Early childhood care and education practices in Ethiopia: a case of selected pre-primary schools

This literature review is about the exploration of teachers’ teaching practices of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers utilized in different context’. The findings of this study are based on literature published between the years 2000 and 2020. This document is established as a current analysis of teaching practices of ECCE teachers. The limitation of this paper is that the majority of the study is based on Australia, UK, France, Germany, Pakistan Australia, and USA which restricts the results' worldwide application. The results are presented in seven comprehensive themes; Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Importance of Early Childhood Care and Education, Global status of Early Childhood Care and Education, Challenges in Early Childhood Care and Education, Strengthening in Early Childhood Care and Education, best teaching practices in Early Childhood Care and Education and teaching practices utilized by ECCE teachers in different contexts. At the root, all of these themes reveal the practices of ECCE teachers in different context. This study is directly linked to policymakers, educationist, government leaders, community members, researchers and parents who are interested to make early childhood education more effective and appropriate. However from this literature review it is found that ECCE teachers are not much practicing the effective teaching practices in their classrooms just as; collaborative activity, interactive activity, Hands-on or project based activities. Even it is also found that in many contexts in ECCE physical and social environment was not much conducive for children in order to make their learning effective.

This Campbell systematic review examines the current empirical evidence on the correlation between teacher qualifications and the quality of the early childhood learning environments. The review summarises findings from 48 studies with 82 independent samples. Studies included children from pre‐kindergarten and kindergarteners prior to elementary/primary school and centre‐based providers. The review shows a positive statistically significant association between teacher qualification and the quality of early childhood learning environment. This finding is not dependent on culture and context given that the evidence is from several countries. Mandating qualified teachers, i.e. with tertiary education, may lead to significant improvement for both process and structural quality within centre‐based and home‐based ECEC settings. However, the evidence is from correlational studies, so evidence is needed from studies with designs which can assess causal effects. Further research should also assess what specific knowledge and skills learnt by teachers with higher qualifications enable them to complete their roles effectively. Synopsis/plain language summary Higher teacher qualifications are associated with higher quality early childhood education and care This review examines the empirical evidence on the relationship between teacher qualifications and the quality of the early childhood learning environment. Higher teacher qualifications are significantly positively correlated with higher quality in early childhood education and care. What did the review study? Poor quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) can be detrimental to the development of children as it could lead to poor social, emotional, educational, health, economic and behavioural outcomes. The lack of consensus as to the strength of the relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood learning environment has made it difficult for policy makers and educational practitioners alike to settle on strategies that would enhance the learning outcomes for children in their early stages of education. This review examines the current empirical evidence on the correlation between teacher qualifications and the quality of early childhood learning environments. What is the aim of this review? This Campbell systematic review examines the current empirical evidence on the correlation between teacher qualifications and the quality of the early childhood learning environments. The review summarises findings from 48 studies with 82 independent samples. Studies included children from pre‐kindergarten and kindergarteners prior to elementary/primary school and centre‐based providers. What studies are included? Included studies must have examined the relationship between teacher qualification and quality of the ECEC environment from 1980 to 2014, as well as permit the identification of the education program received by the lead teacher and provide a comparison between two or more groups of teachers with different educational qualifications. Furthermore, the studies had to have comparative designs and report either an overall quality scale or an environment rating scale. A total of 48 studies conducted with 82 independent samples were included in the review. What are the main results in this review? Overall, the results show that higher teacher qualifications are significantly correlated with higher quality early childhood education and care. The education level of the teachers or caregivers is positively correlated to overall ECEC qualities measured by the environment rating scale. There is also a positive correlation between teacher qualification and subscale ratings including program structure, language and reasoning. What do the findings in this review mean? The review shows a positive statistically significant association between teacher qualification and the quality of early childhood learning environment. This finding is not dependent on culture and context given that the evidence is from several countries. Mandating qualified teachers, i.e. with tertiary education, may lead to significant improvement for both process and structural quality within centre‐based and home‐based ECEC settings. However, the evidence is from correlational studies, so evidence is needed from studies with designs which can assess causal effects. Further research should also assess what specific knowledge and skills learnt by teachers with higher qualifications enable them to complete their roles effectively. How up to date is this review? The review authors searched for studies published until December 2014. This Campbell systematic review was published in January 2017. What is the Campbell Collaboration? The Campbell Collaboration is an international, voluntary, non‐profit research network that publishes systematic reviews. We summarise and evaluate the quality of evidence for social and economic policy, programmes and practice. Our aim is to help people make better choices and better policy decisions. About this summary This summary was prepared by Ada Chukwudozie and Howard White (Campbell Collaboration) based on the Campbell Systematic Review 2017:1 The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment by Matthew Manning, Susanne Garvis, Christopher Fleming and Gabriel T.W. Wong. The summary was designed, edited and produced by Tanya Kristiansen (Campbell Collaboration). Executive summary/Abstract BACKGROUND The notion that a strong early childhood education and care (ECEC) knowledge base, which involves a set of professional competencies, abilities and specific teaching skills, can lead to high‐quality ECEC and positive child developmental outcomes is yet to be fully determined (Bowman, Donovan, & Burns, 2001; Vartuli, 1999). This is due, in some instances, to lack of good data, the quality of the method employed to measure the relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood learning environment, and the methods used to aggregate the findings of individual empirical studies. The lack of consensus regarding the direction (positive in this case) and strength of the relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood learning environment has made it difficult for policy makers and educational practitioners to form strategies that will ultimately enhance the early learning outcomes of children. OBJECTIVES The objective of this review is to synthesise the extant empirical evidence on the relationship of teacher qualifications to the quality of the early childhood learning environment. Specifically, we address the question: Is there a relationship between the level and type of education of the lead teacher, and the quality of the early childhood learning environment, as measured by the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale and their revised versions? SEARCH METHODS Studies were identified by exploring a large number of relevant academic journals (e.g., Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Early Childhood Research and Practice, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Child Development, Applied Developmental Science, and the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry) and electronic databases (e.g., Academic Search Premier; CBCA‐Education; Cochrane Controlled Trial Register; Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE); Dissertation Abstracts; EconLit; Education Full Text; Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC); Journal Storage Archive (JSTOR); Medline; Proquest Digital Dissertations; Proquest Direct; Project Muse; PsychInfo; Scopus; SocINDEX with Full Text; and SSRN eLibrary). We also searched the reference list of each eligible study, and reviewed the biographies and publication lists of influential authors in the field of early childhood development and education, to determine if there were any relevant studies not retrieved in the original search. SELECTION CRITERIA Selection criteria are based on both comparative and correlational studies that examine the relationship between teacher qualification and quality of the ECEC environment (as measured by ECERS/ECERS‐R/ITERS/ITERS‐R and any subscales) from 1980 (this was when the ECERS was introduced) to 2014. Eligible studies, therefore, report at least one of the following results: (1) the overall ERS ratings (main outcome); (2) ratings of the seven subscales – program structure (i.e. focusing on the schedule, time for free play, group time and provisions for children with disabilities), activities (i.e. focusing on the provision and quality of activities including fine motor, art, music, dramatic play and math/number), l

