What Drives Early Childhood Providers to Increase Quality? Using Expectancy-Value Theory to Understand Providers’ Motivations and Challenges in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are operated with an assumption that early childhood education (ECE) providers will participate and increase quality to get more recognition and enrollment. However, few studies have examined whether and why ECE providers are motivated to increase quality in a QRIS. We explored ECE providers’ motivations and challenges in a QRIS using Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT). Phone interview data with 56 ECE providers participating in one U.S. state’s QRIS and 4 non-participants were analyzed using Applied Thematic Analysis. Results showed that ECE providers have different levels of perceived competence, values, and cost, which may be associated with whether they are motivated or discouraged to increase quality in a QRIS and whether they participate in a QRIS. Practice or Policy: The components of EVT can be useful to understand and interpret ECE providers’ motivation for participation in a QRIS. Examining ECE providers’ motivation can help QRISs tailor support for providers’ different needs, values, and challenges. We suggest that future research examine how ECE providers’ motivation across individual- and program-level factors may impact their decisions to improve quality in a QRIS. We also highlight the importance of examining ECE providers’ motivation, experiences, and perceptions for QRIS to support their efforts to improve quality more efficiently.