Childhood Education Programs Research Articles

Strategi Dan Proses Pembelajaran PAI Di SLB A Yaketunis Yogyakarta

Children with special needs are those who have special differences in their types and characteristics, which differentiate them from children in general. They need special education and services to help develop their potential. Therefore, the author took the initiative to conduct observations and interviews at an inclusive school in order to obtain accurate information according to the situation in the field. The approach used involves literature searches and direct interviews to explore relevant topics. SLB A Yaketunis Yogyakarta is a school that provides special education programs for blind children. In the learning process, the focus is on the sense of hearing and changing the learning material into song lyrics to make it easier for students to understand the learning material.

Evaluasi Program Pendidikan Inklusi di SD Bali Hati

This study aims to determine the results of the evaluation separately or together in the context, input, process, product and constraints that occur in the implementation of the inclusion education program for children with special needs in SD Bali. This research is a program evaluation research with the CIPP model. The population in this study is class teachers (homeroom teachers), parents of students, subject teachers and GPK teachers. The sample determination in this study used purposive sampling techniques, with a total sample of 33 people consisting of class teachers (homeroom teachers), parents, subject teachers and GPK teachers. Data context, input, process and product in this study were collected by questionnaire using Likert scale 1-5. The data analysis method used in this study is a quantitative descriptive analysis method. To determine the effectiveness of the implementation of the inclusion education program at SD Bali Hati, the raw score is transformed into a Z score then into a T-Score then verified into the Glickman Quadrant. Based on the research that has been done, it was found that: 1) the implementation of the inclusion education program in SD Bali in terms of the context component is classified as effective, 2) the implementation of the inclusion education program in SD Bali in terms of the input component is classified as effective, 3) the implementation of the inclusion education program in SD Bali in terms of the process component is classified as effective, 4) the implementation of the inclusion education program in SD Bali in terms of the product component is classified as effective, 5) the results of the evaluation of the implementation of the inclusion education program in SD Bali in terms of the components of context, input, process and product obtained effective results.

Maternal–child consumption of ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages in informal settlements in Mumbai, India

BackgroundThe global nutrition transition is associated with increased consumption of ultra-processed snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (UPF/SSB), contributing to the double burden of child obesity and undernutrition.MethodsThis cross-sectional study describes the prevalence of maternal and child UPF/SSB consumption and the factors associated with frequent consumption in a convenience sample of 749 children ages 6 months through 6 years and their mothers participating in a community-based child oral health program in five informal settlement communities in Mumbai, India. Mothers were interviewed regarding maternal and child oral health and nutrition characteristics, including consumption of beverages and foods associated with tooth decay—milk, soda, tea with sugar, sweets, and chips/biscuits—using standardized questionnaires. Spearman correlations were used to assess for associations between various social factors and the frequency of maternal and child consumption of the five food categories. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in child consumption patterns by age groups.ResultsThough reported soda consumption was low among both mothers and children, nearly 60% of children consumed sweets and chips/biscuits daily, four to five times the rate of mothers. Factors associated with children’s frequent consumption of UPF/SSB included lower maternal education level, frequent maternal consumption of UPF/SSB, greater number of household members, greater amount of money given to the child, and closer proximity to a store.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate social factors that may promote UPF/SSB consumption. The nutritional dangers of sugary drinks and non-nutritious snacks for mothers and young children should be addressed across maternal–child health, education, and social service programs. Early childhood nutrition interventions should involve the entire family and community and emphasize the need to limit children’s consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages from an early age.

