High-quality Early Childhood Education And Care Research Articles

Leadership Practices That Enable and Constrain Retention in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings in Australia

Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is in crisis, with educator job tenure decreasing and workforce supply threatened. Despite worsening retention rates, many highly skilled educators remain and thrive within ECEC settings, ensuring strong relationships and positive outcomes for children. While research has uncovered the complex organisational factors contributing to workforce retention, the leadership’s influence on educator retention remains under-researched. This paper describes a small-scale Australian qualitative study of ECEC leaders and educators using a social constructivist lens. The present study explored how positional leaders in two high-quality ECEC sites enabled educator retention, considering the perspectives of leaders and educators. Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using the theory of practice architectures to uncover the practices and practice architectures that enable and constrain retention. This research discovered six key practices of leaders. These six practices were flexible approaches to managing individuals, proactive approaches to creating and building professional relationships with educators, prioritising educators’ professional growth, positioning themselves to enable educators’ practice, creating cohesive teams, and valuing educators and their work. The practices of leaders and practice architectures illuminated in this study may be employed by organisations in the sector to support the retention of educators.

Expanding the child care table of influence: Reaching under-resourced families to understand their needs and barriers to accessing early childhood care and education

Children enrolled in high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs benefit by enhanced overall development and educational success. Families benefit from quality ECEC by workforce participation and increased family income. Communities benefit with increased productivity through labor force participation and a reduction in the costs associated with unemployment and remedial education. Despite these benefits, a significant proportion of children from historically under-resourced backgrounds lack access to high quality ECEC. Efforts to understand families’ needs and barriers to ECEC access could help increase their children’s participation. Parents (118) from historically under-resourced backgrounds participated in focus groups to share their perceptions of caring for and educating their children. Using thematic analysis, we discovered several themes regarding under-resourced families’ perceptions of ECEC. The community based participatory methods used in this study served to enhance family participation, data quality, and community acceptance.

The relation between structural family characteristics and parental attitudes with respect to the use of ECEC for one- and two-year-old children in Germany

ABSTRACT Early childhood education and care (ECEC) has been found to be beneficial for the development of children below three years. However, many children do not attend ECEC facilities. Frequently, structural family characteristics (SFC), such as migration background, educational attainment and income, are used to explain differing probabilities of attendance, while parental attitudes are mostly not considered. Thus, assuming that SFC influence attitudes, this paper investigates whether the attitudes and views of parents towards ECEC explain why one- and two-year-old children from disadvantaged families attend day care less often, although they would strongly benefit from high-quality ECEC. The underlying data are from the German DJI Child Care Study (KiBS). The results show that parental attitudes substantially contribute to explaining diverging attendance probabilities. The more positive parents evaluate day care, the higher the probability of their child attending. However, SFC maintain most of their explanatory power. Besides, SFC and parental attitudes interact. The probability of ECEC attendance increases differently depending on the (varying degree of positivity of) attitudes by SFC.

Gains and challenges with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System in a social pedagogical tradition

IntroductionThis qualitative study explores how Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals’ perceptions of gains and challenges using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS, Pre-K and Toddler) within the social pedagogical tradition in Norwegian ECEC.MethodsFocus group interviews (n = 22), group interviews (n = 4), and in-depth interviews (n = 3) were conducted online, followed by conventional content analysis.ResultsThe findings indicate that ECEC professionals perceived CLASS as contributing to their pedagogical understanding and practice. At the same time, the introduction of CLASS enhanced ECEC professionals’ awareness regarding the pedagogical value of the social pedagogical tradition (SPT), which they wished to preserve and protect, and the specific elements of the school readiness tradition (SRT), which they wished to include in their pedagogical understanding of high-quality ECEC pedagogy.DiscussionThe findings suggest that the use of CLASS expands ECEC professionals’ understanding of the value of both pedagogical traditions. Finally, inspired by the present study’s findings regarding interaction quality, the research team proposes a hybrid model of pedagogical approaches in ECEC.

Together from kindergarten: exploring quality to inform inclusion in early childhood settings in Bulgaria

ABSTRACTThe Bulgarian Government has made a commitment to inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). High-quality ECEC settings are more inclusive and responsive to children's individual learning needs. In partnership with UNICEF, the Ministry for Education established a pilot project, ‘Together from Kindergarten’, to enhance quality and support early childhood settings in creating and maintaining quality conditions that support all children's right to access and participate in ECEC. As part of this project, the ECERS-3 was used as a broad measure to explore quality across 40 kindergarten settings. Evidence suggests that despite the positive attitudes of ECEC teachers towards inclusion, the quality of the kindergartens was low, with particular challenges concerning teacher–child interactions and individualised learning supports. The study offers important insights into how ECEC settings in Bulgaria can enhance quality to develop conditions that support children with SEND to participate in mainstream ECEC provision.

