Development Of Early Childhood Education Research Articles

Can a Brief Professional Development Improve Early Childhood Educators’ Responsivity and Interaction Quality in Child Care Centers? A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT High-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) – particularly care defined by highly responsive interactions between educators and children – has the potential to have lasting positive impacts on children’s development. While there is variability in the level of quality among early education and care settings, professional development for early childhood educators has been shown to be an effective means to improve both ECEC quality and child outcomes. As many professional development programs are time and resource intensive, we sought out to test the efficacy of a brief (5 hr) professional development program that included a workshop, individual coaching, video feedback and text messaging. Research Findings: Results of a cluster randomized controlled trial with 93 educators indicated that the program improved educators’ responsivity three-months after intervention (d = 0.60, p = .035), but not classroom-wide levels of emotional support or instructional quality. Trend analysis revealed the greatest improvements occurred after the workshop and first coaching session and leveled off over time. Practice or Policy: Preliminary evidence suggests brief professional development programs may improve interaction quality with effect sizes comparable to those of longer programs. Well-powered studies using multiple arms or sequential randomization will help optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of professional development.

A ATIVIDADE LÚDICA COMO CONTEÚDO DA EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA ESCOLAR E SUAS CONTRIBUIÇÕES PARA O DESENVOLVIMENTO INFANTIL: UMA ANÁLISE DO CURRÍCULO MUNICIPAL DE PRESIDENTE PRUDENTE

The present study aims to investigate the playful aspects, represented by games and play activities, and their relationship with the teaching, learning, and development process of preschool children based on the concepts of Historical-cultural Psychology and Historical-critical Pedagogy, through the analysis of the new municipal curriculum of the city of Presidente Prudente. The research is grounded in the historical-dialectical materialist method, using documentary analysis as a research procedure, specifically concerning the Early Childhood Education section, more specifically the field of experience 'body, gestures, and movements.' Based on the assumptions of Historical-critical Pedagogy and Historical-cultural Psychology, the importance of playful activities for child development and the teaching-learning process of children in early childhood education is emphasized, justifying the analysis of the use of play activities in pedagogical practices in this stage of basic education. Through the curriculum analysis, the following thematic axes emerged: Body Culture as a means of cognitive development in early childhood education; the importance of role-playing games for the development of preschool children; the phases of play and play activities in the teaching-learning process; playfulness and its peculiarities regarding its contribution to psychological development in early childhood education. It can be concluded that the curriculum contains a vast body of knowledge that, when used as a pedagogical tool, can significantly contribute to child development. This demonstrates the importance and value of this document for the teaching-learning-development process of students in the municipal education system of Presidente Prudente.

The development of robotics courses for young children under vector space model.

Robotics education is important in training children's thinking, practical, and innovation abilities. It is significant to stimulate children's interest in learning and improve their learning quality. The existing research has not paid attention to the application of robotics education in children. It is necessary to stimulate children's interest in learning. This paper will take senior kindergarten students as the research object. It analyzes the application of the Vector Space Model (VSM) in robotics course development. The research and development of children's robotics courses incorporating Artificial Intelligence technology are based on the survey results of robotics courses offered by 38 kindergartens in Baoji City. An automatic document classification system based on VSM is designed to assist in compiling robotics teaching textbooks. Finally, the system performance is tested. The results show that about 24% of kindergartens offer robotics courses, and 76% do not. Besides, 70.14% of teachers support the establishment of children's robotics courses. The classification effect of the VSM system is better than that of Chinese documents. This system performs better than the automatic document classification system based on Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency. Its classification accuracy, recall, and F1 value are all above 85%. The development of the robotics course provides a better teaching environment for teaching young children about AI and robots. The robotics education discussed in this paper is a hot spot in the current curriculum reform and is of great significance to the development and innovation in early childhood education.

