Set up for success : a multiple case study exploring first-year job resources and demands for center-based new hire early childhood leaders.

Early childhood leaders have complex and challenging job responsibilities and often are not well-supported to fulfill these job tasks. The literature indicates that early childhood leaders play a significant role in early childhood program quality (Douglass, 2018; Kirby et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2022; Muijs et al., 2004) and in staff development and retention (Muijs et al., 2004; Myran & Masterson, 2021; Sheridan et al., 2009; Totenhagen et al., 2016). However, the early childhood leader's role has yet to be well defined or supported and is not well represented in the research (Douglass, 2018; Lee et al., 2022; Myran & Masterson, 2021). Early childhood leaders are essential to early childhood programs and deserve adequate job support. In this study, I explored new early childhood leaders' experiences with job resources and demands. I used a qualitative multiple case study to understand the job experiences of five new early childhood leaders in their first year. I recruited early childhood leaders who had been in their roles for three years or less and used a questionnaire and semi-structured interview to learn about their first-year job experiences as leaders in early childhood programs. At the time of the study, the five participants were early childhood leaders in two center-based early childhood program models. I used Demerouti et al.'s (2001) job demands-resource model to guide data collection and analysis. The study's findings indicate that new early childhood leaders experience consistent job demands and receive inconsistent job resources. All the participants in the study reported experiencing job demands such as an overwhelming workload, impacts on their physical and mental health, and compassion fatigue. In contrast, the job resources participants discussed receiving in their first year were unpredictable across participants and center-based program models. The participants stated they encountered job resources such as formal training and leadership, peer, and onboarding support. The results from this study implicate that early childhood program administrators and professional development staff must work to provide adequate job support to early childhood leaders to lessen the impacts of the job demands associated with the role of the early childhood leader.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Haremza Diop, Jessica, 1979-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Dixon, Kellie M.

• Early childhood leadership development.
• Early childhood professional development.
• Onboarding.
• Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/13588

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/13588