Early Childhood Education Facilities Research Articles

Assurance and Development of Interaction Quality: The Impact of Blended-Learning Professional Development Training Programme

In recent years, there has been considerable investment at the European Union level in expanding early childhood education and care (ECEC) facilities. In line with this quantitative substantial initiative, research and social policies are increasingly focusing on the quality of such facilities. High quality depends, among other things, on well-trained early childhood educators. This poses a dilemma for early childhood educators for various reasons; there is a shortage of skilled early childhood professionals, so that low-skilled staff are also being employed in early childhood education facilities. Online formats for professional development can contribute to the professionalisation of the ECEC system through vocational training. Since these formats are designed and produced to high professional and technical standards, they can be cost-effective thanks to their multiple uses and because they can often be completed by participants independent of time and location. This article presents an empirically studied blended e-learning training format based on the principles of co-constructivist didactics. The content focuses on the quality of interaction between early childhood professionals and children. Before and after the training course was completed, standardised non-participant observations were conducted in Austrian, German, Hungarian, Slovenian, Italian, and Portuguese early childhood education and care institutions. The before/after measurements (N = 43) showed a significant effect on the quality of interaction between the early childhood professionals and the children.

An Analytical Study of Early Childhood Education Facilities in Public and Private Sector Schools in Azad Jammu & Kashmir

The purpose of this study was to analyze a situation of ECE facilitiesavailable in public and private sector schools in AJ&K. The main objectiveof the study was to assess the availability of physical, academic, sports andlearning environment facilities for ECE in public and private sectorschools in AJ&K. The study was descriptive in nature and a quantitativeapproach was applied for conducting the research. A questionnaire wasused for the collection of data from respondents. The sample consisted of100 teachers, which were 50 from the public sector and 50 from the privatesector by using a disproportionate stratified random sampling technique.A questionnaire consisted of 46 items with four subscales was used in thisstudy. Mean, standard deviation and t-test was used to analyze the data.Expert opinion was taken to check the validity of questionnaire.Cronbach’s Alpha of the questionnaire was .705. The result of the studyrevealed that the availability of all four facilities is better in public sectorschools than private sector schools. It is recommended that resources ofteaching and learning for early childhood education need to be increased.It is also suggested that the curriculum for ECE should also be revised andimplemented in private sector schools of AJ&K.

Effect of Early Childhood Education on Pupils’ Readiness for Learning in Public Primary one School in Rwanda

The effective provision of early childhood education to children plays a significant role in readiness in primary school which also creates a high rate of adaptation. This paper therefore determined the effect of early childhood education on pupils’ readiness in public primary schools (primary one) in Gasabo district in Rwanda. The target population was 270 respondents that provided the sample size of 162. The study used Yamane formula to get the sample size. Interview guide and questionnaire were used as data collection instruments. Correlation research design was employed and IBM/SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that early childhood education influence pupils’ readiness at 64.9 percent of R- square. It was noted that teaching and learning resources, teachers’ qualification, numeracy development and language development can improve pupils’ readiness for learning. It was also indicated that, every increase on teaching qualification and pupils’ readiness for learning increases at 104.3 percent. The study recommended that the ministry of education ought to provide early childhood education facilities in all public primary schools in order to improve pupils' readiness for learning. Educational designers should make effective set up that should boost pupils' readiness for learning so as to make up effective implementation of early childhood education factors in public primary schools. The head teachers should supervise the implementation of early childhood education daily so that pupils' readiness for learning in primary one can be improved through developing test scores, attitudes towards learning and pupils' retention as well as reducing repetition rate. Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Early childhood Development, Primary education Pupil’ readiness, Rwanda

Influence of Play-based Learning in Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Bangladesh: Lessons from Japan

Universally, Early Childhood Education (ECE) received considerable attention among the stakeholders, and multiple international studies have emphasized the critical nature of the high-quality ECE facilities that integrate learning and play. Several studies have demonstrated the positive influence of decent learning environments on prospects and the comprehensive development of children. This research focuses on play-based learning through gamification to characterize the excellent ECE environments and provide the importance of play-based learning in Bangladesh. This case study research focuses on the necessities of play-based learning in Bangladesh for ECE development, considering the Japanese experience. This study shows that the absence of children s play and play-based learning in Bangladesh is due to a lack of government policy initiatives and parental socioeconomic situations. A theoretical analysis has been included through Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach to understanding the necessities of play-based learning for the welfare of children in Bangladesh. The findings show that the government policy formulation and stakeholders’ engagement might create the opportunity for establishing play-based learning in ECE.

