Enabling ‘Successful Knowledge Transfer’ in Early Childhood Settings – A Meta Strategic Leadership Approach

The increase in knowledge access and professional development (PD) uptake by early childhood educators amplifies the need for innovative strategies to support successful knowledge transfer (SKT) in Early childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. SKT refers to the effective application of key learnings from PD events into practice. Existing literature highlights various factors affecting the successful implementation of PD learnings after the event with some pointing to the lack of fit for purpose leadership as one of the barriers. A study was conducted among educators in excellent rated centres in Australia to identify how they successfully implemented PD learnings following PD attendance. Data was collected using open ended interviews, informal observations and document analysis methods. The findings revealed that meta strategic leadership was a key enabler of SKT. This article discusses how meta-strategic leadership enables SKT within early childhood settings and the implications for practice.