Implementing Improvements in Early Childhood Education and Care Centers: From Individual Capacity to Organizational Learning

The purpose of the study is to investigate how kindergartens can achieve lasting quality improvements by incorporating organisational learning into the educational work. The study seeks to understand why some kindergartens are continuously improving, while others struggle to implement changes. The study focuses on how leaders can create a collective learning culture that promotes child development and well-being.

The research results show that management plays a crucial role in establishing a learning culture that supports continuous quality improvement in kindergarten. High-ranking kindergartens have a strong collective culture of common goals and practices, supported by regular feedback and data use. Low-ranking kindergartens often lack this collectivity, making it challenging for them to adapt to new quality requirements and maintain improvements over time.

The study uses a qualitative approach to explore how different kindergartens work with quality improvements. The data collection includes focus group interviews and observations in twelve selected kindergartens from six Danish municipalities, where half rank high and half rank low on quality measurements. Through interviews with both leaders and employees, the researcher investigates how improvement work is implemented and what type of challenges arise along the way.

Ringsmose, C. (2023). Implementing Improvements in Early Childhood Education and Care Centers: From Individual Capacity to Organizational Learning. I Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care through Leadership and Organizational Learning: Organizational and Professional Development (s. 75–91). Cham: Springer International Publishing.