German Early Childhood Research Articles

Understanding cross-cultural differences in pedagogical beliefs: A comparison among South Korean, Spanish, and German early childhood teachers

This study aimed to elucidate how cultural values and the ECE context in three distinct countries —South Korea, Spain, and Germany— shape teachers' perspectives on their pedagogy. This study unveiled three key findings. First, the study identified partial strong invariance for the pedagogical beliefs measure. Second, Korean ECE teachers showed significantly stronger constructivistic beliefs than Spanish teachers. Third, instructivistic beliefs were significantly higher among Korean teachers than German teachers. The findings emphasize the notable differences in teachers' pedagogical beliefs among the three countries, underscoring the substantial impact of cultural values and ECE background on the development of the teachers’ beliefs.

Assessment and Diagnostic Classification Using DC:0-5 in Early Childhood Mental Health Clinics: The Protocol for the Developmental Psychiatry Diagnostic Challenges Study (DePsy).

Mental health problems in early childhood are common, but there is a lack of psychiatric research on this age group. DC:0-5 is a multiaxial classification system for mental disorders in early childhood, providing a framework for standardizing clinical practice and research. However, research on the validity of DC:0-5 is scarce. The Developmental Psychiatry Diagnostic Challenges Study (DePsy) is a multi-site, prospective clinical study including six German early childhood mental health (ECMH) clinics. The main objective of the study is to contribute to the validation of Axis I and Axis II of DC:0-5. A second aim of the study is to describe the population of the participating clinics regarding diagnoses, family context, and treatment outcomes. Additionally, the impact of environmental risk factors, including parental Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and media use, on child psychopathology and caregiver-child relationships will be examined. Over two years, patients aged 0.0-5.9 years old will be enrolled in the study. Assessments include ICD-10 and DC:0-5 diagnoses, developmental tests, video-based observations of caregiver-child interactions, and questionnaires on child psychopathology, media use, parental stress, and treatment satisfaction. Study results will promote the standardization of assessment and treatment in ECMH clinics aiming to improve the development of patients and their families.

Improving working relationships with families in German early childhood interventions home visitors: a quasi-experimental training study

BackgroundHome visitation services within German Early Childhood Interventions (ECI) for families with a child aged 0–3 are mainly provided by frontline pediatric nurses and family midwifes. Home visitors are often challenged by difficult interactions with families. Mentalizing, the ability to understand mental states of oneself and others, is a key skill for building effective working relationships, which in turn positively affect intervention outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate if a mentalizing skills training offered to home visitors active in German ECI contributes to continued professional development. We investigated, whether the training positively affected the quality of the working relationships with families as well as home visitors’ empathy, self-efficacy, and mentalizing.MethodsTo test the effects of a single day mentalizing skills training on the working relationship in N = 73 ECI home visitors, we used a quasi-experimental design with repeated measures (T0, T1, T2, T3) across seven weeks in order to assess immediate change from baseline (T0) after the training (T2) and stability of changes at follow up (T3). A literature-based intervention was implemented before the training to estimate possible repeated measurement and expectational effects (T1). Primary outcome was the quality of the working relationship experienced by the home visitors. Secondary outcome criteria were empathy, work-related self-efficacy, self-reported and observer-rated mentalizing.ResultsSignificant positive change in the working relationship quality was observed at T2 and at T3. Results on the secondary outcomes were less consistent, with data indicating improvement in empathy and increase on some but not all components of mentalizing.ConclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence that brief mentalizing skills trainings may be an effective method for continuous professional qualification in frontline ECI home visitors who afterwards, experience better working relationships with families. Thus, training participation may positively impact efficacy and implementation of home visitations in ECI.