The professional development of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers, which involves upgrading or updating skills and knowledge, is crucial for ensuring high-quality early care, development, and education. The study reported in this paper explored the challenges and prospects of professional development among ECCE teachers, in Ethiopia, as well as the roles of community, colleagues, and educational experts in supporting early care and development. To achieve the objectives of the study, a qualitative approach, specifically, an interpretive phenomenological design was used. Data were collected using interviews and focus group discussions, and thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that the challenges faced by ECCE teachers in their professional development are related to the value placed on it; funding, working conditions, and diminishing emphasis on the role of play in ECCE. The study also highlighted opportunities for professional development, such as the growing demand for ECCE services and increased Ethiopian government attention. It is recommended that Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) providers and government bodies explore ways to secure funding for professional development. For privately owned ECCE centers, this could come from fees paid by parents. For government-owned centers, funds could be mobilized from government sources and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). This financial support would directly benefit the professional development of ECCE teachers.

There is a deep ambivalence in Western society about caring and loving generally (hooks 2000). Love and care is seen as a largely personal and private matter. This is despite the fact that love, care and solidarity are essential components of human survival and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) practice. In Ireland, the ad hoc nature of the ECCE policy structure, the limited conceptualisations of quality and equality in the sector for both children and adults, as well as increasing demands on ECCE workers draw our attention to the gendered nature of the sector, and to women being essentialised as carers. Recent moves at policy and practice levels to discard care in the naming of the sector in Ireland (replacing ECCE with Early Childhood Education) can be linked to the value placed on care and to the status of ECCE workers versus education and primary teachers. This might explain why some ECCE workers have begun to refer to themselves as early childhood educators. This could be seen as an effort to bring them closer to the dominant discourse, achieve recognition and status in an effort to improve working conditions. This chapter draws on feminist and egalitarian theories to critique the ‘equality of opportunity’ principle that is present in various ECCE policy documents in Ireland. Through a more robust equality framework Equality of condition (Baker et al. 2004) I examine the conditions afforded to the ECCE sector versus the primary school sector. My particular focus is on the dimension of love, care and solidarity (Baker et al. 2004) in ECCE.

