Effects of Early Childhood Education on Students' Academic Achievement in Science at Elementary School Level

Abstract

This study aimed to find the effects of Early Childhood Education (ECE)on students’ academic achievement in science at elementary school levelin district Haripur. The study's objectives were: 1) to investigate theimpacts of ECE on students’ academic achievements, 2) to compare theacademic achievement of students who have attended ECE with those whohave not attended ECE over the categories of male and female schools. Allstudents at the elementary school level were considered as the populationof the study. The study was delimited to grade 7th of the elementary schoollevel. Ten (10) schools (five male and female schools each) were randomlyselected as sample of the study. Four hundred (400) students (200 for ECEand Non ECE each) were randomly selected. Data were collected throughacademic achievement test having reliability coefficient 0.87. Data wereanalyzed by using SPSS software. ECE (Male) group was found superiorto Non ECE (male and female groups); ECE (Female) group was foundbetter than Non ECE (male and female groups). However, both the maleand female of Non ECE groups were equal; and both the male and femaleof ECE groups were equal in their science academic achievement.Government may encourage ECE by providing pre-primary educationalfacilities (classrooms, instructional materials, and equipment) and byorganizing in-service teachers’ trainings to enhance teaching skills and tomake it more successful