THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The study examined the implementation of early childhood education during the pandemic of COVID-19.
 Methodology: A systematic review identified the implementation in early childhood education settings. Electronic databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and manual search on Google Scholar were explored with specific keywords from the inception of the pandemic COVID-19 to November 30, 2020.
 Main Findings: Early childhood education has been influenced due to school closure. Most of the children experience online learning, to reduce the spread of the outbreak, especially when face-to-face learning cannot be conducted. Parents and teachers have significant roles in supporting the children to improve their cognitive and social development. However, the implementation of home learning causes some difficulties in relation to the self-regulation of very young children, the readiness to utilize digital technology and learning materials, parent’s beliefs and attitudes on online learning compared with traditional learning, and requirements of demanding time and knowledge to accompany the children. Therefore, it is important to have good communication between parents and teachers to support early childhood online learning during the outbreak.
 Applications of this study: This article will provide evidence from some countries about the matter of early childhood education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will be useful for improving the quality of early childhood education.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the early childhood education has changed from the traditional system to online education system to reduce the spread of the diseases. This article will show the various implementations of learning system during the outbreak and the lesson learned.