Through their leadership, principals have an important, yet typically indirect, effect on pupils’ learning. This article focuses attention on principals’ influences on teaching and assessment in special education in Sweden.

The current issue presents 16 papers that explore play, fun, adventure, excitement and creativity in early childhood education in all its forms. The issue takes a broad exploration of the multitude of ways that intrinsic motivation is embedded in children’s learning and the ways in which educators can start with the embodied and emotional relationship with learning as described at the beginning of this Editorial.