Delta and Omicron: protective measures and SARS-CoV-2 infections in day care centres in Germany in the 4th and 5th wave of the pandemic 2021/2022

BackgroundDuring the five waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic so far, German early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres implemented various protective measures, such as wearing a face mask, fixed children-staff groups or regular ventilation. In addition, parents and ECEC staff were increasingly vaccinated throughout 2021. During the 4th wave, variant of concern (VOC) Delta-driven transmission indicators reached record values at the end of 2021. Those values were even exceeded in the 5th wave at the beginning of 2022 when Omicron dominated. We examine which factors facilitated or prevented infection with SARS-CoV-2 in ECEC centres, and if these differed between different phases within wave 4 (Delta) and 5 (Omicron).MethodsSince August 2020, a weekly online survey among approximately 8000 ECEC managers has been conducted, monitoring both incident SARS-CoV-2 infections and protective measures taken. We included data from calendar week 26/2021 to 05/2022. We estimate the probability of any infections and the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children, parents and staff using random-effect-within-between (REWB) panel models for binomial and count data.ResultsWhile children, parents and staff of ECEC centres with a high proportion of children from families with low socioeconomic status (SES) have a higher risk of infections in the beginning of wave 4 (OR up to 1.99 [1.56; 2.56]), this effect diminishes for children and parents with rising incidences. Protective measures, such as wearing face masks, tend to have more extensive effects with rising incidences in wave 5 (IRR up to 0.87 [0.8; 0.93]). Further, the protective effect of vaccination against infection among staff is decreasing from wave 4 to wave 5 (OR 0.3 [0.16; 0.55] to OR 0.95, [0.84; 1.07, n.s.]). The degree of transmission from staff to child and from staff to parent is decreasing from wave 4 to wave 5, while transmission from child to staff seems to increase.ConclusionWhile Omicron seems to affect children and parents from ECEC centres with families with all SES levels more equally than Delta, the protective effect of vaccination against infection is decreasing and the effect of protective measures like face masks becomes increasingly important. In order to prevent massive closures of ECEC centres due to infection of staff, protective measures should be strictly adhered to, especially to protect staff in centres with a high proportion of children from families with low socioeconomic status.

Pedagogical practices in ECEC institutions and children’s linguistic, motor, and socio-emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a longitudinal multi-perspective study in Germany

ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 pandemic, German early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions had to limit their provision of ECEC, implement protective measures, and handle new organizational tasks. Data from two longitudinal surveys (October 2020 to July 2021) among ECEC managers and pedagogical staff were analysed. Limited staff resources, limited access, and high pandemic-related challenges (i.e. difficulties and conflicts related to implementing protective measures), were negatively associated with the frequency of pedagogical practices (Models 1, 2). Manager ratings suggested increased developmental needs for children with low socio-economic status; also higher frequency of pedagogical practices at early stages of the pandemic (T1) was associated with lower increase of developmental needs at a later stage (T2, about 5 months later). In sum, this contribution provides evidence about how the COVID-19 pandemic might have affected quality in ECEC provision on both the structural and interaction level and how this, subsequently, impacted child outcomes.

Evaluation of a cross-sectoral care intervention for families with psychosocial burden: a study protocol of a controlled trial

BackgroundFamily risk factors, e.g. low socioeconomic status or parental mental health disorders, can affect children’s health and development. Thus, targeted preventive services for families with psychosocial burden are crucial. The German Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program is a preventive approach that aims to strengthen parent’s resources by supportive services. However, research has revealed that only a proportion of the families considered to have substantial risk factors access the ECI program. To increase pediatricians’ skills in identifying risk factors, and to improve the cross-sectoral collaboration between relevant professionals and the referral of families to supportive services, the PATH-intervention (Pediatric Attention To Help) was developed. The PATH-intervention includes interprofessional quality circles and a one-day training program for the pediatricians. This study aims to evaluate this complex cross-sectoral care intervention for families with psychosocial burden.MethodsUsing a prospective quasi-experimental, controlled (matched-pair), longitudinal mixed-method design, we will compare families under treatment of pediatricians trained in the PATH-intervention with families under treatment of a control group of pediatricians. Participating families are asked to complete online-surveys. As a primary outcome, we will examine the use of supportive services of the ECI by burdened families. Secondary outcomes are the proportion of correctly identified families with psychosocial burden by the pediatricians, as well as information provision and motivation of the families to use the supportive services. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness ratio will be investigated. In the process evaluation, we will qualitatively explore the acceptance of the PATH-intervention of all involved stakeholders and the treatment fidelity of the trained pediatricians.DiscussionThis study will determine whether the PATH-intervention enables the pediatricians to identify and recommend supportive services to burdened families, as well as the families’ use of the supportive services of the ECI. Qualitative data will give insight into the acceptance of the intervention from the perspective of all stakeholders and the treatment fidelity. Results of this study could be the starting point for the broader implementation of the PATH-intervention as standard care.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00023461 (3rd December 2020); WHO UTN: U1111- 260-6575.

