Early Education Programs Research Articles

Aesthetic Learning Spaces: An Investigation into the Status in Danish Early Childhood Teacher Education

The aim of this article is to delve into and discuss the past and present conditions of aesthetic learning spaces in the Early Childhood Teacher Education (ECTE) program in Denmark, and how these conditions impact its learning environment. The investigation encompasses a variety of data sources and research methods aimed at capturing both the intricate and broader aspects of the focal question. The investigation includes (1) a discussion of educational reforms and how they affect aesthetic learning spaces, (2) a discourse analysis examining the descriptions of new iterations of aesthetic learning spaces, including makerspaces and playlabs, and (3) qualitative interviews with students and educators conducted during a building workshop. The study’s key discovery is that aesthetic learning spaces in ECTE have undergone a shift, becoming spaces that emphasize generic skills and academic abilities, as opposed to domain-specific tools and techniques. In the article, this transformation is connected to broader societal trends and analyzed through the lenses of sociological, educational and creativity theories, drawing upon the work of scholars such as Richard Sennett, Lene Tanggaard and John Krejsler. At the article’s conclusion, future topics for study are suggested.

Exploring young children’s self and others: integrating visual diaries and the digital emotional expression application in art education

ABSTRACT This study explores the integration of technology-based and hands-on art practices in an early childhood art education program tailored to preschoolers in South Korea. The participants of this study included 20 young children aged five or six years old, who engaged in the program for a two-year period. By employing qualitative research methods, the results reveal the young learners’ enhanced expression of their emotion, including feelings, desires, and moods with the aid of visual diaries in conjunction with a digital emotional expression application supported by teacher intervention. Further, the young learners were stimulated to engage in self-discovery, self-awareness, and understanding of others. Ultimately, young children’s visual diaries enhanced educators’ and parents’ comprehension of their emotions. Moreover, showcasing these visual diaries and collaborative artwork promoted numerous opportunities for engagement and resonance with the local community. The fusion of visual diaries and the digital emotional expression application is viewed as a practice of emotional meaning making, wherein art and technology agency is distributed.

Improving Measurement Efficiency of an Early Education Quality Monitoring Tool for Majority World Countries

ABSTRACT Research Findings: New measures are being developed for quality monitoring of early care and education (ECE) programs in Majority World countries. However, limited psychometric work has identified items most indicative of quality or optimized the content of these tools. Therefore, the goal of this study was to showcase the empirical steps needed to streamline ECE quality monitoring measures and create more efficient, yet psychometrically robust, versions of these tools for Majority World countries. We used data on the Measuring Early Learning Environments (MELE) instrument that was administered to 250 ECE programs in one anonymous sub-Saharan African country. Findings from Item Response Theory techniques pointed to several items that should be retained for shorter versions of the MELE. Together with findings from correlational analyses with teacher/classroom characteristics and child outcomes, these results also showed that shorter versions of the MELE retained similar amounts of information on ECE quality and precision relative to the original instrument. Collectively, these results showed that it is possible to improve a quality monitoring measure’s efficiency by retaining a subset of highly informative items that maintain the original instrument’s psychometric adequacy. Practice or Policy: We recommend researchers and practitioners interested in optimizing similar tools for monitoring in their context to follow these empirical steps.

Barriers to access to local produce in an early childhood setting in rural Appalachia

This case study examines young children’s access to fresh local produce in childcare settings in rural Appalachia. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with childcare center directors participating in farm to early care and education programming were conducted in the spring of 2023. Centering the per­spective of childcare directors, this research explores why farm to school programming is diffi­cult to implement. It specifically addresses the bar­riers preventing early childcare centers from pro­viding access to fresh and local produce to enrolled children. Eight primary obstacles to implementing farm to early care and education programming were identified: lack of staff; too wide a variety of tasks for directors; the “extra” work that fresh pro­duce requires; lack of knowledge about how to grow food; lack of required kitchen equipment; need for additional funding; unclear or out-of-date regulations about food safety; and a lack of paren­tal time. Limitations of the research include the specific geographic location of the study and the long-lasting implications of the COVID-19 pan­demic. Recommendations drawn from this case study include improving communication between childcare centers and regulatory agencies; creative use of alternative gardening practices; participating in a regional food hub; and improved funding.

