Leadership for Safe Digital Early Learning Environments: Cyber Behaviour Management and Mental Well-being in Early Childhood Education
Keywords:
cyber behaviour; early childhood education; ecological systems theory; educational governance; mental well-beingAbstract
The accelerated adoption of digital technology in early childhood education presents both promising learning opportunities and significant concerns regarding children's cyber behaviour and mental health. While educational technologies involving AI are increasingly incorporated into early childhood education, little research has focused on the role of early childhood educational leadership in cyber behaviours and children's mental health outcomes. This paper investigates the role of educational leadership in fostering a secure, ethically grounded, and emotionally nurturing digital learning environment for young children. The study is grounded in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and transformational leadership theory, which informed a qualitative interpretive case study design. Participants included five preschool leaders, 10 teachers, and two parent representatives from Malaysian private early childhood education centres, engaged through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed six principal themes: balanced technology use, emotional regulation, policy gaps, ethical mediation, leadership support for well-being, and collaborative digital culture. The findings demonstrate that educational leadership is crucial in associating schools, families, and institutional policies to mitigate digital risks and enhance children's socio-emotional well-being. The study suggests a Digital Humanistic Leadership Framework, which combines four key components: ethical governance, teacher professional capacity, family engagement, responsible digital practices, and socio-emotional well-being of the children in early childhood, to promote sustainable and effective digital transformation in early childhood education. The model has implications for policy development, leadership preparation, and the development of environments for learning that are safe and developmentally appropriate for digital learning.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.7.30
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