Secondary syphilis in a 13-year-old Indonesian girl: a social problem

Introduction: Secondary syphilis is characterized by skin and mucous eruptions, such as condyloma lata. Syphilis cases are rare in children. Several factors could influence sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in children, such as lack of knowledge of STIs, parenting, social environment, parents’ marital status, occupation, and education. We reported one social case of secondary syphilis in a 13-year-old girl. Case Presentation: We did history taking, physical, and laboratory examinations. From history taking, the patient did not know about the signs and symptoms of STIs, has bad parenting, a bad social environment, divorced parents, and parents’ low education. On physical examination, there were skin-colored papules, plaques, and nodules on the labia majora, minora, and perianal. The venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) result was reactive. The patient was treated with single dose injection of 2.4 million international units benzathine penicillin G and was educated for signs, symptoms, and complications of STIs, and the danger of risky sexual behavior. There were improvement of the lesions 10 days after therapy, decreased of VDRL titer 4x in one month after therapy, and no longer have sexual activity. Conclusion: Social condition can cause STIs in children. The bigger scope of education programs for children is needed to prevent STIs.

The Use of Jordanian Arabic Possessive Pronouns by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Aim. This study aimed to investigate the use of different Jordanian Arabic possessive pronouns by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and explore the influence of their IQ on the usage of possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives. 
 Methods. The study employed a paired-choice preference assessment method adapted from Fisher et al. (1992). The sample consisted of 16 autistic children aged 11–15, divided into two groups based on their IQ: low (70–74) and high (76–80). The participants were presented with two stimuli and observed as they made choices and interacted with the selected stimulus. Preference percentages were calculated to determine their choices. The data analytics included descriptive statistics and t-tests to assess differences between groups. 
 Results. The findings revealed that children with autism struggled to use and produce all possessive pronouns effectively in both forms. Additionally, the results indicated a preference for possessive pronouns over possessive adjectives among the autistic participants. 
 Conclusions. Notably, the study highlights that the children’s IQ played a significant role in their usage and production of possessive pronouns. Based on these findings, it is recommended that interventions and educational programs for children with autism incorporate targeted teaching strategies for the proper use of possessive pronouns. These strategies should be tailored to the individual language and cognitive abilities of the child, considering their IQ level as an influencing factor.

Meta-analysis of research in childhood education program in the United Arab Emirates

This qualitative study analyses a range of 34 research papers with different topics related to the early childhood education system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) such as child education content, special education system, policies, language and literacy, learning, professional development and other topics. In view of various research papers in UAE education, the paper explores children’s academic education programs and brings together different studies relating to the educational system in the country using a meta-analysis method. This research aimed to identify the current status of early childhood education in UAE. It also included the challenges that are faced by the early childhood education in the country and the development measure that are applied. At the end, a list of recommendations is listed regarding the six topics covered on the paper.

Teacher and Caregiver Perspectives on Water Is K'é: An Early Child Education Program to Promote Healthy Beverages among Navajo Children.

The Water is K'é program was developed to increase water consumption and decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages for young children and caregivers. The pilot program was successfully delivered by three Family and Child Education (FACE) programs on the Navajo Nation using a culturally centered curriculum between 2020 to 2022. The purpose of this research was to understand teacher and caregiver perspectives of program feasibility, acceptability, impact, and other factors influencing beverage behaviors due to the pilot program. Nine caregivers and teachers were interviewed between June 2022 and December 2022, and a study team of four, including three who self-identified as Navajo, analyzed the data using inductive thematic analysis and consensus building to agree on codes. Five themes emerged, including feasibility, acceptability, impact, suggestions for future use of the program, and external factors that influenced water consumption. The analysis showed stakeholders' strong approval for continuing the program based on impact and acceptability, and identified factors that promote the program and barriers that can be addressed to make the program sustainable. Overall, the Water is K'é program and staff overcame many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic to support healthy behavior change that had a rippled influence among children, caregivers, teachers, and many others.

