Servant Leadership Perspectives on Kindergarten Students Behavior Management

Kindergarten teachers face the challenge of managing the behavior of young children. In this action research study, by using qualitative questionnaires, the focus is on how kindergarten teachers apply servant leadership to manage their classrooms. The chosen qualitative questionnaire aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of participants comprised of kindergarten teachers in British Columbia, Canada. Data were collected through open-ended questions. There is a gap in the literature on the combination of servant leadership elements such as listening, service, empathy, and commitment to the growth of others connecting to the strategies on the management of the behavior of kindergarten students. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers in small Canadian kindergarten classes use servant leadership in the management of the behavior of kindergarten students who struggle to follow instructions in the classroom. The findings of this study may provide practical applications for kindergarten teachers to practice servant leadership in both teacher and student interactions as well as classroom management techniques. The main findings show kindergarten teachers benefit from building connections with students. An effective way to manage kindergarten students lies in building connections with them. When kindergarten students know their teachers care about them, they are more likely to listen to their teachers. This study demonstrates applying servant leadership principles on managing kindergarten students is effective and necessary. Further research in this area could discover the benefits of servant leadership on both the academic performance and character building of kindergarten students.