From teacher education to practice: Development of early childhood teachers‘ knowledge and beliefs in mathematics

This longitudinal study examined the development of 129 German early childhood teachers’ knowledge and epistemic beliefs in mathematics from teacher education to practice. The test and questionnaire data have been analyzed with auto-regressive models with cross-lagged effects and mean differences to investigate change over time. The study reveals that knowledge increases over time, while most of the beliefs do not change. Furthermore, the correlational pattern between all constructs seems to be stable after having moved from teacher education to practice. Thus, findings are not in line with the theoretical assumption of a greater differentiation of teachers’ competence through practical experience.

COVID-19 infections in day care centres in Germany: social and organisational determinants of infections in children and staff in the second and third wave of the pandemic

BackgroundDuring the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, German early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres organised children’s attendance in different ways, they reduced opening hours, provided emergency support for a few children, or closed completely. Further, protection and hygiene measures like fixed children-staff groups, ventilation and surface disinfection were introduced in ECEC centres. To inform or modify public health measures in ECEC, we investigate the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infections among children and staff in ECEC centres in light of social determinants (i.e. the socioeconomic status of the children) and recommended structural and hygiene measures. We focus on the question if the relevant factors differ between the 2nd (when no variant of concern (VOC) circulated) and the 3rd wave (when VOC B.1.1.7 (Alpha) predominated).MethodsBased on panel data from a weekly online survey of ECEC centre managers (calendar week 36/2020 to 22/2021, ongoing) including approx. 8500 centres, we estimate the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children and staff using random-effect-within-between (REWB) panel models for count data in the 2nd and 3rd wave.ResultsECEC centres with a high proportion of children with low socioeconomic status (SES) have a higher risk of infections in staff and children. Strict contact restrictions between groups like fixed group assignments for children and fixed staff assignments to groups prevent infections. Both effects tend to be stronger in the 3rd wave.ConclusionECEC centres with a large proportion of children with a low SES background and lack of using fixed child/staff cohorts experience higher COVID-19 rates. Over the long run, centres should be supported in maintaining recommended measures. Preventive measures such as the vaccination of staff should be prioritised in centres with large proportions of low SES children.

Theme and Activity Characteristics of Project Works in German Early Childhood Education: A Case Study on Natural Sciences

Theme and Activity Characteristics of Project Works in German Early Childhood Education: A Case Study on Natural Sciences

SARS-CoV-2 infections in day care centres in Germany: social, structural, and hygiene determinants for infection among children and staff in the second and third wave of the pandemic

Abstract Background During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, German early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres organized children's attendance variably (i.e., reduced opening hours, emergency support for few children only or full close-down). Further, protection and hygiene measures like fixed children/staff groups, ventilation and surface disinfection were introduced among ECEC centres. To inform or modify public health measures in ECEC, we investigate the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infections among children and staff of ECEC centres in light of social determinants (socioeconomic status of the children) and recommended structural and hygiene measures. We focus on the question if the relevant factors differ between the 2nd (when no variant of concern (VOC) circulated) and the 3rd wave (when VOC B.1.1.7 (Alpha) predominated). Methods Based on panel data from a weekly online survey of ECEC centre managers (start August 2020, ongoing) including approx. 8500 centres, we estimate the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children and staff using random-effect-within-between (REWB) panel models for count data in both waves. Results Centres with a high proportion of children with low socioeconomic status (SES) have a higher risk of infections in staff and children. Strict contact restrictions between groups like fixed group assignments among children and fixed staff assignments to groups prevent infections. Both effects tend to be stronger in the 3rd wave. Conclusions ECEC centres with a large proportion of children from a low SES background and lack of using fixed child/staff cohorts experience higher COVID-19 rates. Centres should be supported in maintaining recommended measures over the long run. Preventive measures such as vaccination of staff should be prioritised in centres with large proportions of low SES children.

Absolute and Relative Judgment Accuracy: Early Childhood Teachers' Competence to Evaluate Children's Mathematical Skills.