The level of school anxiety and the specificity of its manifestations in children with down syndrome

Children with Down syndrome studying in general schools together with children without this pathology often face an increased risk of maladjustment in the school environment. Due to the inadequacy of general education programs for children with developmental disabilities and the low level of awareness of school teachers and, especially, neurotypical school-age children about effective strategies for interacting with children with Down syndrome, the latter have an increased risk of developing school anxiety.
 The aim of the study was to determine the level of school anxiety depending on the ability to verbal communication in children with Down syndrome.
 Materials and methods: The research was carried out on the basis of the National Medical Center of ZOR, 97 children with Down's syndrome were thoroughly examined. The patients were divided into two groups according to the criterion of the ability to verbal communication: group 1 (G1) included 77 children capable of verbal communication, group 2 (G2) - 20 children who do not speak.
 Results of the study. As a result of the research, the level of school anxiety in its various aspects was established, depending on the ability to verbal communication in children with Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome who are able to communicate were found to have significantly higher anxiety scores on almost all subscales than children with Down syndrome who are not able to communicate verbally.
 In children with Down syndrome who are incapable of verbal communication, a pathological decrease in anxiety in its various aspects is much more often noted, which may indicate a lack of understanding of social situations as a result of the lack of sufficient experience of being in a team (due to the inability to verbally produce the quality and quantity of communicative practices in such children suffer significantly). Children with Down syndrome who are able to talk have shown pathological reductions in school anxiety only in rare cases.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Parents toward (Infant & Child) Oral Health in Family Medicine Center at PSMMC, Riyadh

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the infant/child oral health (IOH) related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of parents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 327 parents. Visiting the family medicine center at prince sultan military medical city, Riyadh Saudi Arabia. A 39-item questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics and questions pertaining to KAP regarding OH care will used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Scheffe’s test will use for the statistical analysis (P ≤ 0.05). Results: The result showed that majority of the parents had good knowledge regarding OH, knowledge of cleaning (92.4%) and knowledge of amount of sugar (88.1%). The parents of age group (30 to 39) years (n=147) reported the highest mean (knowledge, attitudes, and practice) scores among all other age groups with a knowledge mean score of (6.80± 1.73), an attitude mean score of (8.86±1.37), and a practice mean score of (5.14± 1.86). Female parents showed a significantly higher mean knowledge, attitude and practices scores than the male parents. In addition, middle income level parents’ group (n=295) reported higher knowledge mean score compared to low-income parents’ group (n=15) with mean difference d=1.15, p=.041. Conclusion: Parents knowledge about maintaining oral and dental health care for infant/child was inadequate. Essentially, medical professionals are the initial ones to interact with expecting and new moms. Therefore, need to raise parents’ awareness about oral and dental health for infants/ child, through develop and implementation long-term education and promotions programs.

The Role of Community in Shaping Children's Moral Education in Batee Shok, Sabang City

This research explores the role of the community in fostering moral education for children in Batee Shok, Sabang City, Indonesia, and identifies the challenges hindering optimal moral development. The study investigates the educational landscape, considering factors such as community collaboration, moral education practices, available resources, mentorship, and the societal environment. The findings highlight that the community's efforts in Batee Shok are not fully optimized for effective moral education. While advice is provided to children, there is a notable absence of setting good examples and engaging in essential Islamic activities. The study identifies several obstacles, including the lack of community attention and collaboration, insufficient moral education within the community, limited resources for Islamic educational activities, scarcity of qualified mentors, and an unfavorable societal environment. To address these challenges, the research recommends increased community involvement, setting positive examples, and active engagement in moral education initiatives. Additionally, local leaders and influential figures are encouraged to play a more active role in shaping the moral landscape for children in Batee Shok. Furthermore, collaboration with governmental institutions is suggested to enhance resources and support for Islamic educational activities. These recommendations aim to improve the quality and effectiveness of moral education programs for children in Batee Shok.

