A parker, Michele(ProfesserDeme Megersa, Dejene2021-06-092023-11-052021-06-092023-11-052021http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/26777This study sought to explore the leadership of Early Childhood Education (ECCE) in the Ethiopian landscape. More specifically, the study investigated ECCE leaders’ assignment, their leadership behavior, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in ECCE, the use of pedagogical leadership in ECCE centers, and challenges of leadership in ECCE. Guided by the constructivist paradigm, the study adopted a multisite qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis were utilized to gather relevant data. Of these, the semi structured interview was the dominant data garnering protocol. A total of 21 study participants of the diverse profile were purposefully chosen from six ECCE centers found in Oromia regional state and Addis Ababa city administration and interviewed. The data collected were presented, analyzed, organized, and reported in themes along the five key specific objectives mentioned above. An inductive method of data analysis, mainly cross-case analysis, was used to group similar ideas gathered from participants of the study. The study revealed a number of results. To begin with, the study indicated that the ECCE center’s leadership assignment lacked professionalism. None of the principals were also qualified for the job and no ECCE principals training scheme is in place. On a positive note, despite lacking the required training, female ECCE principals were found to deliver better than their male counterparts. Apart from that, irrespective of the type of the ECCE center, leaders were found to exhibit telling, selling, participating, delegating, and caring leadership behaviors in varying degrees. The data further entails the prevalence of more OCB among private ECCE center leaders than the public ones. In a similar comparison, ECCE center teachers were found to demonstrate OCB across all ECCE centers. In light of gender differences, female teachers were found to display a behavior that was more consistent with the dimensions of OCB. By and large, this study uncovered a disconnect between the practices of pedagogical leadership and what is stipulated in the 2010 national ECCE Policy Framework. In conclusion, among the multifarious challenges encountered in ECCE settings, issues related to pedagogy, administration, institutional structure, and attitude were found to be the predominant setbacks that required consideration. To make a difference, all concerned parties primarily the government should expend their concerted effort by rethinking and restructuring the presently observed ECCE units, particularly the pubic ones. The overall implication of all this is the greater the attention given by the government and other key players to the ECCE sector, the better opportunities created for children to fully enjoy their natural talents and grow following their natural order of care and education they deserve. Finally, the study also called for additional investigations on the leadership of ECCE, for this study might give some clues for other researchers that could help them embark furtherenThesis