scholarly journals Exploring the Impacts of Staff-Child Ratio on Quality of Early Childhood Care and Education – A Comparative Case Study in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Wai Ling CHAN
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care

scholarly journals Home-School Relationships: A Qualitative Study with Diverse Families

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Cardona ◽  
Sachin Jain ◽  
Kathy Canfield-Davis
Keyword(s):  
Parent Involvement ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Class Level ◽  
Childhood Care ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Depth Interviews

This qualitative case study explored how families from diverse cultural backgrounds understood family involvement in the context of early childhood care and educational settings. Participants in the study included nine members from six families who had children enrolled in three early childhood care and education programs. The primary method of data collection included in-depth interviews with the parents of these children. A second data source was obtained through non-participant observations in each of the three programs. Findings revealed that the way families understand parent involvement is strongly influenced by issues of ethnicity, social class, level of education, and language.

scholarly journals Analysis of relations between “equality of life chances” and “early childhood care and education”, as foundations for social justice and human development: a case study of Mauritius

Afrika Focus ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Morabito
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Life Chances ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care ◽  
Qualitative Focus Groups ◽  
Quantitative Analyses

In this research, we have analysed the relations between equality of life chances and early childhood care and education (ECCE). During the last decades we have seen a constant growth in socio-economic inequalities world-wide. Yet, in the same period, we have acknowledged an increasing attention, among scholars and policy makers, to early childhood education as a prominent (and consensual) equalizing policy. We critically reviewed this claim, by using a mixed method research, including a theoretical analysis through a critical literature review, quantitative analyses of a longitudinal database, and qualitative focus groups with parents in Mauritius. Findings suggest ECCE can only be an equaliser if accompanied by a change in the educational and social structures. Conclusions highlight the need of focusing further research on detecting complex mechanisms of accumulation of disadvantage in specific groups, and assessing the equalising effects of diverse interventions during early years, including income redistribution. Key words: equality, education, early childhood, Mauritius 

Measuring Quality of Privately-Owned Early Childhood Care and Education Centers in the United Arab Emirates: A Ras Al Khaimah Case Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priti Verma ◽  
Holly Cook
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Childhood Care

Early childhood is a critical period in our social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and self-regulatory development, and extensive research has been conducted on children’s overall developmental processes, influencing factors, and their lifelong impacts. Research suggests the over-arching significance of supporting children’s early development through caregiver-child communication, social interactions, and play. Such interactions and opportunities for development in children’s early years are critical for later academic achievement and well-being. Moreover, the positive long-term effects of high-quality early childhood education (ECE), in particular on children’s development, as well as the economic, social, and cultural development of communities on a larger scale, have been extensively documented. In the Arab Gulf region, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), little research has been done to document and analyze ECE quality, practices, and their impacts. This case study focuses on the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, investigating the scope of programs and their quality, challenges, and opportunities for growth and improvement. The study found and documented extreme variations in the quality of early childhood education centers (ECECs) in the emirate and highlights the need to improve ECE policies, practices, and facilities by adopting recognized international standards, best practices, and support structures. This paper goes on to present data-driven policy recommendations to improve the quality of ECECs in Ras Al Khaimah and the greater UAE.

Early childhood care and education in Ethiopia: A quest for quality

2021 ◽  
pp. 1476718X2110025
Author(s):  
Boitumelo M Diale ◽  
Abatihun A Sewagegn
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care ◽  
The Status ◽  
Proper Training ◽  
Theses And Dissertations ◽  
Different Sources

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) has a crucial contribution to the future life of children, and overall quality of learning and development of a country. Even though there are no well-established international criteria to evaluate the quality of ECCE programmes because of the variability in nations’ economies, workforces, political regimes and cultures, there are some common standards. Therefore, the purpose of this review article is to assess the status of ECCE in Ethiopia and its contribution to quality education. This review is based on a document analysis from different sources (i.e. policy documents, books, journals, theses and dissertations). The study focuses on identifying common quality indicators/dimensions for ECCE and the challenges that Ethiopian ECCE faces in terms of these dimensions. Indicating that the practice of ECCE in Ethiopia is faced with diverse challenges. Some of the challenges are lack of proper training for teachers and caregivers; use of developmentally inappropriate curriculum; lack of pedagogical skill; unfavourable working conditions; inadequate resources; lack of continuous supervision and programme evaluation; inactive parental and community participation; ineffective school organisation and leadership; imbalanced staff-child ratios; and improper healthcare and hygiene. Therefore, the Ministry of Education (MoE) in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), the community and other concerned bodies should work together to improve the practice of ECCE.