RESPONSE TO DAVID BLAU'S ESSAY

RESPONSE TO DAVID BLAU'S ESSAY

Associations between Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) attendance, adversity and language outcomes of 2-year-olds

Research evidence suggests children experiencing adversity are at risk of language disparities in early childhood. This puts these children at risk of poor language outcomes, perpetuating disadvantage in later development and academic life. This study aimed to investigate associations between Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) attendance, hours of attendance and quality in a cohort of 2-year-old children experiencing adversity with their language outcomes at age five. Pregnant women experiencing adversity, based on women meeting two or more of 10 factors on a brief risk factor survey, were recruited from maternity hospitals in Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. At age 2 years, ECEC data was collected via survey, including ECEC attendance, amount of time spent and ECEC quality (using the Australian government’s national measure of quality, the National Quality Standard assessment) ( n = 161). At age 5 years, child language outcomes were measured using a standardised language assessment. This data was analysed using logistic regressions and the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test to identify associations. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found language scores at age five were higher, on average, for children who attended ECEC at age two compared to those who did not attend. However, hours of attendance and ECEC quality, was not found to be associated with language outcomes. Findings suggest ECEC attendance in the early developmental years (birth to age 3 years) may be a protective factor against social disadvantage factors and contribute to positive language development for children experiencing adversity. This information is important for the ECEC sector, policymakers and families to advocate, enable and ensure high-quality ECEC is accessible, particularly for children experiencing adversity.

Leadership development and system building in early childhood education and care: current issues and recommendations

ABSTRACT Early childhood education and care (ECEC) aims to assist all young children and their families in meeting educational, developmental and behavioral outcomes to enhance their quality of life. However, in the United States (US), the field of ECEC lags behind in policies and practices to develop and sustain quality ECEC leadership. Although international initiatives in ECEC leadership have been growing, in the United States, effective leadership practices have been few, isolated and lacking rigor, resulting in a shortage of evidence-based policies and practices in ECEC. This theoretical paper discusses leadership development and system building in ECEC through an ecological framework elaborates on current issues in preparing effective leaders, and offers recommendations to develop a leadership structure for a high-quality ECEC system. The concepts underlying these recommendations can transform the current leadership situation and create well-integrated state and local coordination in leadership development and capacity building in ECEC in the United States.

The Impact of Nurse Home Visiting on the Use, Dose and Quality of Formal Childcare: 3-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Trial.

We investigated whether nurse home visiting (NHV) affects the uptake and quality of formal early childhood education and care (ECEC) at child ages 2 and 3 years, and reasons for using ECEC at 3 years. Design: Secondary analysis of the "right@home" randomized trial of NHV. 722 pregnant Australian, English-speaking women experiencing adversity recruited from antenatal clinics across 2 states. 25 nurse home visits to 2 years; Control: universal well-child nursing service. Parents reported formal ECEC use (government approved and subsidized), comprising long or family day care (LDC), and reasons for use. ECEC quality was classified using the Australian government's national ratings. Eighty-three percent of parents provided data at 2 years (306 intervention/290 control); and 69% at 3 years (255 intervention/240 control). Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted using adjusted regression models, addressing missing data using multiple imputation and inverse probability weighting. There was no evidence of group differences in ECEC uptake or quality, although control families may have used more LDC at 3 years (mean difference 2.8 hours, 95% confidence interval, -0.2 to 5.8 hours). Intervention parents reported using ECEC to support their children's social development more frequently than controls (48% vs 33%) but less for work/study (39% vs 46%). The right@home NHV program did not impact ECEC uptake or quality, although it may influence parents' reasons for using ECEC. If supported by policy and provision, there is an opportunity for NHV programs to promote the transition to high-quality ECEC and evaluate the synergistic benefit on children's development.

Predicting selection into ECEC of higher quality in a universal context: The role of parental education and income

There is consensus about the positive effects of high quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) on children’s development, particularly for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. However, limited knowledge exists on the access to quality in ECEC in a universal context. This study investigates potential socioeconomic selection into ECEC of higher structural quality in the context of a universal, heavily subsidized, and regulated system in Norway, intended to provide equal access to high quality ECEC. Furthermore, we explore the impact of SES and structural quality in ECEC on student-teacher relationship quality. Our conceptual model takes into account how readily accessible information on different quality aspects is for parents. We use data from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study linked with teacher-reported ECEC quality for children born in 2006–2009 (N 7,226), supplemented by registry data at ECEC and municipality level. We find that higher parental education, and to a lesser degree income, predict child attendance of ECEC with higher structural quality as rated by ECEC teachers. Further, higher parental SES and structural quality (i.e., developmental material, staff competence and stability) predict better student-teacher relationship quality in terms of higher level of closeness and less conflict. These findings suggest that ambitions of universal equal access to high quality ECEC are not entirely realized and more efforts are needed to ensure higher structural quality in ECEC and enhance relationship quality for children from less advantageous socioeconomic backgrounds.