Early Education Suspension and Expulsion: Newly Released AAP Policy Guidelines

Childcare and early educational programs provide children with the opportunities to learn and develop social skills prior to being introduced into the academic system. Suspension and expulsion from childcare and early education programs occur in high numbers and can cause life-long detrimental effects for children. Federal and state legislation has made advances over the years, but further development and implementation of universal policies are needed in order to reduce the number of young children being suspended and expelled. Pediatric nurse practitioners have a unique role in screening, identifying, and intervening when children are at risk or have experienced exclusionary discipline tracts.

“Boxing Clever Cork saved my life”: a snapshot of an early addiction recovery fitness and education program

ABSTRACT Background Boxing Clever Cork is an interagency program for people who have experienced or are experiencing problematic substance use. It integrates a fitness program with education, with the aim of reducing harm and supporting addiction recovery in the lives of participants. The aim of this research was to evaluate the Cork iteration of Boxing Clever, which originated in Ballymun, Dublin. Methods A qualitative approach was taken to data collection, using the World Café 1 method along with one to one interviewing, and data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Research participants described feelings of vulnerability and isolation during the embryonic stages of sobriety. Boxing Clever Cork introduced structure and purpose into their lives and created a model of peer-to-peer support within a newly formed early recovery community. Challenges encountered included the diverse stages of recovery within the group, however, despite these challenges research participants felt it was important that people actively using substances continued to be included in future programs. Professionals were motivated through the principles of social inclusion. Conclusions Opportunities for development include community-based delivery, a peer mentorship model and provision of additional mental health supports.

Preparing Early Education Leaders: An Analysis of UCEA Principal Preparation Programs

Purpose: Recently, a confluence of factors has focused elementary school leaders on early education. One factor is that nearly 60 percent of all public elementary schools in the U.S. today have a Pre-K program in the building. Yet, prior research reveals that leaders are often not prepared to effectively lead early education programs. This study assesses the current state of early education leadership preparation among UCEA-affiliated programs. Method: Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, our study draws on survey data from 232 principal preparation faculty members at UCEA-affiliated programs, follow-up interviews with 20 purposively sampled survey respondents, and content analysis of 113 program web pages. Findings: We found that preparation programs currently afford little attention to early education leadership coursework and content, despite faculty expressing it as an important goal. Only four percent of faculty from the survey reported that their program required a course focused on child development and/or early education—a finding corroborated by the website analysis. Last, our interviews reveal reasons for the limited engagement with early education leadership, including time constraints, limited faculty experience, and licensure and accreditation requirements. Implications: Policymakers aiming to improve early education leadership may revise principal certification requirements that could prompt revisions in principal preparation programs. Principal preparation programs, similarly, could revise their programming to intentionally expose principal candidates to key topics in early education leadership. A bi-directional and concerted reform effort is likely needed to meaningfully advance change in this area.

Designing and Implementing Sustainable Professional Development Programs: Embodied Curriculum and Instruction for Kindergarten Teachers

Embodied design is a theory-to-practice and pedagogical framework and emphasizes the role of embodied and situated activity. Since embodiment has a powerful impact on young children’s learning, implementing embodied deign in kindergartens is essential and beneficial to their future mathematical learning and performance. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to develop a professional learning community composed of eight kindergarten teachers and university teacher educators (researchers) and to co-construct a professional development model for curriculum design and instructional implementation of embodied design in mathematics. Accordingly, the main research objectives were to obtain a sustainable professional development model and summarize principles of embodied mathematics curriculum design and strategies for embodied instructional activities, which can be used both in practical settings (i.e., kindergarten and preschool) and early childhood teacher education programs in higher education. Data were gathered through participative observations, including PD meetings and classroom observations, in-depth and follow-up interviews, teachers’ lesson design and reflection notes, and children’s learning profiles, and then were analyzed qualitatively using a descriptive and explanatory approach with replication logic. Based on the data collection and analysis, two major sections of the findings and discussion were included in this report, which were as follows: first, a sustainable “task design professional development model” was generated for collaboratively future improvements of both in-service and pre-service teacher training programs in higher education; second, two principles of embodied mathematics curriculum design and two effective embodied teaching strategies were proposed to promote kindergarten teachers’ professional knowledge and capabilities and their young children’s mathematics learning capabilities.

