ECDE Centres Research Articles

Information and Communication Technologies in Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Colleges

Governments all over have undertaken ambitious programs to introduce technologies to all children joining class mainstream school in all public school in various countries. This has been reinforced by government budget allocation for the programs. These programs, however noble, can only succeed if the teachers within the schools have adequate skills and knowledge on how to use Information and Communication Technologies in their instruction to ensure the children reap maximum benefits. Children should be prepared on how to use the technologies from pre-school so that they can fruitfully make use of the government ICTs once they join mainstream schooling. Lack of teachers with the correct skills in ICT usage in instruction will greatly affect the success of introduction of ICTs in primary schools. This research aims to establish the availability and use of ICTs in ECDE teacher training colleges within Igembe Districts in Kenya. The researcher aimed to establish the availability and use of ICTs in the Districts, factors influencing use of ICTs, challenges and possible solutions to challenges in the use of ICTs in ECDE colleges. The study was based on Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and the Self-efficacy Theory. The researcher adopted a descriptive survey design to carry out the research. The population for this research were the ECDE teacher training colleges within Igembe Districts encompassing the teacher trainers (tutors) and student teachers. Random sampling was used to select the sample to avoid bias. A questionnaire and an observation schedule were the main data collection tools used for this study to test the availability and use of ICTs in the ECDE colleges. The data collection instruments were piloted before they were used in the field to attest their validity and reliability. Data was collected from 30% of the population with a 98% return rate of the questionnaires. The data was collected, analysed, tabulated, classified and presented using frequency distribution tables, bar graphs, charts and summary paragraphs. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to prepare data for analysis. T-test and Chi-square test were used to test the data collected to ensure its credibility. From the research findings, there are very few ICTs available in the ECD TTCs and the few available are inadequate. Tutors and students too have limited ways in which they use ICTs. Availability of ICTs and limited knowledge of the ICTs are among the many factors hindering use of ICT in the colleges. The researcher has made conclusions from data collected that negative attitudes by teachers and lack of government intervention are among factors affecting the use of ICTs in the colleges. The researcher has proposed a raft of measures to ensure the use of ICTs in colleges such as attitude changes by all stakeholders, government interventions such as coming up with an appropriate curriculum to help train teachers in ICT, tax incentives to make the ICTs affordable, collaboration with development partners and supervision among others. All these will be geared to having ICT savvy teachers and the same knowledge, skills and attitudes will eventually be transferred to the children in the ECD centres before they transition to mainstream schooling.

Use of Technological Resources in the Acquisition of Language skills in Early Childhood Development and Education programmes in Gem Sub-County, Kenya

Research findings world over indicates that technology has revolutionized teaching and learning at all levels of education. However, in Gem Sub-County in the Republic of Kenya concerns have been raised with regard to the use of technological resources in the acquisition of language skills. The objective of this article was to establish the use of technological resources in the acquisition of language skills in early childhood development and education programmes in Gem Sub-County. It adopted descriptive survey design. The study involved 68 ECDE teachers drawn from 115 ECDE centers in Gem Sub-County, Kenya selected by purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and interview schedules. Data was analyzed using The study found that teacher preparedness, availability of technology resources and administrative support had influence on the acquisition of language skills. The study recommends: the incorporation to the training curriculum of technological aspects so that teachers should be trained in selection and use of technology. This would enable the teachers to gain both theory and practical skills; the government and other stakeholders should come up with a programme of supplying technological resources to enhance learning not only of sensitization on the safety measures and also provide safe resources ; the school administrators should be sensitized on their roles in supporting the provision of conducive environments so as to promote the use of technology and finally inservice training for ECDE teachers on the emerging issues with regard to technological resources.

Parental Perceptions on ECD Provisioning In Mdantsane District, Eastern Cape

This paper sought to explore parental perception on ECD provisioning at early childhood centres. The key questions asked were: What are the perceptions of parents on the role of ECD centres? What are the perceptions of parents regarding participation in ECDC Activities? Four parents, two from each of the two selected centres were purposively sampled. All the four respondents were female. Data was collected through interviews and document analysis. The results revealed that parents perceived the role of ECD centres as: for the provision of food, security from perpetrators of rape, play activities that render children exhausted by the time they go home, intellectual and spiritual development and as a stepping stone into formal schooling. Parental participation was found to be very minimal. Parents perceived that by getting involved they would be disturbing the smooth running of the centres. It can be concluded that parents were neither conversant of the roles of ECD centres and roles they need to play in ECD centres for the benefit of learners. The study recommended among other things parental education on ECD provisioning for both parents and educators. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n9p457

An evaluation of the effectiveness of Community Support grants for Early Childhood Education to enhance educational access in Nyandarua District, Kenya