Efficacy of Pedagogical Strategies in Curriculum Implementation in Early Childhood Development Education in Kenya: Case Study of Hamisi Sub-County

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of Pedagogical strategies in ECDE curriculum implementation. The study objective was to assess the effectiveness of the pedagogical strategies in promoting learners’ readiness for primary education. The study was guided by the curriculum implementation theory by Gross (1971), Ecological Systems Theory of Bronfenbrenner revised by Guy Evans (2020) and Stufflebeam’s CIPP evaluation model (2003). The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study population comprised CSOs, Section Heads, ECDE centres-in-charge and teachers. A sample size of 212 respondents was calculated by Yamane’s (1967) formula. Cluster, stratified and simple random sampling was used to apportion individual members of the groups. Data was collected using an interview schedule, questionnaire, and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages, and findings were presented in pie charts, graphs, and tables. Inferential statistics was done using parametric and non-parametric tests. Logistic regression analysis at a 5% significance level was used to test the null hypothesis. Tests for normality by both Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Sminorv tests were done on the data. P=0.042<0.05; hence, we reject the null hypothesis that the utilisation of selected pedagogical strategies has no statistically significant effect on learners’ readiness for primary education. These findings may be used by the County Government in designing, planning, and funding to deliver quality ECD services. The National Government may use them in policy formulation and regulation to ensure effective supervision and management of centres to realise learners’ readiness for school. Teachers may find these findings quite informative since it has provided various strategies for effective implementation of the ECDE curriculum to enhance learners’ preparedness for school

A critical analysis of Chinese Early Childhood Education policy documents from the perspective of education for sustainable development

ABSTRACT In recent years, researchers have paid increasing attention to the embodiment of education for sustainable development (ESD) in early childhood education (ECE) policies in various countries, but there is a lack of relevant research in China. Therefore, this study adopts the ESD analytical framework to analyze some representative ECE policies in China. It was found that although these policies did not explicitly mention ESD, they contained related concepts, such as educational content covering the three domains of sustainable development, focusing on cultivating children’s cooperation and problem-solving skills and advocating the principles of child-centeredness and multiple synergies. This is closely related to the theoretical foundation of China’s ECE. However, there are also some deviations in the current policy. In the future, policies should be adjusted to focus on children’s relationship with the multidimensional world, enrich relational thinking in curriculum development, transform children’s learning styles and promote the sustainable development of ECE.

Employment effects of childcare availability: Evidence from European Union

There are several factors that contribute to the success of a society. Economic and demographic developments are known as important drivers, while the role of parental employment as a key component is sometimes overlooked. This paper focuses on the effects of childcare availability on female and male employment in the European Union regions. Regional differences may be significant, therefore separate panel regression models (with economic and demographic control variables) are established for regions in old and new member states, and the results are compared across different levels of male and female educational attainment. The findings suggest that there is a considerable difference between old and new members states. The availability of early childhood educational development significantly increases employment both for female and male employees with higher education levels in new members states, while this effect is not significant in old member states. For male employees with relatively low education levels, the availability of early childhood educational development does have a significant effect on employment both in old and new member states but this does not hold for female employees with lower education levels.

Training for the Development of Traditional Educational Game Tools in Increasing the Professional Competence of Teachers

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a training program on the professional competence of Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini (PAUD) teachers in developing traditional educational game tools. The training activities employed the experiential learning model, focusing on the steps of traditional APE (Anak Usia Dini Pendidikan, or Early Childhood Education) development: selecting traditional games, choosing materials, adapting games into APE, determining learning themes, and piloting APE with peers. The findings revealed several implications of the training program on the professional competence of PAUD teachers. First, there was a significant increase in teacher knowledge, particularly in traditional APE. Second, teachers became more aware of the importance of traditional APE in early childhood education. Third, teachers' understanding of professional competence was enhanced through the training, enabling them to incorporate traditional APE into their teaching practices effectively. Fourth, the development and utilization of learning themes through traditional APE became more widespread among teachers. Fifth, teachers better understood child development aspects that could be nurtured through traditional APE. Sixth, the training diversified teaching methods through traditional APE, resulting in more engaging and interactive learning experiences was essential. Seventh, teachers' ability to create stimulating learning environments improved. Finally, the training program gave teachers valuable experiences, knowledge, and motivation to enhance their instructional practices. This study highlights the positive outcomes of training PAUD teachers in developing traditional educational game tools, emphasizing the significance of traditional APE in fostering professional competence and enriching early childhood education. Keywords: Educational Game, Professional Competence Teachers, Traditional Educational Game

