Leadership practices in implementing early mathematics education as a curriculum innovation into vocational training of early childhood education

Implementing curriculum innovations to improve teaching and learning is a shared goal of educational stakeholders. This study analyses factors supporting curriculum innovations from a systemic perspective, focusing on school leaders. We use the case of implementing early mathematics education (EME) as a mandatory subject in the training of early childhood (EC) educators in a city–state of Germany. To support this curriculum innovation, a professional development programme (PD) with facilitators was mandated. School leaders announced facilitators who took part in a facilitator PD and returned to their schools to train their colleagues in-house. The aim of the study is to learn how school leaders interpreted the mandated implementation of EME in the vocational training of EC educators and how they shaped their leadership practices to support the implementation. We therefore conducted interviews with school leaders. The results underline the relevance of the acknowledgment of the relevance of the curriculum innovation.