The Paradox of Power in Leadership in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Western frameworks for school improvement, including the stakeholder model and the model of decentralized leadership, have recently been promoted as solutions for school improvement. Using early childhood education in Hong Kong as an illustrative case, this article focuses on the power and authority of leadership in school decision making. The interview data collected from the two case study schools reveal a paradox of power in leadership that is characterized by tensions between centralization and decentralization in the change process, where decentralization is advocated by policymakers but traditional hierarchical cultures remain. The relationship between the leaders and school stakeholders incorporates a concept of harmony that functions to defuse the potential power struggle embedded in decision making.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The article arose from doctoral dissertation completed as part of the Doctor of Education programme at the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, United Kingdom. I express my deepest gratitude to Professor Leon Tikly, who gave me enormous support and guidance throughout the entire journey of my studies and offered helpful comments on and encouragement to publish the doctoral research upon which this article is based.