Strengthening leadership skills through embodied learning in Early Childhood Teacher Education

This research paper presents a qualitative, single case study based on empirical material collected duringa course in microteaching in Norwegian Early Childhood Teacher Education. Our research question is: What leadership skills do students develop in Early Childhood Teacher Education through embodied learning with microteaching? We aim to increase research-based knowledge of interdisciplinary and student-active leadership learning, using drama and pedagogy. This paper reports an analysis of last-year-students’ experiences of pedagogical leadership, captured through video documentation, written reflection assignments, and written evaluative assignments. We use thematic analysis, and find three main themes: embodied expression, embodied reflection, and embodied collaboration. Norwegian ECEC teachers seem to lack competence on leadership (Ministry of Education, 2018). Our research contributes on how to strengthen the students’ leadership skills. Students express that through embodied learning they have strengthened their self confidence, ability for reflection, creativity, and giving and receiving feedback, which are important leadership skills. The students report that their embodied experience has given them embodied learning.