Any investment programme in ECDE aims at an overall programme of expanding access in order to enhance ECDE services that are of high quality for the children aged 4 years to 5 years. Such children are children living in difficult circumstances such as Arid and Semi Arid lands (ASAL), urban slums and other poverty stricken areas in Kenya. The Kenya government has proposed to achieve this goal for the ECDE investment programme under Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (KESSP) by establishing a policy guideline which is national and service standards for ECDE, enhancing capacity building and community mobilization and giving support grants to the communities. Other strategies are reviewing of the ECDE curriculum, promoting ECDE health and nutrition and preparing the children ready for primary schooling. The evaluation was concerned with the effectiveness of the implementation of Community Support Grant programme in order to enhance enrolment in ECDE for children aged 4-5years. The objectives of the study was to evaluate whether enrolment in ECDE for learners aged 4-5years have been enhanced after the implementation of community Support Grant, challenges facing the implementation of Community Support Grant and the way forward in implementing Community Support Grant in Murungaru Zone Nyandarua South District. The paper has lots of significance to ECDE policy makers who need to enforce the ECDE policies as opposed to the way the policy is being practiced. The ECDE children stand to benefit since the policies and practice will be in tandem. The transformation of society can’t be complete if the ECDE sector appears to be forgotten; hence national development remains a dream. A summative evaluation was done guided by Scriven’s Model of Expert –Oriented Evaluation Approach. The worrying reality however is that despite the Government’s effort in financing all the ECDE centres in Murungaru Zone, some of the schools have been registering a drop in enrolment. .Some of the challenges facing the implementation of Community Support Grant is; Free Primary Education Policy, Poverty, attitude, misappropriation of funds, parents level of education and inadequate funds. The paper concludes that ECDE being bedrock to the foundation of learning, serious considerations on enrolment and challenges facing the implementation need to be enforced in order to benefit the child.

Basic Education from Early Childhood: Impacts of Free Primary Education and Subsidized Secondary Education on Public ECDE Centers in Nyahururu District, Kenya.

Kenya must invest more in education to realize her vision 2030. The government commitment to Education for All’s goal has been expressed through provision of basic education in pre-primary, primary and secondary school levels. To this end, the government introduced two kitties; Free Primary Education in 2003 and Subsidized Secondary Education in 2008 (where the government paid tuition fees for the students in secondary schools), but left parents to finance Early Childhood Development and Education. Since public centers were not well equipped, only the poor parents enrolled their children. The study was carried out in Nyahururu District in 2010, to assess the impacts of the two government kitties on public Early Childhood Development and Education centers in Kenya. To evaluate the impact of the kitties on the public Early Childhood Development and Education centers, private centers were also studied together. The study revealed that while the kitties led to rising enrolment in primary, secondary school and private Early Childhood Development and Education centers, enrolment declined in public centers. The two have lowered the quality of education in public Early Childhood Development and Education centers since parents were unwilling to raise finances enough to employ and motivate teachers, buy teaching/learning resources, school facilities and school feeding program. High enrolment after Free Primary Education also took up classrooms meant for Early Childhood Development and Education in public centers.

Factors that Affect the Implementation of Early Childhood Development Programmes in Zimbabwe

This study investigates the factors that affect the implementation of Early Childhood Development Programes (ECD). The random sample consisted of 12 primary school heads and 12 Early Childhood Development teachers in the Chiwundura Circuit. The research used a descriptive survey design. Random sampling was used to select respondents. Data was collected through questionnaires and semi- structured interviews. Frequency tables and descriptive statistics were used to present, analyse and interpret data. The results of the study indicated that the qualifications of teachers affected their ability to deliver effective lessons. Large classes reduced teacher-pupil interaction. The study also revealed that teachers and parents had positive attitudes towards Early Childhood Development programmes. This benefited learners when they received support from teachers and parents. Furthermore, the study revealed that lack of resources affected teaching and learning processes. Lack of qualified teachers affected professional conduct of Early Childhood Development programmes. The children were vulnerable to deprivation of appropriate experiences because ECD centres were not well equipped. Major recommendations were that para-professionals engaged in ECD programmes should have 5 O level passes. Furthermore para professionals should be paid salaries similar to those of temporary teachers.

Challenges facing the early childhood development sector in South Africa

In this review article, the context of young children in South Africa in 2012 is described and the main challenges affecting children and the early childhood development sector (ECD) in South Africa are investigated. A situation analysis of ECD in South Africa was undertaken using South African government ECD policy and programme implementation reports. There has been progress since 1994, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The number of children in Grade R has trebled since 2001, government education and social development budgets have increased substantially and 58% of children at ECD centres nationally are now subsidised. More children are in provision and in better quality provision than before. However, much still remains to be done before we can say with confidence that the needs of our youngest children are being met. This study identifies infrastructure, nutrition, ECD programmes, teacher training, institutional capacity and funding as the major gaps in ECD provision.