High-quality early care and education for low-income families: Toddlers' cognitive and emotional functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

High-quality early care and education (ECE) programs are associated with positive outcomes, especially for children from low-income families. During the initial COVID-19 pandemic lockdown many of these families faced an abrupt halt to ECE. Here, we examined how toddlers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in high-quality ECE programs in the United States during the 2020 pandemic (n=48) fared on cognitive and socioemotional outcomes compared to a 2019 pre-pandemic cohort (n=94) and a pandemic 2021 cohort (n=132). Toddlers in the 2020 cohort scored significantly lower on executive function compared to toddlers in 2019 and 2021 cohorts. Toddlers in the 2020 cohort had higher ratings self-regulation compared to the pre-pandemic cohort, but not 2021 cohort. There were no differences on attachment ratings between cohorts. Findings suggest that the abrupt halt to ECE programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted US toddlers' cognitive and socioemotional abilities. This underscores the importance of continued high-quality ECE for infants and toddlers from low-income families during disruptive times. Further work is needed to investigate the long-term impacts of experiencing an abrupt halt to ECE due to COVID-19.

Characteristics of practica in early childhood education: variation in criteria for placements and mentor educators

ABSTRACT Practicum experiences, a critical feature in educator preparation programs, provide preservice educators opportunities to incorporate theory and practice in classrooms while under the supervision of a mentor educator. Although general descriptions of high-quality practicum experiences are provided by professional organizations and accrediting bodies, state licensing and differences across educator preparation programs contribute to variation in these experiences, which in turn have implications for the early childhood workforce. To provide a data-based understanding of program-level requirements for practicum experiences, the current study collected survey data from 227 early childhood higher education programs across 48 states in the U.S. The survey included questions about practicum placement settings, requirements and additional criteria for practicum placement sites, mentor educator requirements, age of children in the classroom, and intensity of practicum experiences. Results show that higher education programs allow several different types of placements with most programs using public school placements. Types of program and ages of children in the classroom were most frequently reported as required criteria and partnerships and feedback were most frequently reported as additional considerations in the determination of placement sites. Mentor educator education and license criteria varied by the age of the children for the practica. Higher education programs varied in the number and hours of practicum offered with more practicum hours in early elementary, kindergarten, and pre-k classrooms than in infant and toddler classrooms. The variations in characteristics and criteria for practicum placements across educator preparation programs are discussed, including implications for early childhood educator preparation programs and future research.

Structural Equality and Support Index in Early Childhood Education

Whether early childhood education is associated with a wide range of adult outcomes above and beyond individual- and family-level outcomes is unknown. As a consequence of improving educational and career success, it is postulated that participation in high quality, comprehensive programs can promote residence in more supportive community contexts in adulthood. To investigate whether participation in high-quality early childhood programs (ECP) in high-poverty neighborhoods is associated with neighborhood-level social determinants of health (SDH) at midlife. This cohort study analyzed data from the Chicago Longitudinal Study, a prospective cohort investigation following-up 989 children aged 3 to 4 years attending the Child-Parent Center (CPC) preschool program between 1983 and 1985 and a comparison group of 550 children using a nonrandomized trial design. Participants from the original sample who completed a telephone interview on health and well-being between ages 32 and 37 years were included in this analysis. Data analysis was conducted from April to June 2024. Participation in a CPC program, which includes preschool (ages 3 to 4 years) and school-age (kindergarten through third grade), vs usual early education programs. The study used a new SDH measure (Index of Structural Equality and Support [I-SES]) based on the Healthy People 2030 framework. This 9-item index score included neighborhood-level assessment, measurement of the quality of education and health services, and assessment of racial discrimination in social and community contexts. Years of education by age 34 years was assessed as the key mediator of influence. A total of 1124 individuals (mean [SD] age at survey completion, 34.9 [1.4] years; 614 women [54.6%]; 1054 non-Hispanic Black [93.8%]; 69 Hispanic [6.2%]; 1 non-Hispanic White [<0.1%]) were included in the study, of whom 740 were in the CPC cohort and 384 were in the comparison cohort. After adjustment for baseline attributes and attrition, compared with no CPC preschool, CPC preschool was associated with significantly higher mean (SD) I-SES scores (5.93 vs 5.53; mean difference, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.16-0.65; standardized mean difference = 0.22). Compared with CPC participation for 0 to 3 years, CPC participation for 4 to 6 years showed a similar pattern of positive associations (adjusted mean I-SES score, 5.97 vs 5.69; mean difference, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.06-0.50; P = .01; SMD = 0.15). CPC participation had a larger-magnitude association with I-SES in married vs single-parent households. Years of education partially mediated the association of CPC with I-SES (up to 41%), especially among those growing up in the highest-poverty neighborhoods. This cohort study found that early childhood programming is associated with SDH in adulthood. These findings reinforce the importance of early childhood education in addressing health disparities and contributing to healthier, more equitable communities and suggest that educational attainment is a key mechanism for health promotion.

