECEC) are crucial in children's lives, as they form the foundation for further development. A high-quality early environment positively affects children's wellbeing, learning, motivation, and readiness for school. Leadership and organizational learning and the professional development and learning (PDL) connected to it are essential in building and maintaining the capacity needed to ensure the best possible conditions for all children. In this chapter, we provide a short introduction to ECEC research on quality and its impact on children’s wellbeing and learning as well as insights related to the leadership and organizational learning needed to ensure a learning environment of high quality for all children. We use quality improvement in Danish ECECs as an example on these tendencies, which also can be identified in other countries. After addressing these themes, the final sections of the chapter provide an overview of the major concerns and foci contained within each section of the book.