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A qualitative study of kindergarten teachers’ views on superintendents’ authority and power

Noa Harduf (The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel)
Izhak Berkovich (The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel)

International Journal of Educational Management

ISSN: 0951-354X

Article publication date: 5 December 2024

Issue publication date: 27 January 2025

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Abstract

Purpose

The study aimed to explore the authority and power of kindergarten superintendents in public education to elucidate their leadership dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Israeli kindergarten teachers about the authority and power of their superintendents. Thematic analysis was used to construct a description of two overarching authority categories: formal and informal.

Findings

Within the realm of formal authority, two prevalent leadership types were discerned: bureaucratic management and management by exception. Each type incorporated distinct official strategies for influencing kindergarten teachers. Three predominant informal leadership types emerged – authoritarian, empowering and pedagogical – reflecting different unofficial approaches to influencing kindergarten teachers. The study elucidates the power base that underpins each leadership type, describing the resources superintendents use for influence and leverage.

Originality/value

The importance of the study lies in providing valuable insights into the authority and power of kindergarten superintendent leadership in a centralized public early childhood system.

Keywords

Citation

Harduf, N. and Berkovich, I. (2025), "A qualitative study of kindergarten teachers’ views on superintendents’ authority and power", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 259-274. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2024-0218

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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