Early childhood education and care: Canada's challenges and next steps

This policy brief explores four key issues pertaining to the future of early childhood education and care in Australia: the importance of early childhood, quality early childhood education and care, service integration, and the inclusion of children with disability and developmental delays. Overview The past decade has seen an unprecedented policy focus in Australia upon services for children during the early years. This has occurred in response to a growing body of research highlighting the importance of the early years. Progress in regards to early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in the policy arena is often overshadowed by simplistic views and debates in the broader public arena regarding young children. For example, the misconception that child care is ‘bad’ for young children disrupts attempts to move public debate towards how we can build a high quality ECEC service system. In this Policy Brief, we explore four key issues pertaining to the future of early childhood education and care in Australia: the importance of early childhood, quality early childhood education and care, service integration, and the inclusion of children with disability and developmental delays. Although significant improvements have been made recently in Australia in regards to ECEC, it is important that as a nation we carefully consider decisions regarding the ECEC service system and do not lose sight of the profound role that the service system plays in building the foundation for Australia’s future prosperity.

Although the literature is replete with research that indicates the importance of qualified and highly skilled practitioners in the provision of quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), challenges to the retention of highly skilled graduates and the establishment of a professional ECEC workforce persist. This study investigates the barriers that hinder practitioners from obtaining higher level ECEC qualifications. It presents findings from the perspectives of practitioners ( n = 18) participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme using semi-structured interviews. This article is part of a doctoral study with practitioners and parents on quality in ECEC and the impact of technology on quality practice. Importantly, this article presents findings from the practitioner interviews as they relate to the barriers faced by practitioners in obtaining higher level qualifications. Findings indicate that practitioners value the role of qualifications in the provision of quality practice. Despite this, findings suggest that the likelihood of obtaining an ECEC degree is largely dependent on the practitioner’s financial situation. For example, in the absence of appropriate pay scales and occupational profiles, practitioners are forced to avail of social welfare services.

This study analysis the provision of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia. To achieve this objective, the researchers used a mixed methods research design followed by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory as a conceptual framework. Parents, preschool teachers, and education experts were chosen using systematic and purposeful sampling. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussion, a standardised observational checklist, and secondary documents. The study demonstrates that the educational backgrounds and qualifications of ECCE teachers and leaders, physical settings, curricular initiatives, and teaching materials are far below national standards. The findings further suggest that ECCE in Wolaita Zone is neither child-friendly nor child-centred and ECCE fails to satisfy minimum health, safety, and educational standards. The paper recommends that, if true educational equity is to be foregrounded, then official Ethiopian ECCE guidelines and frameworks for ECCE should be cascaded to ECCE schools across the nation.

Ninety-eight percent of all Danish children between one and six attend an early childhood education and care (ECEC) center. Thirty-eight percent of these children spend eight hours or more a day in an ECEC center. Most Danish ECECs are public and administered by local municipalities. ECEC centers include crèche/nurseries and family day-care providers (zero to three years); kindergartens (three to six years); and the most common, integrated centers (zero to six years). On average, 45 percent of the zero-to-two-year-old children attending an ECEC attend a family day-care provider. Often, ECEC centers are open Monday through Friday from six thirty a.m. to five p.m. Each center varies in size and the manner of its organization, and most are unit based so that every child belongs to a unit with particular adults. Pedagogical approaches also vary, but in general, children spend three to four hours a day outside on a playground. Except for lunch, snacks, and circle times, children take part in adult-initiated or adult-structured activities, typically thirty minutes per day. Otherwise, they are free to choose for themselves with what to play and with whom to play in a child-centered pedagogical environment. The ECEC sector has a high political priority and accounts for a considerable part of municipal budgets since only one-fifth of total costs are financed by parent fees. The ECEC sector is vested with high expectations, which include preventing social problems and providing care, upbringing, and learning opportunities for all children. Danish pedagogues are professionally trained at the bachelor’s level in providing care and supporting development. In an average municipality, 59 percent of the professionals have a degree in pedagogy, while the remaining 41 percent are assistants with some or no pedagogical education. The ratios between adults and children vary between municipalities. In 2018, each professional on average was responsible for 6.2 children, age three to five, or 3.1 children, age zero to two. The early childhood education and care system in Denmark is like other Nordic countries, based on a social pedagogical approach. The sector is closely connected to the development of the Danish welfare state in the 1960s and onward with its tax-financed public health, education, and social system. Another characteristic is that in Denmark most men and women are employed on a full-time basis. In the mid-20th century, legislation regulating the ECEC sector was sparse. It was adopted under the purview of the Ministry of Social Affairs, which reflected the fact that providing day care for preschool children was regarded a social issue rather than an educational issue. A national curriculum of six learning themes became effective in 2004 and has been implemented into a play-based tradition. In 2018, a political initiative was implemented in order to straighten the curriculum framework. One of the aims is to increase the learning environment in Danish ECEC centers and to develop the professionals’ cooperation with parents. In 2019 the Danish parliament introduced initiatives toward a minimum ratio of one adult to three children in nurseries (zero-to-two-year-olds), and one adult to six children in kindergartens (three-to-five-year-olds). The exact model is not negotiated yet, but the implementation is expected to be in place by 2025.