This study examined absolute and relative judgment accuracies of German early childhood (EC) teachers with respect to the mathematical skills of the children under their supervision. The two types of judgment accuracies are crucial prerequisites for pacing activities in EC education and offering differentiated educational activities adapted to individual skill levels of children. Data from 39 EC teachers and 268 children were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Teachers rated the skills of children on a structured observation instrument (“Kinder Diagnose Tool,” KiDiT). Children were assessed on their mathematical skills with a standardized test (“Mathematische Basiskompetenzen im Kindesalter,” MBK-0). On average, 65% of the variation in judgments of teachers on the KiDiT could be explained by MBK-0 scores of children, which suggest that teachers are—on average—able to rank children within their groups. Teachers were also able to judge the mathematical level of skills of children as assessed by the MBK-0. Neither mathematical content knowledge (MCK) of teachers nor their mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK) or general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) moderated the relationship between judgments of teachers and test scores of children or the relationship between the level of the judgments and the level of test scores. Conclusions for future research and practice are drawn.

Profiles of German early childhood teachers’ pedagogical content beliefs and the relation to their competencies

The influence of early childhood teachers’ beliefs on different aspects of their professional competencies has become a topic of growing importance in early childhood education and care. The presented study investigated pedagogical content beliefs of 120 early childhood teachers in German kindergartens. The relations between their beliefs and the assessed quality of interaction with children, the competency of professional vision, theoretical knowledge, and educational background were examined. The study focused on the domain of Instructional Support because of its relevance for children's cognitive development. Five distinct profiles of teachers’ beliefs were identified from a person-centered approach of latent profile analysis. The analyses of profile-differences showed that profiles of teachers with similar beliefs significantly differed in their theoretical knowledge and educational background. This paper concludes by outlining analogies of the resulting profiles with the concurrent evidence in the field of ECEC, discussing study-specific limitations and suggesting potential implementation for teachers’ educations as well as starting points for further research investigations.

Moderating Uncertainty: The Reception of Refugee Children in the German Early Childhood Education and Care Sector

Abstract Located at the crossroads of integration and early childhood education and care (ECEC) policies, this article draws on empirical research conducted from the perspective of ECEC centres to provide insights into the local reception of refugee children in Germany. In recent years, the ECEC sector in Germany has faced the challenge of organizing access to childcare for many newly arrived children and their families—a process that has been shaped by uncertainty for policymakers and service providers alike. The article analyses data from the first survey among ECEC centres throughout Germany on this topic. It sheds light on enrolment patterns of refugee children, admission procedures, support structures and local collaboration. The results reveal the uncertainties that ECEC centres faced after the 2015 ‘refugee crisis’, and their diverse approaches. To better understand the role of ECEC centres as crucial actors in local integration processes, a conceptualization as ‘street-level’ organizations is suggested.

Relevance of child characteristics for the envisaged and real start of childcare attendance for the under-3s in Germany

ABSTRACTAlthough there are many studies on the use of childcare, most German research has focused on the role of socio-economic factors such as parents’ level of education, household income, or migration background. Little is known about the role of child characteristics such as health or temperament. Using longitudinal data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS, N = 2630 and N = 1891), this study investigated the impact of child characteristics on when parents envisage and actually start using childcare for a national representative sample. Results showed small direct effects of child characteristics and interaction effects of child characteristics and parental beliefs. Parents whose children had a difficult temperament envisaged an early entry in childcare, expecting that attendance would benefit their child’s development. It is concluded that in the German early childhood and education system child characteristics play a minor role. In contrast, parent’s beliefs and expectation play a crucial role on parent’s envisaged and real entry in childcare.

Differential effects of home and preschool learning environments on early language development

The present study is based on longitudinal data from a German early childhood education and care (ECEC) governmental initiative assessing children's grammatical and vocabulary development between 2;6 and 4;0 years (N = 1,331), quality of the home learning environment and quality of the preschool setting. Results showed that the quality of the home learning environment predicted development in grammatical skills, but not in receptive vocabulary at age 4, while the effects of preschool process quality showed similar relative impacts on both language outcomes. Further analyses revealed effects of accumulated advantages of preschool quality for children from medium‐ and high‐quality home learning environments in their vocabulary development. The results are compared with previous findings from the German ECEC context and discussed with respect to implications for policy efforts to improve ECEC quality and ways in which both learning environments act together on children's development.

