Quality

Pedagogical Leadership in Action: Building Trust, Collaboration, and Sustainable Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care.

This online workshop explores how democratic, distributed leadership can strengthen quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC). Drawing on recent European research and policy, it highlights the competences leaders need—individually and in teams—to build trust, collaboration, and ownership across their centres. Participants engage in interactive sessions combining presentations, small-group discussions, and a virtual study visit to Tierlantuin, a day care centre in Ghent serving children under 3 years of age in a disadvantaged community. The visit demonstrates inclusive leadership in action, especially in building strong partnerships with parents. 

The course also introduces two key methods for collaborative leadership: developing Professional Learning Communities and using pedagogical documentation. These approaches help leaders and teams reflect critically, connect research to practice, and create sustainable, high-quality ECEC environments. Participants leave with practical tools and inspiration to enhance their leadership practice   

  • Language(s)

    English

  • Schedule

    4-Hour Workshop

  • Format

    Virtual Live Session

  • Certification

    Completion Certificate

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What this offering exploresWhy should I take this course?

What you will explore
Quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) needs strong leaders, able to motivate professionals, to foster their growth in the team, to create partnerships with families and the community. ECEC leaders involve all professionals in co-designing pedagogical intentions and coherent practices. But how can they do that? What exactly is their role? What should be their competences in a society of transformation, where no standard solutions are available for everyday practice? This Workshop aims at answering these questions.  
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Taking the European Quality Framework for ECEC into account
We explore which competences, and which role leaders should have in order to support quality. We give examples of powerful democratic leadership, and we offer concrete methods for leaders to implement a democratic inclusive approach to high quality ECEC. Participants engage in an interactive session combining presentations, small-group discussions, and concrete examples from different ECEC contexts, with specific attention to a childcare centre in Ghent (Belgium), which demonstrates inclusive leadership in action, especially in building strong partnerships with families and the local community. 

The workshop is divided in three parts:

Part I

An introduction to ECEC quality through the European Quality Framework, illustrated by a virtual visit to the Tierlantuin childcare center in Ghent. The focus is on democratic leadership, inclusion, and recent European research on leadership competences, ending with reflection on participants’ own leadership styles.

Part II

An exploration of participative leadership and what makes leaders “pedagogical heroes,” with a focus on Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a key tool for shared learning and ownership. The section also highlights multi-layered leadership and effective professional development in ECEC.

Part III

A focus on reflective practice through the Italian approach of Pedagogical Documentation, inspired by Loris Malaguzzi. Using examples from Italian ECEC centers, this part shows how democratic leadership supports reflection, shared vision, and coherent practice.

This offering is designed for

  • Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) leaders.
  • Coordinators or directors of ECEC centers.
  • Coaches, mentors, pre-service & in-service trainers.

What you will receive:
  •  Access to all workshop sessions
  •  Opportunities for peer exchange and reflection
  •  Practical inspiration and tools for leadership practice
  •  A Certificate of Completion after participation

Course contents

Meet your instructors

Facilitators Bios

Dr. Hester Hulpia

Lecturer and researcher, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences

Dr. Hester Hulpia has a PhD on leadership in education. She is an expert on pedagogical quality in ECEC, integrated working, leadership in ECEC, ... She worked as an external expert for the Working Group ECEC of the European Commission and she worked for many years as a senior researcher at VBJK (Centre for Innovation in the Early years) and Ghent University. Currently, she works at the Artevelde University College of Applied Sciences, at the Department of Pedagogical Coaches.

Dr. Nima Sharmahd
Senior Researcher, VBJK

Dr. Nima Sharmahd worked in different Italian contexts (Pistoia amongst others) and is an expert in the Pedagogical Documentation approach. Currently she is senior researcher at VBJK (Center for Innovation in the Early Years) in Ghent (Belgium). She works on international research and projects about ECEC, with a focus on professional development & democratic leadership, reflection on practice, inclusion, family participation, pedagogical documentation. She also collaborates with the Department of Education and Psychology of the University of Florence (IT), where she did her Ph.D on the relationship professionals/families in ECEC centers. She worked for several years in Italy (University of Florence) as researcher and pedagogical coach of different ECEC centres.    

Dr. Jan Peeters
Advisor, VBJK

Dr. Jan Peeters started his career as a pedagogical coach and he did a PhD on professionalism in ECEC. For many years he led the VBJK-team. He was also involved in European policy research on professionalism in ECEC and leadership in ECEC. He worked in projects and programs that tried to link research, policy, training and practice. He was the director of the Summer Course in the Central European University in Budapest on: The role of early childhood development in promoting equity and social inclusion: theory, policy and practice’ (2017). He recently wrote a book together with Sarah Klaus and Tatjana Vonta on the Step by Step program, a program based on democratic leadership in ECEC.        

Meet our Knowledge Partners

VBJK is an expert centre working at the intersection of practice, policy, and research to drive sustainable innovation in early childhood education and care. Operating nationally and internationally, VBJK applies scientifically grounded, participatory approaches in research, policy advice, and practice-based projects, strengthening competent systems and partnerships to achieve long-term, inclusive quality improvement for children, families, and society.

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