Chapter 2: Children’s Learning in Early Childhood Centers (ECCs)

In this chapter, I intend to discuss learning as a central concept to leadership in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care. I illustrate the discussion using the context of early childhood education in Norway, although the overall aim of this chapter is to illuminate the international relevance of the learning perspective to leadership in Early Childhood Centers (ECCs) and explore it in relation to relevant theory and the context, from different Western countries.

In recent decades, children’s learning has become even stronger emphasized in Norwegian ECCs (Ministry of Education and Research, 2009, 2011, 2016). Particularly, in the field of early childhood education and care, learning is today considered a broad concept.