An Analytical Study of Early Childhood Education Facilities in Public and Private Sector Schools in Azad Jammu & Kashmir

The purpose of this paper was to analyse a situation of ECE facilities available in public and private sector schools in AJ&K. Main objective of the study was to assess the availability of physical, academic, sports and learning environment facilities for ECE in public and private sector schools in AJ&K. Questionnaire was comprised on 46 items with four subscales. The result of the study revealed that the availability of all four facilities is better in public sector schools than private sector schools. It is recommended that resources of teaching and learning for early childhood education need to be increased. It is also suggested that curriculum for ECE should also be revised and implemented in private sector schools of AJ&K.
 Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Facilities.

The Infrastructure Standards of Early Childhood Education Units in South Sulawesi Province

Early childhood (0-6 years) is a very important period that affects all stages of human development. This period is often referred to as the golden age because in this period children’s intelligence develops more rapidly than in the next period. Children need good quality educational services during early childhood so that their potential can develop optimally. It is therefore important to support early childhood education facilities and infrastructure. Each educational unit must have infrastructure such as land, classrooms, leadership rooms, teachers’ rooms, administration rooms, library rooms, sports venues, places of worship, places to play, and places to support the learning process. There are still many people who do not understand what infrastructure is needed by early childhood education units to support the needs of children, or how to manage it. This can be seen in the results of this exploratory study, which analyzed the standards of the infrastructure in the district and municipal early childhood education units in South Sulawesi province.
 Keywords: infrastructure standards, early childhood education program

원격으로 실시한 반폐쇄성도훈련이 영유아 교사의 주관적 음성평가에 미치는 효과*

This study examines the effectiveness of semi-occluded vocal tract exercise (SOVTE) conducted through telepractice for 10 female teachers who have experienced vocal discomfort while working in early childhood education facilities (childcare centers, kindergartens). The effects of SOVTE conducted through telepractice were evaluated based on the Korean voice handicap index (KVHI), the Korean version of the voice activity and participation profile (K-VAPP), vocal effort, and auditory perception evaluation by using the grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale. The results show that total, functional, and physical scores of KVHI significantly reduced after SOVTE. The total score in K-VAPP significantly reduced after SOVTE. Moreover, vocal effort significantly decreased after SOVTE. However, statistically significant differences were not noted in GRB scales before and after SOVTE. In conclusion, early childhood teachers experienced reduced vocal discomfort SOVTE conducted through telepractice. The study results indicate that voice therapy conducted through telepractice is an effective method for reducing vocal discomfort in early childhood teachers.

795Contribution of school meals provision/receipt to “catch up growth” in young children: A counterfactual approach

795Contribution of school meals provision/receipt to “catch up growth” in young children: A counterfactual approach

Examining Differences in Achievement of Physical Activity Best Practices Between Urban and Rural Child Care Facilities by Age

Go Nutrition and Physical activity Self Assessment in Child Care (NAP SACC) is an evidence based intervention developed to positively impact childhood obesity in early childhood education (ECE) facilities. One focus of Go NAP SACC is the development of physical activity best practices. However, little research has examined differences in achievement of best practices based on age of child and geographic location. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the achievement of physical activity best practices between urban and rural childcare facilities by age-specific recommendations (infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) and in the overall physical activity environment. Urban (n = 207) and rural (n = 218) ECE facilities completed the Go NAP SACC process. Data were analyzed using an ANCOVA. A majority of facilities reported exceeding best practices (79.5%), however significant differences were found on 18 best practices with urban facilities outscoring their rural counterparts on 17 of these items. A comparison by age found that urban facilities reported higher achievement of best practices among infants (60%) in comparison to toddlers (40%) or preschoolers (30%). Future studies should continue to explore the rural–urban context of physical activity practices across the early childhood age groups to ensure healthy physical development of children.