Enhancing Children's Speaking Skills through Pop-Up Book Media: A Classroom Action Research

This study aimed to improve the speaking skills of children by utilizing Pop-Up book media, preceded by developing their listening skills. Conducted at Dharma Wanita Persatuan Pucang Kindergarten, the research employed Classroom Action Research methodology. The pre-cycle results revealed a 51.4% average score for children's speaking ability. However, after implementing the Pop-Up book media in the first cycle, the percentage increased significantly to 68.5%, showing a 12.9% improvement from the maximum score. The researcher continued to apply action in cycle II, leading to a remarkable rise in the average score to 85.3%, signifying an overall enhancement of 28.9% from cycles I and II. The results demonstrate that employing Pop-Up book media effectively enhances children's speaking skills, carrying implications for language skill development in early childhood education. Highlights: The use of Pop-Up book media: The study focuses on utilizing Pop-Up book media to enhance children's speaking skills, providing an engaging and interactive learning approach. Classroom Action Research: The research methodology employed is Classroom Action Research, enabling a systematic investigation of the effectiveness of the intervention. Language development in early childhood: The study highlights the importance of language skill development during early childhood education, emphasizing its implications for lifelong language proficiency. Keywords: Speaking skills, Pop-Up book media, Classroom Action Research, Children, Language development.

Finger Puppet Media Boosts Preschool Speaking Skills: Research Findings

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of finger puppet media in improving the speaking abilities of children aged 3-4 years in a playgroup setting at KB 'Aisyiyah 02 Maduran, Lamongan Regency. Employing the Classroom Action Research approach over two cycles, the research involved three stages: pre-cycle, cycle I, and cycle II. Through the use of finger puppets, teachers encouraged children to engage in verbal expression, question-asking, and storytelling, making the learning experience enjoyable and captivating. The results demonstrated significant progress, with the overall speaking skill value increasing from 35.54% in the pre-cycle to 80.56% in cycle II. This study highlights the potential of finger puppet media in promoting effective communication skills among young children, providing valuable implications for early childhood education and language development.

Femininity, class & status: the societal devaluation of the female early years workforce

ABSTRACT This thesis responds to contemporary debates about early childhood education and the gendered nature of the workforce, drawing on feminist theory, interpretive methodologies and practitioner accounts. This project amplifies the female voice of practitioners in the workforce, using data drawn from semi- structured interviews with 11 early years practitioners. Drawing on intersectional feminist theories surrounding women’s liberation from misogyny, and Foucauldian conceptualisations of power, this project will highlight the role of femininity on predominantly working-class early childhood practitioners, and how it distorts their identity and their relationships with colleagues under the current neoliberal regulation of the sector. Through analysing the qualitative data, this thesis will explore the impact of the assumption that women are the traditional caregivers on practitioners themselves; how the patriarchy reproduces this norm by perpetuating misogyny and marginalisation; and how this notion affects women’s oppression and the consequent movements towards liberation. This thesis offers two conceptual and empirical contributions to the field of early childhood education research. Firstly, the theoretical underpinnings of Foucauldian and feminist theory with interpretive methodologies to explore women’s oppression in the early childhood workforce. Secondly, in exploring the role of gendered language and gossip in interactions between early childhood professionals, this thesis analyses the extent to which patriarchal language surrounding gossip is used to trivialise and devalue the female voice and probes the extent to which gossip is a form of power for women. This study contributes important perspectives on how current drives towards the ‘educationalization’ of early years settings can have harmful consequences for the professional development of early childhood educators, rather than raising the standards of childcare in the UK.