School Health Education Program in Pakistan (SHEPP): findings from a feasibility trial in pre-adolescent school children from a lower middle-income country

BackgroundThe school environment plays an essential role in promoting health education and physical activity for children and adolescents. We aim to assess the feasibility of threefold health education program in children and its potential efficacy on physical activity and diet and cardiometabolic risk factors including blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference.MethodsThe SHEPP was a parallel group feasibility intervention trial conducted in two schools over 23 months. All children aged 9–11 years enrolled in the schools were included. The SHEPP intervention comprised of health education on healthy lifestyle and physical activity sessions for children, training of teachers, and awareness sessions for parents conducted over 10 months. One school received the intervention of SHEPP while the other school continued routine activity. The primary outcome was the feasibility of SHEPP in terms of recruitment, retention, and treatment fidelity. Secondary outcomes were physical activity levels, dietary intake (of fruits and vegetables), and cardiometabolic risk factors (blood pressure, BMI, and waist circumference (WC)).ResultsA total of 1280 preadolescent children were assessed for eligibility and 1191 were found eligible. The overall recruitment n (%) was 982/1191(82.5%) with 505(51.4) from SHEPP intervention school and 477(48.6) in routine activity school. The overall retention rate n (%) at 10-month follow-up was 912/982(92.8), with 465/505(92) in SHEPP intervention school and 447/477(93.7) in routine activity school. In treatment fidelity, 132/144(92) %). Physical activity sessions and all (100%) health education sessions were conducted for each of the twelve classes. Mean (SD) Seven-day Physical activity increased by 134 (196) min in the SHEPP intervention school v 29.8(177) in the routine activity school (P value < 0.001) from baseline to follow-up. Overall, there was an increase in vegetable intake (> 3 serving /day) in SHEPP intervention school of 5.5 to 21.4% from baseline to follow-up compared to 7.5 to 14.9% in routine activity school. The mean change (SD) in systolic blood pressure was 1.3(12) mmHg, 2.2(19.0) mm Hg in in diastolic blood pressure, − 0.09(5.4) kg/m2 in BMI and 6.2 cm in waist circumference in the intervention arm versus − 3.4(11.1) mm Hg in SBP, − 4.3(9.9) mm Hg in DBP, − 0.04((4.6) kg/m2 in BMI, and 3.8 cm in WC in the control arm.ConclusionWe found that intervention using SHEPP is feasible in schools and may help children to adopt a healthy lifestyle as they age by increasing physical activity. However, the potentially beneficial effect on diet, MI, and BP needs further exploration and a longer follow-up, more specifically at the juncture of teenage and adulthood.Trial registrationNCT03303287.

Student knowledge gains among first-time and repeat attendees of school-based asthma education program

BackgroundBecause children spend much of their time in schools, schools can play an important role in asthma education for the one in 12 affected children in the United States. School-based asthma education programs are commonly repeated annually, however few studies have evaluated the impact of repeated participation in asthma education in school-based programs.MethodsThis observational study evaluated the impact of Fight Asthma Now© (FAN), a school-based asthma education program for children in Illinois schools. Participants completed a survey at the start and end of the program, including demographics, prior asthma education, and 11 asthma knowledge questions (maximum knowledge score = 11).ResultsAmong 4,951 youth participating in the school-based asthma education program, mean age was 10.75 years. Approximately half were male and Black. Over half reported no prior asthma education (54.6%). At baseline, repeat attendees had significantly higher knowledge versus first-time attendees (mean: 7.45 versus 5.92; p < 0.001). After the program, both first-time and repeat attendees had significant knowledge improvements (first-time: mean = 5.92◊9.32; p < 0.001; repeat: mean = 7.45◊9.62; p < 0.001).ConclusionsSchool-based asthma education is effective for increasing asthma knowledge. Notably, repeated asthma education in school leads to incremental benefits for knowledge. Future studies are needed to understand the effects of repeated asthma education on morbidity.

Music Education and Neurophysiological Regulation in Early Childhood: Should Teachers Guide or Get Out of the Way?