Ms. Lubeck, guest editor of this special section, points out that the practices and policies of other nations help us to see more clearly our own approach to parental leave, child care, and early education. CHILDREN ARE children, we say with some conviction - or even, children are the same everywhere - as if classifying them as members of a species defined their identities. Yet a considerable amount has been written on how children's lives have been constructed differently in different places and times,1 and we are only beginning to appreciate how nations, through their policies and programs, create strikingly different environments for children. Rapid economic, social, and political change has recently made young children the focus of unprecedented national and international attention, and early childhood education and care (ECEC) is now moving to the forefront of national policy agendas. A majority of children in the postindustrial West are now being reared in families in which parents and other caregivers work outside the home. Early childhood programs that support children's development and well-being have come to be seen as beneficial to children, and they are increasingly being used as ways of achieving other social objectives, such as preparing children for formal schooling or fostering social cohesion. Yet the rationales for and approaches to early care and education are as varied as the countries themselves. The Swedes see ECEC, among other things, as a way to foster gender equity; Italians speak of extending relationships beyond kith and kin; and the French describe the process as one in which children are welcomed into French society.2 This Kappan special section is based on work undertaken in conjunction with a recent review of ECEC policies in 12 countries. In 1998 the Education Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched the Review of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Policy. The purpose of the review was to assist all OECD member nations in their efforts to improve early care and education for children from birth to compulsory school age. Participating countries included Australia, Belgium (Flemish and French communities), the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The study had four components. First, each nation commissioned a report. Next, a review team composed of policy makers and researchers from other nations made an intensive case-study visit. Drawing on background materials and field notes from the visit, a country note was then crafted to reflect the review team's understandings and recommendations.3 Finally, the OECD project staff responsible for the overall study wrote a report with input from study participants. This report, titled Starting Strong: Early Childhood Education and Care, was released in Stockholm in June 2001.4 The OECD Thematic Review marks a significant milestone in cross- national comparative work in early education and care. Never before have such in-depth studies been undertaken across a range of nations with the full cooperation of the participating governments. Yet even the most comprehensive study is bounded by time and space. All the participating nations are experiencing rapid social change, and so the reports that make up Starting Strong must be seen as frames within ongoing films. In addition, by World Bank indicators, only 9% of the world's children live in high-income countries,5 and it is these countries, with the exception of the Czech Republic (considered an upper middle income nation), that are featured in the Thematic Review. In this special section, we examine the ECEC policies of three countries that participated in the Thematic Review - England, Italy, and Sweden - and explore what the experience in these nations might have to say to the United States. …

Recent years have seen a marked increase in interest in early childhood education and care (ECEC) because of an enhanced recognition of the role of early intervention in the life cycle skill formation and the growth of knowledge based economies. However, formulation of Chinese ECEC policy has been hampered by a paucity of high quality empirical studies of ECEC provision and utilization. Aware of the significant role of empirical studiesin identifying the problemsand developing solutions for addressing ECEC policy and practice, this thesis examines family utilization of ECEC services in Beijing. More specifically, the study clarifieswho utilizes ECEC services in Beijing, how utilization relates to parents’ employment and whether parents are satisfied with the services received. Atotal of 416 questionnaires were gathered and 44 parents were interviewed in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the consumption of ECEC services by relating service utilization to family characteristics, parent employment and satisfaction. Findings indicate that four factors (child age, migrant status, Guanxi, and family income) emerged to influence family utilization of ECEC services at a significant level.Families with children under three, migrant families, low-income families, and families without Guanxi were identified as being disadvantaged in relation to ECEC. Parent employment is found to have divergent impacts on ECEC utilization depending on work conditions (e.g. wage and working hours) and/or service arrangement (e.g. location and fees). The empirical investigation revealed that ECEC utilization can make it possible for parents to work both by providing them with labour time that they can sell in the market place and by enabling them to gain the income they need to pay for ECEC services.It is also shown parents are overwhelmingly satisfied with the services utilized by parents and that quality factors (e.g. class size, teacher qualification, facilities, etc.) rather than practical factors (e.g. price, timetable, location, etc.) are the primary determinant of parents’ satisfaction. It is hoped that the findings derived from this investigation will inform China’s effort to expand ECEC utilization nationwide in five aspects in relation to funding models, service distribution, quality regulations, information system, and data analysis.

