How Principals Create Sustainable, Inclusive Childcare and Education

Clarifying the Behind–the–scenes Efforts that Support Childcare

Abstract

This study is an attempt to describe the efforts of childcare principals who are struggling to realize inclusive childcare, and how they are working on better childcare practices while facing the difficulties of the current situation and struggling with the gap between the ideal and the reality. We interviewed principals of childcare facilities that are pioneering in inclusive childcare practices about their efforts to resolve various difficulties in realizing their ideal inclusive childcare, and the new childcare practices they have developed as a result. The narratives of the principals were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach (M–GTA). As a result, the principals, who decided to turn to the ideal of inclusive child–care, was working behind the scenes to keep a balance between implementing inclusive child–care and dealing with the various difficulties that this would cause. Under these circumstances, it became clear that the principals were empowered by the changing children, parents, and nursery teachers in front of them and the new childcare practices, and continued to strive for “better childcare”.