Designing furniture as learning facilities for early young child education in Desa Gunung Sari, Tangerang

Early childhood education is one of the most important stages in the process of child growth. This program was designed in order to prepare young children for further education at the elementary school stage. However, many early childhood education facilities, mainly public school located in villages still have inadequate facilities, based on data from Early Childhood Education Association. From unfit buildings to inadequate learning facilities. Therefore, it is necessary to design an appropriate and suitable learning tool for children in their early childhood age. A community service project was conducted on an early childhood education facility located in a village in Mauk area. The community service process begins with researching data through observation to the facility, interviews with the people in the area as well expert on early childhood education. Data about children ergonomy is collected. The output is twenty multifunction modular furniture named SALA (Sarana Alas Duduk Anak), that can function as table and chair for students, table and stool for teacher, and can be arranged as stage for school performance. It can be stacked up to 3 modules for space-saving. The design is made in home-based furniture maker near the village and as an effort to support and assisting early childhood education nationally.

KEGIATAN PENGABDIAN KEPADA MASYARAKAT : Perancangan Sarana Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini Untuk Sekolah Cahaya Al-fuqron, Desa Gunung Sari, Kecamatan Mauk, Kabupaten Tanggerang

Abstract 
 
 Early childhood education is one of the most important stages in the process of child growth. This program was designed in order to prepare young children for further education at the elementary school stage. However, many early childhood education facilities, especialy owned by the government located in villages still have unfeasible facilities, based on data from Early Childhood Education Association in 2016. From unfit buildings to inadequate learning facilities. UPH saw this as an oppounity to do
 community service, since it is necessary to design an appropriate and suitable learning tool for children in their early childhood age, in which case study was conduct on an early childhood education facility located in a village in Mauk area, Cahaya Al Fuqron. The design process begins with researching data through observation to the facility, interviews with the people in the area as well expert on the early childhood education.
 The results were twenty multifunction furnitures designed and produced for the school. Hopefully in the long run this can be developed to another inadequate early childhood education facilities in other villages and provide appropriate and suitable facilities to the children with lower-middle class target market. The design also supports the home-based furniture industry and as an effort to support and assisting early childhood education nationally.

APPRAISING THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION BY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

This study investigated the level of participation in Early Childhood Education (ECE) by public and private schools in North-central, Nigeria. The objectives of this study were to determine: (i) the level of participation by public schools in ECE; (ii) the level of participation by private schools in ECE (iv) whether there is difference in the level of participation by public and private in ECE schools in Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. The target population comprised 4,378 ECE school head teachers in North-central, Nigeria. Random and proportional sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 1,531 ECE school head teachers. A validated instrument entitled “Public and Private Schools Participation Questionnaire” (PPSPQ) with 0.72 and index was used to collect data. Mean and rank-ordering were used to answer research questions. Independent t-test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 significance level. Findings of this study revealed that public schools had medium level participation (teacher quality mean = 45.1, supervision mean = 34.5, curriculum implementation mean = 44. 5 and provision of facilities mean = 24.2). It was also found that private schools had high level of participation (teacher quality mean = 42.2, supervision mean = 65.6, curriculum implementation mean = 54.7, and provision of facilities = 56.4). It was recommended that the government should participate fully in the education of pre-schoolers and upgrade the current low level of ECE facilities in public schools. Frequent visitation of public and private schools by quality assurance officers of ministries of education should be carried out to improve the quality of ECE provision in schools.

VOC exposures in California early childhood education environments.

Little information exists about exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in early childhood education (ECE) environments. We measured 38 VOCs in single-day air samples collected in 2010-2011 from 34 ECE facilities serving California children and evaluated potential health risks. We also examined unknown peaks in the GC/MS chromatographs for indoor samples and identified 119 of these compounds using mass spectral libraries. VOCs found in cleaning and personal care products had the highest indoor concentrations (d-limonene and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane [D5] medians: 33.1 and 51.4μg/m³, respectively). If reflective of long-term averages, child exposures to benzene, chloroform, ethylbenzene, and naphthalene exceeded age-adjusted "safe harbor levels" based on California's Proposition 65 guidelines (10-5 lifetime cancer risk) in 71%, 38%, 56%, and 97% of facilities, respectively. For VOCs without health benchmarks, we used information from toxicological databases and quantitative structure-activity relationship models to assess potential health concerns and identified 12 VOCs that warrant additional evaluation, including a number of terpenes and fragrance compounds. While VOC levels in ECE facilities resemble those in school and home environments, mitigation strategies are warranted to reduce exposures. More research is needed to identify sources and health risks of many VOCs and to support outreach to improve air quality in ECE facilities.

Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exposure and risk characterization in California early childhood education environments.

Little information is available about air quality in early childhood education (ECE) facilities. We collected single-day air samples in 2010-2011 from 40 ECE facilities serving children ≤6years old in California and applied new methods to evaluate cancer risk in young children. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were detected in 100% of samples. The median (max) indoor formaldehyde and acetaldehyde levels (μg/m3 ) were 17.8 (48.8) and 7.5 (23.3), respectively, and were comparable to other California schools and homes. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde concentrations were inversely associated with air exchange rates (Pearson r=-0.54 and -0.63, respectively; P<0.001). The buildings and furnishings were generally >5years old, suggesting other indoor sources. Formaldehyde levels exceeded California 8-h and chronic Reference Exposure Levels (both 9μg/m3 ) for non-cancer effects in 87.5% of facilities. Acetaldehyde levels exceeded the U.S. EPA Reference Concentration in 30% of facilities. If reflective of long-term averages, estimated exposures would exceed age-adjusted 'safe harbor levels' based on California's Proposition 65 guidelines (10-5 lifetime cancer risk). Additional research is needed to identify sources of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde and strategies to reduce indoor air levels. The impact of recent California and proposed U.S. EPA regulations to reduce formaldehyde levels in future construction should be assessed.

Phthalate exposure and risk assessment in California child care facilities.

Approximately 13 million U.S. children less than 6 years old spend some time in early childhood education (ECE) facilities where they may be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals during critical periods of development. We measured five phthalate esters in indoor dust (n = 39) and indoor and outdoor air (n = 40 and 14, respectively) at ECE facilities in Northern California. Dust and airborne concentrations were used to perform a probabilistic health risk assessment to compare estimated exposures with risk levels established for chemicals causing reproductive toxicity and cancer under California's Proposition 65. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) were the dominant phthalates present in floor dust (medians = 172.2 and 46.8 μg/g, respectively), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) were the dominant phthalates in indoor air (medians = 0.52, 0.21, and 0.10 μg/m(3), respectively). The risk assessment results indicate that 82-89% of children in California ECE had DBP exposure estimates exceeding reproductive health benchmarks. Further, 8-11% of children less than 2 years old had DEHP exposure estimates exceeding cancer benchmarks. This is the largest study to measure phthalate exposure in U.S. ECE facilities and findings indicate wide phthalate contamination and potential risk to developing children.

Flame retardant exposures in California early childhood education environments

Infants and young children spend as much as 50h per week in child care and preschool. Although approximately 13 million children, or 65% of all U.S. children, spend some time each day in early childhood education (ECE) facilities, little information is available about environmental exposures in these environments. We measured flame retardants in air and dust collected from 40 California ECE facilities between May 2010 and May 2011. Low levels of six polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners and four non-PBDE flame retardants were present in air, including two constituents of Firemaster 550 and two tris phosphate compounds [tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tris (1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP)]. Tris phosphate, Firemaster 550 and PBDE compounds were detected in 100% of the dust samples. BDE47, BDE99, and BDE209 comprised the majority of the PBDE mass measured in dust. The median concentrations of TCEP (319ngg−1) and TDCIPP (2265ngg−1) were similar to or higher than any PBDE congener. Levels of TCEP and TDCIPP in dust were significantly higher in facilities with napping equipment made out of foam (Mann–Whitney p-values<0.05). Child BDE99 dose estimates exceeded the RfD in one facility for children<3years old. In 51% of facilities, TDCIPP dose estimates for children<6years old exceeded age-specific “No Significant Risk Levels (NSRLs)” based on California Proposition 65 guidelines for carcinogens. Given the overriding interest in providing safe and healthy environments for young children, additional research is needed to identify strategies to reduce indoor sources of flame retardant chemicals.