Rural-urban differentials in early childhood education and child development: Evidence from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in Ghana.

Children's early development is a key component that affects their wellbeing and health as they age. In recent times, scholars' interest in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Child Development (ECD) has grown exponentially. However, rural-urban differentials in early childhood development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and particularly in Ghana are unknown. This study examined the rural-urban differentials in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Child Development (ECD) in Ghana. We used cross-sectional data from 2017/2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) by the Ghana Statistical Service. We restricted the data to children aged 3 and 4 years. A sample size of 3683 children was used in this study. Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Child Development (ECD) in rural and urban Ghana. Both ECE and ECD scores were higher in the urban areas than in the rural areas. The regression shows the rural-urban disparity in ECD by ECE. The Preschool Program (ECE) has a good impact on children's early development in Ghana. However, the Relative Risk Ratio (RRR) in rural areas was higher than in urban areas. Beyond this, other factors such as age of child, ecological zone, maternal education and wealth index were associated with ECD. Our findings show a significant disparity in Early Childhood Education and Childhood Development in rural and urban areas This study therefore recommends that more resources be channeled in rural areas to help improve ECE and ECD while policies should be tailored to Early Childhood Education.

Impacts of village preschools on student enrollment and longer-term outcomes: New evidence from the poorest regions in China

This paper examines the impacts of both the availability and the quality of village preschools on student enrollment and longer-term outcomes in the context of the rapid development of early childhood education in the poorest areas of China. After the implementation of one of the world’s largest universal preschool programs for a decade, the number of preschools in China has more than doubled while annual enrollments have increased by 60%. Using nationally representative survey data tracking children from 2010 to 2018, we identify the causal impacts of village preschools using a difference-in-differences instrumental variable approach. Building new preschools substantially increased students’ access to early childhood education in low-income villages. We also find suggestive evidence of positive impacts on their cognitive skills four years after preschool enrollment, but not their non-cognitive skills. To identify the impacts of preschool quality, we re-examined the “One-Village-One-Preschool” experiment in one of China’s poorest counties. High-quality preschools substantially improved students’ academic outcomes, particularly among disadvantaged students. Our findings contribute new evidence on how early childhood education affects human capital development in low-income regions.

Teacher training and evaluation processes in early childhood education: legal achievements, possibilities and challenges

This article sought to investigate the influence of the training of Brazilian teachers working in early childhood education classes, in the contours on which the processes of evaluation and pedagogical documentation are designed. It is considered that the way teachers carry out assessments of children's development and learning, reveal their conceptions about childhood and are influenced by subjective questions related to their life experiences and values. Points relating to difficulties in teacher training, initial and continuing, are also discussed, linked to the construction of a professional identity aimed at meeting the specificities and singularities inherent to work in early childhood. This is a bibliographical research, referenced in the systematic review of scientific productions that deal with the themes: teacher training, evaluation of learning and development in early childhood education, based on the analysis of titles, keywords and abstracts in the Scielo database, published from 2018 to 2022.

Communication synergy in social networks as an interactive aspect for the development of early childhood education in educational institutions in Riohacha, La Guajira

This research examines the communicative synergy on social media as an interactive aspect in the development of early childhood education. Its objective is to analyze the communicative correlation on social media and its effects on cyberbullying, sexting, grooming, vamping, among others. Additionally, it seeks to determine the conditions of social media use by school-aged children, as well as the advantages they provide in terms of message exchange with other familiar children, friends, and relatives, known adults, friends, and family members. It also aims to identify the disadvantages of social media for school-aged children, particularly regarding the risks of exchanging messages about sex and love with unknown children and adults, and describes how these disadvantages can negatively impact their emotional and physical well-being, as well as their social isolation.

