Case-based leadership learning: how to improve work-related stress in early childhood education centre directors

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to investigate how case method can promote leadership learning and coping with stress. An exploratory qualitative investigation was undertaken to study 57 early childhood education centre directors` course evaluations from the National Leadership Program through an online survey done between 2020 and 2021. With respect to the centre director’s reported experiences, our findings revealed that the case method offers promising learning opportunities for how to cope with work stress through four key themes: social comparison and sharing experiences from real-life cases, group discussions for problem solving, and a learning community for social support and linking practical (coping) tools. A variety of coping strategies with a focus on problem solving, in addition to support for each other (emotional support) and sharing information (informational support), were promoted. This implies that case method can support individual ways of coping with stress as well as create learning communities. The study adds to the limited research on ECE leadership education programmes by providing a new insight into how the case method can foster learning communities where participants can develop strategies to cope with work stress and thereby increase their well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Early childhood centre directors
• case method
• leadership education
• work-related stress
• coping
• qualitative research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).