FINNISH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE LEADERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ROLE IN SUPPORTING STAFF’S WELL-BEING

"It is widely recognized that in early childhood education and care (ECEC) environments, work-related well-being is one of the key elements of job satisfaction and coping at work. The well-being of ECEC professionals strengthens the quality of early childhood education and care and supports children’s well-being, development, and learning. ECEC leaders have an important role in boosting their staff’s well-being, especially when working in groups with children with special educational needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate Finnish ECEC leaders’ perceptions of their role in supporting their staff’s well-being. The study involved five ECEC leaders, and data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The findings showed that ECEC leaders brought up different kinds of dimensions concerning their role in supporting staff’s well-being: conversation partner, administrative actor, negotiator, pedagogical mentor, supporter of social cohesion, and supporter of expertise. By working according to these roles, ECEC leaders affected to their staff’s work-related well-being by decreasing job demands and increasing job resources. This research provides valuable information concerning the ways to support the well-being of ECEC professionals and leaders’ role in this crucial element of high-quality early childhood education and care."