Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to investigate how principals perceive conditions and opportunities for the development of professional competencies, how they understand and experience their leadership and what are the obstacles to effective leadership practice in the Croatian early childhood context, including gaining insight into their leadership experiences in the Covid-19 pandemic. A qualitative approach and method of semi-structured interviews were applied. The interview protocol consisted of questions classified into four groups of research problems related to formal, nonformal and informal forms of acquiring professional competencies of principals, characteristics and style of self-management, achieving cooperation and partnership in the environment and leadership challenges during a pandemic. The research was conducted on a sample of five principals of early and preschool education institutions. Research has shown that not enough attention is paid to formal and actual competencies for the selection of principals of early childhood education institutions in our country. The need for professionalization of the principal's vocation, reconceptualization of formal education of principals, the importance of nonformal education through seminars and workshops and everyday work experiences, the importance of building a collaborative culture with different stakeholders in the educational environment and capacity for change are emphasized. Motivation of people, inconsistent vision and insufficient financial resources have been identified as the biggest obstacles to establishing quality cooperation and partnerships. The paper concludes that key changes should be made in the area of: professional development of the principals and other employes of the institution, increase of available financial resources, networking of educational institutions and changes in the structure and legal regulations.

Keywords:

Leadership, organizational learning, quality, early and preschool education institutions, learning culture, professional development, kindergarten principal.