The Trends of Kindergarten Teachers Towards the Integration of Children with Disabilities in the Kindergarten Stage and the Obstacles to Achieving this from their Point of View in Mafraq Governorate

This study aimed to investigate the trends of kindergarten teachers towards integrating people with disabilities at the kindergarten stage and the obstacles to achieving this from their point of view in Mafraq governorate and their relationship to some variables, represented by (type of kindergarten, academic qualification, experience). To achieve the goals of the study, the descriptive curriculum was used. The study community consists of all kindergarten teachers in Mafraq governorate, numbering (230) teachers according to the statistics of the Ministry of education for the academic year 2022/2023, while the study sample consisted of (155) teachers. The researcher designed a tool consisting of two parts: The first is to measure the trends of kindergarten teachers towards integrating people with disabilities with children without disabilities in Mafraq governorate, where it consisted of (28) items distributed over three areas: social, academic, emotional), and the second is to measure obstacles to integration, where it consisted of (20) items. The study showed the multiplicity of obstacles to integration from the teachers' point of view. It also showed that there are no statistically significant differences at (α =0،05) in the trends of kindergarten teachers towards comprehensive integration), with the variety of the type of kindergarten, academic qualifications, and years of experience. The results also explained that the trends of the study sample were positive. In light of the results, the researcher recommends the application of comprehensive integration at the kindergarten stage, and the need to hold training courses to qualify kindergarten teachers, and to raise awareness of the process of applying comprehensive integration from the beginning of early childhood, through media and educational programs, and adapting the educational environment before the application of the comprehensive integration process.

Prevalence and predictors of multiple, concurrent public early childhood education utilization among head start children

With growing public investment in early childhood services, families enrolled in Head Start (HS) have increasing opportunities to participate in other public early care and education (ECE) programs. Using integrated administrative data from across Iowa’s service systems, we examined the prevalence and predictors of HS children’s multiple concurrent ECE service utilization the year before entering kindergarten, focusing on state pre-K and child care subsidy (CCS). Results showed that 61 % of children participating in HS additionally utilized other public ECE programs, with 44 % participating in state pre-K, 8.3 % in CCS, and 8.7 % in both. Utilization patterns differed based on child and family characteristics. Children who were Black, living in urban areas, or born to single mothers were more likely to participate in multiple, concurrent services, especially a combination of services that included CCS. Results imply that improving coordination and collaboration across various ECE public programs may support HS families’ needs.

The Impact of Violence, Bullying and Intolerance on Early Childhood

This research aims to analyze the impact of violence, bullying and intolerance on young children at the Al-Ikhsan Islamic Kindergarten. The research method used is a combination of qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative approach involves in-depth interviews with teachers, parents, and students to gain in-depth perspectives on their experiences and perceptions regarding violence, bullying, and intolerance. Meanwhile, the quantitative approach uses questionnaires distributed to all students and parents to measure the frequency, type and impact of these events. The research results show that violence, bullying and intolerance have a significant impact on children's emotional and social development. Children who experience violence and bullying tend to show symptoms of stress, anxiety and decreased academic performance. In addition, intolerance in the school environment can hinder the development of tolerance and cooperation among children. This research emphasizes the importance of early intervention and educational programs that focus on developing social and emotional skills to create safe and inclusive learning environments.

Family child care educators’ experiences and decision-making related to serving children during COVID-19 and implications for supporting educators after the pandemic

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted early care and education, and many early education programs paused their operations or closed permanently. This study focused on the experiences of family child care educators, how they made decisions about operating during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges they faced, and the supports that helped them. Using a semi-structured interview protocol, we interviewed 27 randomly selected family child care educators in a southern state. We used qualitative analysis to identify themes in educators’ responses. Results show that most educators based their operating decisions on the needs of the families they served. They faced common COVID-related challenges like finding supplies and implementing enhanced health and safety guidelines; however, participants primarily described these as manageable. We discuss implications for targeting future compensation and quality improvement efforts to support educators, help them operate safely, and ensure equitable early care and education access to families. Understanding family child care educators’ decisions can help support continued operations in the future, using lessons from the pandemic to help slow family child care decline and support educators in offering high-quality early care and education.