scholarly journals Unveiling Malaysian parents’ perspectives on existing quality of early childhood care and education

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 318-328
Author(s):  
Dan Dan Tang ◽  
◽  
Mogana Dhamotharan ◽  
Mohd Nazri Abdul Rahman ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Parent Communication ◽  
Deviation Analysis ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care ◽  
Group Interviews

Introduction. Early childhood care and education is majorly concerning around the world. Malaysian government has formulated childhood care and education national policy and legal framework to protect the rights of childhood. However, the Education Blueprint of Malaysia acknowledged that serious problems still remain with the quality of education and the investment in education is not as high as expected. The objective of the study is to investigate parents' perspectives of quality ECCE programs with regard to center characteristics of environment, teachers, principals, curriculum as well as parent's communication and involvement opportunities. Materials and methods. Study has selected mix method approach where parent perspectives of existing quality of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in the selected states of Malaysia been obtained. The 629 questionnaires samples were distributed among the parent 's having a child in a pre-school and 22 parents took part in the focus group interviews, designed to elicit their perspectives of ECCE programs with regard to center characteristics, environment, teachers, principals, and curriculum as well as parent involvement and communication opportunities Results. Demographically results shows 60.8% female and 39.2% male participants have contributed with 32% age 31-35 years old, about 38.1% Malay followed by 32.2% Chines and 18% Indian ethnicity races were part of this study. The standard deviation analysis indicated that Parents’s perceptive on Centre Characteristics is (M=4.039, SD= 0.796) Parents’ Views on Environment (M=3.582, SD=0.953); Parents’ Views on Teachers and Principals (M=4.197, SD=0.731) Parents’ Views on Curriculum ((M=3.735, SD=0.771) and Parents’ Views on Parent Communication and Involvement Opportunities (M=4.171, SD=0.630). The overall statistical analysis shows parents’ perceptive is satisfactory on the quality of ECCE programmes. Conclusion. Study has concluded that parents have found ECCE programmes much effective where children not only enjoy but their learning improves. Parents have appreciated the quality of hygiene level and facilities in pre-school are up to the mark and standard but further can be improved. Quality of curriculum should have multilingual instruction and play based teaching and learning is suggested by the parent’s to improve.

Enhancing the Quality of Early Childhood Care and Education Globally

2015 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 235-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda J. Hardin ◽  
Dolores A. Stegelin ◽  
Luciano Cecconi
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care

scholarly journals Validating the teaching, learning, and assessment quality of Malaysian ECCE instrument

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Hishamuddin Ahmad ◽  
Nordin Mamat ◽  
Mazlina Che Mustafa ◽  
Syahida Iryani Mohd Yusoff
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Early Childhood Care ◽  
Childhood Care ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Polytomous Item Response ◽  
Rating Model ◽  
Variance Explained

<span>Several instruments that measure the teaching, learning, and assessment quality have been developed and published. However, a psychometrically sound instrument to measure teaching, learning, and assessment quality in early childhood care and education that suitable for the Malaysian context needs to be validated. Therefore, this study aimed to validate on teaching, learning, and assessment quality in early childhood care and education instrument, which contains 68 items. The sample comprised 3,498, selected by stratified random sampling from a population of all Malaysian kindergarten teachers. Data were analyzed based on the Polytomous Item Response Theory (IRT) using the Xcalibre software. Samejima's Graded Rating Model (SRGM) was found to be the fit model with the data. Unidimensionality assumption and local independence were tested using the exploratory factor analysis and were fulfilled. The instrument’s reliability was overall very good (α=0.966) and the construct validity was also fairly fulfilled with the value of 58.17% total variance explained. Therefore, this instrument is suggested to be used as fairly to measure the quality of Malaysian early childhood care and education among teachers so that appropriate follow-up actions can be implemented towards the betterment of early childhood education quality.</span>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document