| Abstract [eng] |
Seliutienė V. Distributed Leadership in Early Childhood Education Institutions: Teachers’ Experiences and Links with Quality Assurance in Education. Supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sergejus Neifachas. Vilnius University, Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Educational Sciences: Vilnius, 2026. – 50 p. Keywords: leadership, leadership models, early childhood education, managerial activities, transformational leadership, distributed leadership, change management. The theoretical part of the thesis analyzes the concept of distributed leadership, discusses its main theoretical models, and examines the concept of educational quality in the context of early childhood education. The study also explores the expression of distributed leadership in educational organizations and its links with teachers’ collaboration, professional learning, and organizational culture. The empirical part of the thesis employed a qualitative research methodology. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The study involved 14 informants – 12 early childhood education teachers and 2 heads of educational institutions. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis by identifying the main categories and subcategories that reveal the expression of distributed leadership within the organization. The research results showed that teachers most often associate distributed leadership with the sharing of responsibilities, collaboration, teachers’ involvement in decision-making processes, and joint planning of educational activities. Distributed leadership in early childhood education institutions is most commonly expressed through collegial problem-solving, professional collaboration, sharing of experiences, and joint reflection on the educational process. The study also revealed that distributed leadership is promoted by open communication, managerial support, a trust-based organizational culture, and teachers’ professional engagement. However, its implementation may be limited by lack of time, formal involvement of teachers in decision-making, and insufficient opportunities to participate in organizational management processes. The research findings suggest that distributed leadership can contribute to improving the quality of education, as it promotes teachers’ professional collaboration, reflection, shared responsibility, and active involvement in the improvement of the educational process. |
