Abstract

The Chilean educational system has had to face important challenges derived from the covid-19 pandemic. In the case of early childhood education, these challenges are also include its entry into the new Quality Assurance System. In 2021, the level officially enters this system, already having the necessary instruments to evaluate, supervise, guide, and support the work of pre-schools and their pedagogical labor. Given the context of the institutional reform and the construction of meaning of this reform in Chilean pre-schools, this study aims to explore how leaders address the challenges of the new post-pandemic institutionality, through the perspective of ten principals. To answer the research question, a qualitative design was chosen (Creswell, 2013), the objective of which is to investigate the perspectives and subjectivities of the participants and thereby give an account of a particular phenomenon, in order to facilitate its better understanding and knowledge. In this case, the phenomenon to be investigated is the new institutionality of early childhood education and how it is approached from the leadership of its principals. The selection of the sample was intentional (Robson, 2011; Sandelowski, 1995) by contacting the principals of ten pre-schools belonging to the JUNJI, both directly administered (AD) and via transfer of funds (VTF). Although the results show a diversity of experiences during the incorporation of pre-schools into the SAC in the context of a pandemic and post -pandemic, there are shared elements reported by the participating principals. One of them is the induction that the principals of the pre-schools received, through training in virtual format, without personalized assistance from their supporters. Thus, the responsible organizations favored massive induction processes on the new platform where the different stages and tools associated with the SAC (Comprehensive Performance Diagnosis, Annual Planning, Implementation and Evaluation) are recorded, the way in which this information was received by the leaders and subsequently disseminated with their respective teams was subject to the conditions, resources, skills, dispositions, and knowledge available in each pre-school. The results show that most principals have a positive vision of the process, seeing it as a learning opportunity, building meaning with their pedagogical team. Notwithstanding that, some principals report rather negative experiences, where the new requirements are worked on mechanically, without understanding the meaning that this reform brought with it, or in a isolated way, without involving the pedagogical team. Variables that favored and hindered the construction of meaning (Weick and Sutcliffe, 2007), implemented or not by principals, related to this educational policy are discussed. These results show important challenges to consider for the successful implementation of this new institutionality.