ABSTRACTAccess to high‐quality early music education programs may mitigate the effects of poverty on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, but fundamental questions remain about the role of early educators in conveying these benefits. In the current study, we measured the basal or resting cortisol levels of 76 children (Mage = 4.17 years; 42% female) over the course of the school day while they attended a Head Start preschool that included early music education classes. The results of a series of hierarchical linear models (HLMs) indicated that child‐directed music and movement activities during these classes were associated with lower levels of cortisol (relative to teacher‐directed activities; B = −0.019, p = .013), as were higher quality teacher–child interactions (B = −0.018, p = .013); both associations were moderated by child age. We discuss the implications of these results for future educational neuroscience research that seeks to inform early education programs for young children placed at risk by poverty.

School-Based Sleep Education Program for Children: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Insufficient sleep contributes negatively to child developmental processes and neurocognitive abilities, which argues the need for implementing interventions to promote sleep health in children. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a multimodal and multilevel school-based sleep education program in primary school children using a cluster randomized controlled design. Twelve schools were randomly assigned to either the sleep education or nonactive control groups. The sleep education group included a town hall seminar, small class teaching, leaflets, brochures, and a painting competition for children. Parents and teachers were invited to participate in a one-off sleep health workshop. Parental/caregiver-reported questionnaires were collected at baseline and 1-month follow-up. A total of 3769 children were included in the final analysis. There were no significant improvements observed in the sleep-wake patterns, daytime functioning, and insomnia symptoms between the two groups at follow-up, whereas the intervention group had significantly improved parental sleep knowledge than the controls (paternal: adjusted mean difference: 0.95 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18 to 1.71]; maternal: adjusted mean difference: 0.87 [95% CI: 0.17 to 1.57]). In addition, children receiving the intervention had a lower persistence rate of excessive beverage intake (adjusted odds ratio: 0.49 [95% CI: 0.33 to 0.73]), and experienced greater reductions in conduct problems (adjusted mean difference: 0.12 [95% CI: 0.01 to 0.24]) compared with the controls at 1-month of follow-up. Moreover, a marginally significant reduction for emotional problems in the intervention group was also observed (adjusted mean difference: 0.16 [95% CI: −0.00 to 0.32]). These findings demonstrated that school-based sleep education was effective in enhancing parental sleep knowledge and improving behavioral outcomes in children, but not sufficient in altering the children’s sleep-wake patterns and sleep problems.

The impact of sanctuary visits on children's knowledge and attitudes toward primate welfare and conservation.

Primate sanctuaries provide a solution for the increasing number of primates being taken from their home countries to support the demands of the illegal pet trade. To help end the primate trade and raise awareness about the risks this trade poses to delicate ecosystems, sanctuaries are increasingly developing conservation education programs. Education and raising awareness must be one of the primary roles of primate sanctuaries. However, there are few evaluations of the impacts of conservation education programs for school children published in scientific literature. To address this gap, we conducted an evaluation of educator-led visits of school children at Fundació Mona, a primate sanctuary located in Catalunya, Spain. Questionnaires for an experimental and control group were conducted with 3,205 school children, ages 8 to 18 from 83 different schools, to evaluate changes in their attitudes and knowledge of primate welfare and conservation. We found that Fundació Mona's program of environmental activities had a positive impact on children, both female and male students, in terms of attitudes and knowledge of primate welfare and conservation. Although female students gave better responses regarding welfare and conservation, all children showed gains in pro-conservation responses. This study demonstrates that environmental education activities focused on children can help shape a change in knowledge and attitudes toward primate welfare and conservation. Educator-led visits of school children to primate sanctuaries such as Fundació Mona can also serve to amplify biodiversity conservation messages among children and their families. We encourage primate sanctuaries to promote empirical studies of attitudes and knowledge of primate welfare and conservation and to conduct systematical evaluations to strengthen their educational activities.

