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Owner: Yujin Lee
Owner Email: Yujin.Lee@umb.edu
Paper Title: Instructional Leadership in ECE Programs: Associations With Teacher Commitment and Collaborative Practices Through Relational Coordination
Session Title: Teaching Practices and Professional Development
Paper Type: Place-Based Paper
Presentation Date: 4/26/2025
Presentation Location: Denver, CO
Descriptors: Early Childhood, Leadership Development, Professional Development
Methodology: Quantitative
Author(s): Yujin Lee, University of Massachusetts - Boston; Anne Douglass, University of Massachusetts - Boston; Kyungmin Kim, Seoul National University; Cristina Mendes, University of Massachusetts - Boston
Unit: SIG-Early Education and Child Development
Abstract: This study examined how instructional leadership practices by directors in early care and education (ECE) settings were associated with teacher outcomes, specifically teachers’ engagement in collaborative job-embedded professional learning (JEPL) and commitment to the workplace. We analyzed data from 22 center-based ECE programs (teacher N = 284) and found that effective instructional leadership was associated with improved relational coordination as perceived by teachers; relational coordination, characterized by shared goals and knowledge, mutual respect, and high-quality communication, mediated the relationship between leadership practices and positive teacher outcomes. These results highlight the importance of fostering relational coordination to enhance teacher engagement and commitment, offering critical insights for developing leadership programs that improve both teacher and program outcomes in ECE settings.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/2187819