Background Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers play an important role in fostering healthy dietary habits. The Nutrition Now project focusing on improving dietary habits during the first 1000 days of life. Central to the project is the implementation of an e-learning resource aimed at promoting feeding practices among staff and healthy dietary behaviours for children aged 0–3 years in ECEC. Implementing new interventions often presents challenges. This study explores ECEC staff views and experiences with selected strategies for implementing an e-learning resource in ECEC centers in a municipality in Southern Norway. Methods The study is a part of the Nutrition Now study, a hybrid type 1 non-randomized controlled trial. The implementation process followed the Dynamic Integrated Evaluation Model (DIEM). Implementation strategies were selected from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project and included identify and prepare champions, conduct educational meetings, distribute educational materials, create a learning collaborative, and remind clinicians. ECEC teachers from participating ECEC centers in the intervention municipality were recruited as champions. Brief (5–7 min minutes), semi-structured phone interviews, covering key points, were conducted with the champions 8 times, evenly distributed over six months. The interviews were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Results In total, 29 of the invited ECEC centers (53%) participated, and 260 brief interviews (88%) were conducted with champions (n = 37). An evaluation of the feedback from the champions suggests that the five selected implementation strategies were acceptable. Five main themes were developed by qualitative analysis: 1) Being a champion resembles what I already do. 2) Educational meetings are fine but take time. I prefer when peers share experiences. 3) Newsletters were helpful and reminded me, but I do not always have enough time to read. 4) Evaluations have increased my awareness, and we do them informally and formally. 5) The regular phone calls reminded me I could receive support and express my opinion. Conclusion This study’s findings suggest that several implementation strategies are acceptable for stakeholders in an ECEC e-learning healthy eating intervention. However, time constraints among champions may hinder deep engagement. These results provide valuable insights into how the selected implementation strategies may function in practice and how they are perceived and experienced by the ECECs staff. Trial registration Trial registration on June 6, 2022: ISRCTN10694967.

Parental Leave Policies: An Essential Ingredient in Early Childhood Education and Care Policies

Children’s participation is a fundamental principle of contemporary education. To ensure children’s participation, a Model for Promoting Children’s Participation in Early Childhood Education and Care has been developed that enables educators to self-reflect on their practice, analyse children’s participation, listen to children’s and parents’ voices, and link children’s participation to the quality of early childhood education and care. The aim of the paper is to present findings regarding the importance of the model for promoting children’s participation in early childhood education and care and the current state of children’s participation. The qualitative study is based on the multi-perspective participatory approach to promoting children’s participation in action. The findings suggest that the model has great potential for researching and promoting children’s participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, especially children’s expression and teachers’ professional reflection.

The Act on Early Childhood Education and Care takes a stand on premises, learning environment, qualification of personnel, aims, quality assessment, and supervision. Pursuant to the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, the National core curriculum for early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a national regulation that provides guidelines for the national steering of ECEC. On a governmental level, supervision is very important when it comes to management, and in addition to that, assessment and supervision of the supervisory authorities are a part of the ECEC director’s tasks. Supervision is a part of strategic leadership. From the beginning of the year 2020, the Regional State Administrative Agency has implemented a supervision programme in which the focus is to check that there is adequate staffing throughout the day. There is a systematic sampling of children’s and personnel’s presence in early education centres of the municipal ECEC. By examining the adult–child ratios, senior officers in the Regional State Administrative Agency judge if the situation is satisfactory. The study was conducted to see whether municipalities are complying with the law. A low ratio affects the quality of early childhood education and care. The supervisory authority may issue an admonition for future operations to the organiser of ECEC. The sampling is ongoing, but the results so far show that municipal ECEC follows the ratio very well. During 2020, the Regional State Administrative Agencies supervised 1596 municipal day care centres. The adult–child ratio overrun percentage was only 0.45 per cent.