Comparing individual-, family-, and community-level effects on the oral health of preschool children: a multilevel analysis of national survey data

BackgroundEarly childhood is a critical stage for the prevention of dental caries. The prevalence of caries in preschool children is still high in Taiwan, where National Health Insurance covers 99% of the population. The effort to improve the oral health of preschool children should be based on conceptual model that encompasses more than individual-level factors. This study input nationwide survey data in a conceptual model to evaluate the effects of comprehensive factors related to the high prevalence of caries in preschool children.MethodsThis observation study examined factors related to the oral health of preschool children by employing a comprehensive multilevel model to analyse nationally representative data from the Taiwan Oral Health Survey of Preschool Children (TOHPC) 2017–2018. Individual-level, family-level and community-level contextual effects were evaluated through multilevel analysis in this study. The proportional change in variance (PCV) was used to compare the multilevel model with the null model and individual-level, family-level, and community-level context effects.ResultsThe estimated deft index for preschool children was 1.34 (1.22–1.47) at age 3, 2.20 (2.08–2.32) at age 4, and 3.05 (2.93–3.18) at age 5. The overall prevalence of caries in preschool children in Taiwan was 34.27% (30.76%, 37.78%) at age 3, 51.67% (48.99%, 54.35%) at age 4, and 62.05% (59.66%, 64.44%) at age 5. The model that included the individual-, family-, and community-context levels exhibited the highest reduction of variance (PCV = 53.98%). The PCV was further reduced to 35.61% when only the level of accessibility to dental services for individuals, families, and the community was considered. For the model in which no community-context cofactors were considered and the model considering only the individual level, the PCVs were 20.37% and 5.52%, respectively.ConclusionsOur findings indicate the key components that affect oral health in preschool children and can serve as a reference for policy makers. The most notable finding of this study is that to improve the oral health of preschool children, community-level factors should be targeted. To rely solely on dentists for leading oral health education programs for children is impractical and inefficient. Training more professional oral health educators to provide additional community-based oral health promotion campaigns is critical. We suggest training more professional oral health educators to provide more community-based oral health promotion campaigns.

Attitudes Towards Teaching Profession Among Prospective Kindergarten Teachers in Jordan: Association with Communication Skills, Self-Esteem, and Interest in Teaching

Prospective teachers’ attitudes towards teaching are grounded in their experiences of successes and failures as students. Thus, addressing their attitudes towards teaching before starting their profession is strategic. To this aim, this study explored Jordanian prospective kindergarten teachers’ attitudes towards the teaching profession. Furthermore, the study investigated the relative influence of participants’ self-esteem, communication skills, and interest in the teaching process on these attitudes. A total of 234 university students who were pursuing their bachelor degree in kindergarten education participated in the study. These were selected from the six universities offering bachelor programs in childhood education in Jordan. Three scales were administered through the internet to collect data from students. The results showed that the behavioral component of communication skills was significantly associated with attitudes. Neither cognitive nor emotional communication skills were significant predictors. Undergraduate curricula should aim to cultivate positive attitudes while addressing and improving negative ones. Fostering prospective teachers’ communication skills seemed to be a promising pathway to help promote positive attitudes and interest in teaching. Kindergarten education curriculum should help students improve, learn and use communication skills effectively.

Physical Activity and cardiovascular function in 9-year-old schoolchildren: implications for health and well-being

Background and Study Aim. Sedentary lifestyles are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases later in life. Identifying the potential benefits of physical activity for the cardiovascular health of children is crucial for developing effective strategies to promote healthy habits and prevent future health problems. Purpose of the article is to investigate the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular function in 9-year-old schoolchildren, taking into account the gender.&#x0D; Materials and Methods. The study participants were 27 students of the 3rd grade (10 boys, 17 girls) of secondary school № 58 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. All children were healthy and were under the supervision of a medical worker. Consent was obtained from both the school administration and the parents of the children. The functional state of the cardiovascular system of children was determined by the indices of the Robinson index and the Ruffier index. To calculate these indicators, we measured heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) at rest and after exercise (30 squats in 45 seconds).&#x0D; Results. There were no significant differences between boys and girls in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate at rest and recovery after exercise. The average level of reserves and efficiency of the cardiovascular system was revealed. A higher than average level of the response of the cardiovascular system to standard physical activity was revealed.&#x0D; Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that the functional capabilities of the cardiovascular system of 9-year-old students are generally at an average level and that there are no significant differences between boys and girls in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. These findings could be useful for developing physical education programs for children and for identifying children who may require additional cardiovascular health monitoring or interventions.

Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Children's Education Program of Suku Anak Dalam assisted by PT. Pertamina Hulu Energi Jambi Merang

This study aims to measure the impact of the CSR program assisted by PT. Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) Jambi Merang on the education sector for children of Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) through Social Return on Investment analysis. This research was a descriptive quantitative approach that used primary and secondary data sources. Primary data was collected through observation and interviews, while secondary data was collected through a literature study. Based on the results of the SROI calculation for the program, the conclusion was the social investment designed for this program was feasible indicated by the SROI score higher than one or giving positive SROI score during program implementation. According to the SROI calculation analysis results, the program has produced benefits greater than the program costs. Moreover, the scope of the program needs to be extended to increase the number of benefit receivers.

Early childhood education and care quality and associations with child outcomes: A meta-analysis.

The effectiveness of early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs for children's development in various domains is well documented. Adding to existing meta-analyses on associations between the quality of ECEC services and children's developmental outcomes, the present meta-analysis synthesizes the global literature on structural characteristics and indicators of process quality to test direct and moderated effects of ECEC quality on children's outcomes across a range of domains. A systematic review of the literature published over a 10-year period, between January 2010 and June 2020 was conducted, using the databases PsychInfo, Eric, EbscoHost, and Pubmed. In addition, a call for unpublished research or research published in the grey literature was sent out through the authors' professional network. The search yielded 8,932 articles. After removing duplicates, 4,880 unique articles were identified. To select articles for inclusion, it was determined whether studies met eligibility criteria: (1) study assessed indicators of quality in center-based ECEC programs catering to children ages 0-6 years; and (2) study assessed child outcomes. Inclusion criteria were: (1) a copy of the full article was available in English; (2) article reported effect size measure of at least one quality indicator-child outcome association; and (3) measures of ECEC quality and child outcomes were collected within the same school year. A total of 1,044 effect sizes reported from 185 articles were included. The averaged effects, pooled within each of the child outcomes suggest that higher levels of ECEC quality were significantly related to higher levels of academic outcomes (literacy, n = 99: 0.08, 95% C.I. 0.02, 0.13; math, n = 56: 0.07, 95% C.I. 0.03, 0.10), behavioral skills (n = 64: 0.12, 95% C.I. 0.07, 0.17), social competence (n = 58: 0.13, 95% C.I. 0.07, 0.19), and motor skills (n = 2: 0.09, 95% C.I. 0.04, 0.13), and lower levels of behavioral (n = 60: -0.12, 95% C.I. -0.19, -0.05) and social-emotional problems (n = 26: -0.09, 95% C.I. -0.15, -0.03). When a global assessment of child outcomes was reported, the association with ECEC quality was not significant (n = 13: 0.02, 95% C.I. -0.07, 0.11). Overall, effect sizes were small. When structural and process quality indicators were tested separately, structural characteristics alone did not significantly relate to child outcomes whereas associations between process quality indicators and most child outcomes were significant, albeit small. A comparison of the indicators, however, did not yield significant differences in effect sizes for most child outcomes. Results did not provide evidence for moderated associations. We also did not find evidence that ECEC quality-child outcome associations differed by ethnic minority or socioeconomic family background. Despite the attempt to provide a synthesis of the global literature on ECEC quality-child outcome associations, the majority of studies included samples from the U.S. In addition, studies with large samples were also predominately from the U.S. Together, the results might have been biased towards patterns prevalent in the U.S. that might not apply to other, non-U.S. ECEC contexts. The findings align with previous meta-analyses, suggesting that ECEC quality plays an important role for children's development during the early childhood years. Implications for research and ECEC policy are discussed.