Bildung, Erziehung [education] and care in German early childhood settings – spotlights on current discourses

Abstract In German there is a long tradition of institutionalized daycare center-based early education. These institutions are concerned with Bildung, Erziehung und Betreuung - the education and care of children up to six years of age. Education and childrearing as well as care are all important but separate processes in German early childhood settings. Looking back, this theoretical division has a very long tradition. However, the energized public, political and professional discussions about the PISA results at the beginning of the 21st century led to Bildung and ECEC settings becoming increasingly important. Taking into account this complex and difficult historical development it is interesting to have a critical look at the dominant programmatic frames that characterize the German ECEC system nowadays: Bildung and quality of early education. The former double motif of education (Bildung und Erziehung) on the one hand and care (Betreuung) on the other hand remains an important aspect of German ECEC practices. Nevertheless, in the political arena and professional discourses Erziehung and Betreuung have been pushed into the background, to remain in symbolic form. Bildung and quality of early education seem to be in the spotlight. We will show how those programmatic frames have taken shape and are manifested in early childhood programs and projects.

Quality of teacher–child relationship and preschoolers’ pro-social behaviour in German kindergartens

ABSTRACTTeacher–child relationships in early childhood are a crucial prerequisite for children's emotional, social and academic development. Therefore, it is important to be able to measure accurately the quality of interactions among them. The Student–Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) is a widely accepted instrument in measuring the quality of teacher–child relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the adapted STRS in the German early childhood education settings and to investigate it's associations with children's pro-social and problematic behaviour. Seventy-eight preschool teachers rated the quality of their relationships with 153 children aged 2–7 years and their pro-social and problematic behaviour. An explorative factor analysis revealed three consistent factors: closeness, conflict and dependency. The former inconsistent dependency scale showed good internal consistency. The item constellation was the same as of the adapted STRS. As expected preschool teachers rated girls closer compared to boys. Closeness was positive associated with pro-social behaviour and conflict and dependency was positive correlated with externalising behaviour. The results of this study support the reliability and validity of the adapted STRS in the German kindergarten context.

Documentation as a tool for participation in German early childhood education and care

The aim of the study presented in this article is to find out whether the documentation practices in German early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres are compatible with the notion of participation by children. Children's participation has to be seen as a general educational issue in the context of democratic and inclusive education, but also as a specific aim to foster the learning and reflective competencies of the individual child. This makes it all the more important to know whether participation can be found in early childhood key practices – for example documentation. The research examines the documentation practices in 40 ECEC centres in Germany. On this basis, the article outlines what the main forms of documentation are (portfolio, documentation panels, presentations of children's work) and what importance children's participation has for these forms. It shows that participation is of minor relevance in the documentation practices in most of the ECEC centres examined. Only a few centres involve children extensively in documentation and include documentation in their daily work. If participation is part of the documentation practices, a ‘pedagogy of listening' as conceived by the Reggio approach can be found.

Stability and patterns of classroom quality in German early childhood education and care

ABSTRACTMany education systems worldwide have dedicated a significant amount of resources to improve quality levels in early childhood education and care. Research can contribute to this goal by providing information about conditions of high-quality education and care and reasons for changes in the quality provided to children. This study therefore analyzes the stability of educational quality and patterns of dependency of process quality on possibly determining context factors over a period of 3 consecutive school years to detect mechanisms of change and patterns of quality. Longitudinal data of a field study with annual assessments in 97 German classrooms were analyzed via growth curve analyses using Bayesian estimation. The analyses revealed an increase in process quality provided in the classrooms. Classroom composition characteristics showed strongest relations to status and change of process quality; allocated resources and characteristics of the professional staff were less strongly related.

Styles of documentation in German early childhood education

The pedagogical documentation of educational processes in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres is an important concern of early childhood education. Its purpose is to make learning visible and to stimulate discussion between educators and parents. In the academic discourse, however, pedagogical documentation is subject to differing interpretations: while some authors see it as a practice that supports the learning processes of children, along the lines of a ‘pedagogy of listening’, others regard it as a tool for the assessment of skill development. Against this background, the present article examines how these different understandings of documentation are implemented in pedagogical practice in German ECEC centres. On the basis of an empirical investigation with 40 case studies, it can be shown that pedagogical documentation is primarily seen as an assessment tool in Germany. Four types of facility could be identified, each representing a particular style of documentation; for example, specific motivations, functions and practices of implementation can be distinguished.