The Future of Education

This study looks at how kindergarten leaders’ legal knowledge affects the work environment in kindergartens. It uses a qualitative research method and is based on a social constructionist perspective. Four kindergarten leaders who have taken legal training were interviewed in a semi-structured format. An abductive approach, inspired by Alvesson and Sköldberg (2017), combines both deductive and inductive methods to understand the leaders' experiences. The work environment in kindergartens is influenced by physical, psychosocial, and organizational factors. These are guided by the Working Environment Act (§ 4-1) and health, environment, and safety rules. The study shows that leaders with legal knowledge handle challenges like physical strain, conflicts, and organizational uncertainty better. Legal competence helps create safe and inclusive workplaces. This aligns with Edmondson’s (1999) idea of psychological safety and Dewey’s (2015) view of learning as a social process. The study shows that combining legal frameworks with good leadership improves the work environment. Transformational leadership (Bass & Vanderberghe, 1999) and distributed leadership (Børhaug & Lotsberg, 2014) are useful for increasing staff participation and sense of ownership. Physical challenges, such as ergonomic strain, can be reduced with better organization, while psychosocial challenges improve with clear communication and a strong team culture. The findings suggest that combining legal knowledge with effective leadership creates a more sustainable and positive work environment.