Collaboration, relationships and fleeting opportunities: growing the future early childhood music education workforce

ABSTRACT The aim of, Jane’s, Soundwaves Early Childhood Music lead, and Karen’s, Early Childhood Studies lecturer, inquiry is to encourage new insights into how multiple relationalities and learning play out, throughout Soundwaves, an early childhood music education (ECME) programme. We work with Barad’s diffractive methodology to shape our auto-ethnography. With pens, sparkly bits, ribbons, glue and paper, we map the Soundwaves narrative. Caring ethics, for the human and more-than-human, runs throughout our research practices. (Re)turning, the data, posthuman and critical new materialist theory, the Soundwaves narrative is (re)told. Concerns the neo-liberal narrative had played us, were replaced, when noticing the gap between our organisations offered reassuring insights. In this gap, resisting the neo-liberal narrative, is ‘fleetingness’, which welcomes experimentation and play to learning opportunities and our collaboration. These insights are useful to those who wish to maintain the visibility of ECME and resist creating instrumentalised learning experiences, whilst growing the ECME workforce.

Turn-over and Retention Among Head Start Educators

AbstractEducators shape the quality of early education programs and are essential to children’s learning and healthy development. However, the early childhood education field is often challenged in retaining educational staff. Using a descriptive research design this study explores turnover and retention through the voices of Head Start and Early Head Start education staff. Education staff identified retention factors to be, holding a job with meaning and purpose that made a positive difference for children, families and communities, access to professional development opportunities, and positive connections with colleagues. While, low wages, high volumes of paperwork, complex caseloads, lack of recognition, weak onboarding, teacher preparation practices, and lack of voice in program changes, were identified as turnover factors. Despite low wages educators voiced they are more likely to stay when their growth and relatedness needs are being met. Overall turnover and retention were influenced by an organization’s systems, practices, and working conditions and how well these met the human core needs of its staff.

Experience From an Early Exposure Education Program in Radiation Oncology for High School and Undergraduate Students

Exposure to radiation oncology (RO), which is a small and highly subspecialized field of oncology, during undergraduate or medical education is often limited. Coupled with reduced elective exposures during the COVID-19 pandemic, unsubstantiated concerns regarding the RO job market have led to a noticeable decline in residency applications and medical students who express an interest in the field. Here, we describe a summer education program piloted in our RO department at a comprehensive cancer center to provide premedical school students (ranging from high school to postbaccalaureate) early exposure to the specialty through clinical shadowing, research opportunities, journal club, and formal didactic lectures. Pre- and postprogram surveys were administered to these students to evaluate the change in knowledge in RO. A total of 8 students participated in the program. We found an increase in understanding of the specialty, high levels of interest in considering RO as a career, and positive feedback regarding the program overall. This study supports the role of early exposure and education in stimulating interest in future medical students to pursue RO as a career. Future efforts are needed to further develop and evaluate these education programs as well as disseminate the program more broadly.

Examination of Quality Implementation Management for Institutions with Accreditation: An Analysis Study

Examination of Quality Implementation Management for Institutions with Accreditation: An Analysis Study

The Role of Language Teaching in Promoting Educational Quality in Early Childhood Education

Background and purpose: China is among the countries putting great emphasis on strengthening early education programs to ensure a solid learning foundation for children. The present study is based on a qualitative research design to examine the role of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching in promoting educational quality in the context of early childhood education in China. It focuses on investigating the effectiveness of EFL teaching in enhancing the educational quality of early childhood education in the education system of China. Method: The semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess the parents’ perception regarding the impact of EFL programs on the quality of education being offered in early childhood centres in China. The sample for the survey was selected from the parents of children enrolled in early childhood education centres in China offering EFL teaching as a part of their curricula. The data collection focused on the student’s cognitive development and overall quality of education. Findings: Most of the participants emphasized the significant impact of early EFL education on their children’s cognitive skills. They regarded EFL education as a robust tool to lay a strong foundation for future academic achievements and cross-cultural understanding of their children. Conclusion and Implications: Thus, parents in China regard early EFL education as crucial for the cognitive development and educational foundation of their children. The present study offers significant pedagogical implications regarding the inclusion of EFL instructions in enhancing the early language acquisition experience of children.