A case study on peer relationships between children with and without autism spectrum disorder in a Chinese inclusive kindergarten

The development of sustainable early childhood education advocates for the holistic development of all children, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As an important indicator of children’s social development, peer relationships between children with and without ASD in inclusive kindergarten have not gained much attention. Adopting peer nomination, semi-structured interviews, and participant observations, this study described peer relationships between the two types of children in a Chinese inclusive kindergarten and explored its influential factors. Fourteen children with ASD, 12 children without ASD, 4 teachers, the principal of the kindergarten, and 4 parents of children with ASD participated in this study. The results indicated three types of peer relationships: rejected, neglected, and average. ASD children’s emotional and behavioral challenges, their limited social interaction skills, and teachers’ positive feedback on children with ASD were the major reasons for being labeled the above three types respectively. Furthermore, three protective factors (the rule of child pairing in the kindergarten, innovative curriculum and instructional design, and assistance from parents of ASD children) and three hindering factors (hierarchical roles of the children, the dominance of the medical model, and lack of professional knowledge and skills) of children’s peer relationships were identified. Implications and limitations are discussed.

‘What has happened to the unique child?’

Sue Allingham, author, trainer and consultant, discusses some of the news stories and developments in early childhood education causing her most concern, after reflecting on international comparisons following a professional visit to Delhi.

Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Development in China: Progress in Meeting Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.2

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.2 states, “By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education”. Progress towards the goal is measured by indicators of children’s developmental status (Indicator 4.2.1) and participation in at least 1 year of pre-primary education prior to primary school (Indicator 4.2.2). A literature review and analyses of policy documents were conducted to evaluate China’s progress in achieving SDG Target 4.2. This review found that, on the one hand, national data on SDG Target Indicator 4.2.1 are unavailable. The extant data are mainly based on limited samples and collected using different methods, including direct assessment and parent report. On the other hand, data on SDG Target Indicator 4.2.2 are available on the UNESCO database. That stated differences exist between data reported to UNESCO by the government and data provided by the Ministry of Education. Efforts need to be continued to ensure that reliable data, which are the foundation of evidence-based policy-making, are collected and reported.

Supporting social-emotional development in early childhood education and care – a randomized parallel group trial evaluating the impact of two different interventions

ABSTRACT A randomized controlled parallel-group trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of two 10-week early childhood education and care (ECEC) interventions “SAGA” and “Pikkuli” for supporting social-emotional and verbal development. All children above the age of 4 were invited from 15 Finnish volunteer ECEC groups (n SAGA = 52, n Pikkuli = 56, n control group = 42). The children and caregivers, but not the personnel (who carried out the intervention), were blinded to the group assignment. Children in the SAGA intervention advanced in prosocial behavior and social orientation and had fewer internalizing and externalizing problems after the intervention. Children in the Pikkuli intervention advanced in prosocial behavior and had fewer internalizing problems after the intervention. There were no significant changes in any of the aforementioned outcomes in the control group. The results suggest that both interventions have good potential in supporting children’s social-emotional development in the ECEC environment.

PROFISSIONALIZAÇÃO DA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: IMPLEMENTANDO UM SISTEMA INTEGRADO EM TEMPO DE REFORMAS NA ITÁLIA

ABSTRACT In Italy, the issue of initial preparation and continuing professional development (CPD) of early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce has become a particularly contentious issue in the light of the recent reform on the institution of the integrated ECEC system from birth up to six years. The article will critically review the historical evolution of the two different university degrees for the professional preparation of early childhood educators and pre-school teachers and will reflect on its implications for ensuring pedagogical continuity across the 0-6 sector.

Modern Perspectives on Children's Education and Implications for Children's Education in China

On the basis of a review of modern Chinese and Western ideas on children's education, this article summarizes the views of Chinese and Western educators and argues that "child-centredness" is the core of contemporary ideas on children's education. It also considers the current situation of early childhood education in China and draws inspiration for the development of early childhood education in China.