Abstract
Scholarly and institutional research on early childhood education is not a new phenomenon, but what is perhaps limited is extant literature that particularly focuses on revisiting current practices and their “dialogue” with the ever-changing environment that prevails especially in an African setting. The practices of providers of early childhood education are either simply “business opportunity seeking” responses to the new consumption patterns of more affluent parent (or guardian) or current global trends of child education preparation. There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of early child centres in recent years but with fragmented structures. However whether or not this will reduce possibilities of tensions between the macro and micro aspects of this kind of co-evolution is one of the questions this article seeks to address. It also investigates the fit between the internal structure and processes of early childhood centers and the external environment (national framework), focusing on the challenges and prospects of early childhood education. Buoyed by the Fit/Congruence model of organizational analysis, the paper is based on findings from a content analysis of media reports and desk review of policy documents from purposively selected centres based in Gaborone. The data is analyzed using a combination of the pattern model and analytic comparison methods. In Botswana, one of the observed missing links is the absence of national framework guiding the structure and content of early childhood curriculum and instruction. It concludes that while the approaches used in these centres are relatively not similar they may be complementary particularly to the extent to which they prepare the children for an exclusionary education system in a country whose long-term vision is ironically to achieve an equitable and quality education for all. Institutional initiatives at national level have been limited and unevenly distributed with wide differences in the quality of services and lack of coherence and coordination at micro-level.
Highlights
Introduction and BackgroundScholarly and institutional research on early childhood education is not a new phenomenon, but what is perhaps limited is extant literature that focuses on revisiting current practices and their “dialogue” with the ever-changing environment that prevails especially in an African setting
And institutional research on early childhood education is not a new phenomenon, but what is perhaps limited is extant literature that focuses on revisiting current practices and their “dialogue” with the ever-changing environment that prevails especially in an African setting
Whether or not this will reduce possibilities of tensions between the macro and micro aspects of this kind of co-evolution is one of the questions this article seeks to address. It investigates the fit between the internal structure and processes of early childhood centers and the external environment, focusing on the challenges and prospects of early childhood education
Summary
And institutional research on early childhood education is not a new phenomenon, but what is perhaps limited is extant literature that focuses on revisiting current practices and their “dialogue” with the ever-changing environment that prevails especially in an African setting. The existing differences in quality and outcomes within and between ECCE services offered in Botswana diverge from the growing body of international evidence showing effects of quality setting, experiences and pedagogy on children’s wellbeing and developmental outcomes Emerging from this evidence is the central role of early childhood practitioners in promoting quality experiences and environments for young children. There is a recognition of the important role played parental education in early childhood development, the study only focuses on the formal systems because data is available and easy to analyze but to align it with internationally capable standards It investigates the fit or congruence between the internal structure and processes of early childhood institutions and the external environment (national framework). It concludes by demonstrating the effect of the imposing multiple environmental complexities and uncertainties or discontinuities within the sector on child development and suggest practical and policy related recommendations
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