This paper addresses the roles of job position in relation to early childhood leadership (ECL) and school type as a potential moderator of this relationship in China. A sample of 918 research participants, including 149 principals/vice-principals, 108 middle leaders and 661 teachers, was investigated. A three-factor model of ECL including staff management and development (SMD), peer learning and support (PLS) and communication with parents (CP) was used. By conducting linear regression analyses, it was found that the higher the job position an individual held, the more ECL practices he or she performed. The interaction terms (job position x school type) were statistically significant related to SMD and CP but not statistically significant related to PLS. In the case of public school type, the relationship between job position and CP became slightly negative. For private school type, however, it showed a curve-linear relationship. This paper indicates that teachers rarely participates in school-level decision-making due to the top-down management structure, especially in public preschools. It also suggests that the traditional preschool management system leads to preschool teachers in China are socialized as followers with no responsibilities outside classrooms.

To address the research gap in exploring teacher leadership and professional learning community (PLC) in early childhood education in China, this study explored how PLC members enacted leadership and how preschool principals influenced the enactment of such leadership. Purposive sampling was used to select research participants based on the current local governmental preschool quality ratings: Excellent, Good, and Average. Data were collected from three public preschools with corresponding levels of autonomy and hierarchical structures, and semistructured interviews were conducted with nine preschool practitioners. In terms of roles, PLC leaders served as pseudo leaders, and classroom teachers served as active learners but passive leaders in PLCs. PLC members implemented strategies that included the provision of learning support and communication to facilitate PLCs. Although preschool principals were found to serve as helmsmen, they positively managed the learning programmes and invited experts to conduct teacher training.

Job satisfaction among teachers is important for their motivation to effect changes. However, in China, job satisfaction in early childhood education is a pressing issue, which leads to high attrition rates among preschool teachers. Thus, this study examined the role of school culture regarding job satisfaction and teaching autonomy among teachers as a potential mediator of this relationship in the preschool settings in China. Using survey data from 597 participants and by conducting structural equation modeling, this study found that school culture exerted a direct and significant impact on job satisfaction among teachers, whereas curriculum autonomy mediated the relationships in this regard. The results indicate the need for additional in-depth studies of the job satisfaction of preschool teachers in China, which exhibits a hierarchical structure.

This article describes the development of a teacher leadership scale (TLS) that can be utilized in early childhood education in China. A mixed methods research design was developed to meet the research aim, and both qualitative and quantitative data on the perceptions of teacher leadership from both middle leaders (i.e. vice-principal, key stage coordinator, subject leader) and classroom teachers were collected. In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews with seven middle leaders and seven classroom teachers were conducted. The qualitative findings were then used for item pool generation in a quantitative study to create the TLS in four stages of development. The TLS questionnaire was distributed to 175 respondents and then to a further 419 respondents for exploratory factor analysis. The scale was further validated by confirmatory factor analysis with another 597 respondents. Its concurrent validity was also examined: teacher leadership was found to be positively associated with job satisfaction and the principal's authority openness. The article demonstrates that a four-factor model of teacher leadership as follows is psychometrically sound: (a) leading teaching and professional development; (b) characteristics of teacher leaders; (c) participating in school-wide decision-making; and (d) diversity and continuous improvement.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a theoretical discussion on teacher leadership in early childhood education (ECE) in Chinese contexts. Since 2010, the Chinese government has initiated a comprehensive education reform in ECE, with strategies for developing teacher leadership and promoting education quality. However, at the school level there is a lack of leadership preparation and development, along with a gap between policy initiative and its implementation. How to narrow this gap between policy and practice in teacher leadership has become a critical issue for ECE in China. This paper suggests that 'formal role or informal role' and 'role or practice' are important dimensions of teacher leadership in a Chinese, policy-driven context. In this regard, it is worth exploring how teacher leadership is conceptualized and enacted in the process of quality improvement and related contextual factors. In doing so, an agenda could be identified for future research, contributing to theories on the development of teacher leadership in the global discourse.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to construct a scale that is contextually suitable for measuring early childhood leadership in China. Design/methodology/approach Following a standard scale development procedure, both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were addressed. Qualitative data was collected from 21 semistructured interviews with formal and informal teacher leaders in Xiamen City, China. Using survey data of 120 respondents and 305 respondents, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted twice to determine the underlying factorial structure of the scale. A further sample of 317 respondents were used to test the latent structure and validity of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis. Findings Based on the results from reliability and validity tests, this study indicates that the scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties. A three-factor model was determined, including staff management and development, peer learning and support and communication with parents. Originality/value The scale is the first of its kind for measuring early childhood leadership in China.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a research synthesis of findings drawn from studies of teacher leadership published in English-based journals from 2000 to 2018. The goal of the research synthesis was to develop new insights into teacher leadership through a theoretical discussion and to identify emerging themes for future research. Design/methodology/approach The methodology employed in this study was systematic review. The study first identifies a body of relevant literature and research on teacher leadership from the English-based journals from 2000 to 2018. Information concerning the nature of the studies as well as substantive findings was extracted from each of the articles. Synthesis of findings was accomplished by identifying key themes in the literature. Findings The synthesis yielded four themes: "the notion of teacher leadership," "the theoretical perspectives are used for understanding teacher leadership," "the factors are influencing the development of teacher leadership," and "the approach to build and develop leadership capacity." Originality/value This paper attempts to offer a critical review on the current literature and research on teacher leadership, reveal if there are any gaps in the ongoing debate, and identify the agenda for future research. This paper not only explores "what there is," but also examines "what is missing," and "what could be improved upon" by reviewing research findings that emerged in the teacher leadership literature produced from 2000 to 2018. The paper could shed light on the existing research about teacher leadership.

This chapter aims to offer a theoretical discussion on the changing landscape of leadership and explores the emerging practice of teacher leadership in ECE in China. In 2010, the central government of China introduced several waves of policies relating to teacher professional development to improve and promote the quality of ECE. The global discourses mainly developed in the West have indicated that school leadership plays an important role in promoting teachers' professional development and the quality of education. These discourses have influenced the agenda for educational reform in China as reflected in the recent strategies formulated for the development of school leadership in ECE. Historically, ECE teachers have been viewed as babysitters rather than as educators, and preschool principals have been considered policy implementers and school managers rather than school leaders of innovation and change. This chapter discusses the changing landscape of school leadership in China's ECE and how it is influenced by a hierarchical culture. It is argued that the practices of school leadership have been largely centralised in the hands of preschool principals, alongside of which there has been an emergence of teacher leadership co-exercised with principalship in home-school networks and teaching research groups.

While research on teacher motivation has proliferated in the past decades, little attention has been paid to kindergarten teachers' motivation for teaching, male kindergarten teachers' motivation in particular. This case study examines five male kindergarten teachers' motivation to teach in Chinese kindergartens in the light of possible selves theory. The data analysis reveals that the ideal self' (i.e. of professional kindergarten teachers) plays a pivotal role in maintaining the five male kindergarten teachers' motivation for teaching. Specifically, this study indicates that the male teachers' ideal self' motivated them to join the profession and to retain their teaching motivation when there were discrepancies among their actual', ought' and ideal' selves. The findings of this study have several implications for early childhood teacher education.