Update on The Children's Physical Environments Rating Scale (CPERS5)

Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 22 No. 2 (Winter 2012) ISSN: 1546-2250 Update on The Children’s Physical Environments Rating Scale (CPERS5) Gary T. Moore Citation: Moore, Gary T.. (2012). "Update on The Children’s Physical Environments Rating Scale (CPERS5)." Children, Youth and Environments 22 (2). Since the 1970s, it has been well known that early childhood development and the quality of childcare, preschool, kindergarten, and other early childhood education are related to the quality of the physical environment. Research by the authors and others has found that the quality of the physical, designed environment of early childhood centers—such environmental attributes as size, density, privacy, well-defined activity settings, modified open-plan space, a variety of technical design features, and the quality of outdoor play spaces—is also related to children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. Based on that research, as well as Piagetian-based developmental theory, a systematic review of previous scales, and child care and preschool standards in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the Children’sPhysical Environments Rating Scale (CPERS) was developed to provide a scientifically reliable and valid assessment instrument. Development and testing of the scale and its subscales involved extensive reliability and validity testing through expert panels and field research in those countries. Two types of reliability were examined: inter-rater and test-retest reliability, and two types of validity: content and construct validity. The reliability and validity research has been disseminated through international conferences and refereed journal papers. A summary paper was published inCYE (2007, 17(4), 24-53). The results of this eight-year 312 program of research confirm the internal consistency, interrater and test-retest reliability, and construct validity of CPERS and confirm its utility for both research and general use in a wide variety of applications. The work was carried out by Gary T. Moore, with major assistance from Louise O’Donnell and Takemi Sugiyama, University of Sydney, Australia. The Children’s Physical Environments Rating Scale (CPERS) has been used for quality assessment, post-occupancy evaluation, basic research on child-environment relations, and comparative cross-country research on the environmental quality of early childhood education facilities. It is now available on-line through the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities (ACEF) at http://www.acefacilities.org/Search.aspx?Keyword=CPERS&Pu blisher=&Type=&Role=Early Childhood&Category=Design&Page=0. ...

Retention of Staff in the Early Childhood Education Workforce

What incentives can the administrators of early childhood education facilities offer their staff in order to retain them? In light of research identifying low staff turnover as a key component of high quality early childhood education, the answer to this question has ramifications beyond human-resources management. This paper presents the results of a statewide survey of early childhood educators, which indicate that both personal factors (age and experience) and the availability of benefits are associated with intent to remain in the field. The applicability of these findings to employment policies in the field of early childhood education are discussed.

Organizational aspects of special schools for mental retardation in India.

The aim of this study was to find out areas for improvement in the system of special schools for mental retardation in India and to provide policy guidance. It attempted to find out regional variations between special schools in terms of service facilities, numbers of students enrolled in both day-care and residential facilities and composition and profile of human resources vis-à-vis students and special schools and to compare them with trends for the whole of India. The results indicate that enrollment of girl students is very low (37%) and that the staff-to-student ratio on average is 1:6 leaving scope for better utilization of the existing infrastructure. The study points out that the south and west regions account for 73% of special educational facilities while 26% of the schools provide residential facilities. Further the results indicate that only 31% of the special schools provide early intervention and early childhood education facilities. They also indicate that composition and deployment of staff is lopsided and there are wide variations among regions and within the different categories of staff. It is observed that staff profile comprises 51% special teachers, 31% rehabilitation professionals and 18% support staff. Based on the findings, seven major areas have emerged for improvement: regional balance in the growth of special schools, comprehensive services, equality between the sexes, full-time, qualified staff and optimal utilization of the existing infrastructure.

A longitudinal study of early childhood education and subsequent academic achievement

Abstract The relationships between duration of attendance at early childhood education facilities and measures of intelligence, reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and school ability up to the age of 13 years were studied in a birth cohort of New Zealand children. Before adjustment for confounding factors, children who had attended early education facilities for more than two years scored from .33 to .80 SDs higher on tests of cognitive ability and school achievement than children who did not attend early education. However, after adjustment for confounding factors, including parental education levels, socioeconomic status, family size, child ethnicity, infant feeding methods, early mother-child interaction, and the child's birthweight, these differences reduced to between .13 and .47 SDs. Nonetheless, in all but one case, significant associations were found between duration of attendance at early childhood education and cognitive ability and school achievement after controlling for confounding...