Child care policy and child care burden: Policy feedback effects and distributive implications of regulatory decisions

The policy feedback literature highlights that the design of public policies can affect recipients’ experience of those policies and programs. In this paper, we examine the largely unexplored distributional implications of market-based early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. We present the results of a quasi-behavioral conjoint survey of 606 parents in the City of Toronto. Grouping parent respondents by income and access to public subsidies, we find evidence that access to public subsidies influences the ECEC preferences of lower income parents. We explore these findings with respect to how non-subsidized lower income parents experience the market for ECEC. We find evidence that non-subsidized lower income parents are more cost-conscious; this is likely to result in their using less well-regulated ECEC that is more variable in quality. In turning to less well-regulated care, the burden of performing oversight and quality assessments falls on these parents. However, our study finds that lower income non-subsidized parents report the least engagement with learning about ECEC, suggesting that they are likely to be the least able to effectively monitor their children’s care arrangements. We explore the implications of these findings regarding the effects of policy on vulnerable children’s access to high quality ECEC services.

‘A teacher’s hug can make you feel better’: listening to U.S. children’s voices on high-quality early childhood teaching

ABSTRACT Shown to be the single most influential factor in children’s early learning and development experiences, quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) teaching has attracted increasing interest in research and policy globally. Yet almost all definitions of quality ECEC teaching to date reflect only adults’ notions of the features that should define a good early-years professional. The present study captures children’s (four-to-six-year-olds’) voices on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they believe a high-quality ECEC teacher should have. Two major categories emerge from the children’s drawings and narratives, which illustrate children’s perspectives on the quality of their teachers’ role: (1) a teacher who adapts to the culture of childhood, and (2) a teacher who attends to individual diversity. Findings provide alternative measures of quality ECEC teaching grounded in children’s thoughtful ideas about the ways they believe their teachers can have a positive impact on their school lives.

A Study of the Long-Term Influence of Early Childhood Education and Care on the Risk for Developing Special Educational Needs

Specialized preschool programs can enhance the development of vulnerable young children at risk of special educational needs (SEN). Less is known about the potential of early childhood education and care (ECEC) provided for the general population. This study includes 2,857 children attending 141 ECEC centres in England and 310 with no ECEC. ECEC quality and effectiveness were assessed. Children’s scores on assessments of cognitive development, numeracy, and literacy, and teacher reports of socio-emotional problems at ages 5, 7, 11, and 16 years were used to identify risk of SEN (1 standard deviation beyond the mean). Trend analyses (none vs. low, medium, and high ECEC quality or effectiveness) examined impact of ECEC on risk for cognitive or socio-emotional SEN. Better quality and more effective ECEC reduced risk of cognitive SEN at 5, 11, and 16 years of age, with similar results for socio-emotional SEN. The discussion considers the consistency of the association between children’s ECEC experience and risk for SEN, which is found for alternative measures of ECEC, quality derived from observations and effectiveness derived from progress in child outcomes. These different sources for the ECEC measures add credibility to the results. Also the implications for policy and practice are discussed including the recommendation for universal provision of high quality ECEC and ensuring that the most at-risk populations receive the best ECEC available.

A New Public Conceptualisation of Education and Care for Younger Children: bridging the public–private divide

Over the past two decades there has been substantial expansion of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) provision. This has led to significant expansion of the role of the private sector. Alongside this, there is a substantial evidence base about the importance of high-quality, pedagogically appropriate provision, delivered by highly skilled practitioners. This article argues that to provide high-quality ECEC a reconceptualisation of provision for young children within public education is needed. These changes would allow developments to build on previous reforms through an increased role for public provision as a distinct education phase, creating a more highly skilled workforce with clear career pathways and offering a pedagogically appropriate curriculum.

Day care quality and changes in the home learning environment of children

ABSTRACTChildren's development is fostered by both high quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings and high quality home learning environments. As we know little about the interrelations between these two environments, we examine whether the child's attendance in a high quality ECEC arrangement relates to the quality of her home learning environment. Using rich NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data, we show that ECEC quality is associated with the home learning environment, even after taking into account the lagged dependent variable and a rich set of control variables.

Immigrant-born workers and quality early childhood education and care in the Northern Territory, Australia

This paper focuses on the growing immigrant-born population of early childhood education and care (ECEC) workers in the Northern Territory of Australia, who represent a committed but poorly understood group within this workforce. The recent reforms to the ECEC workforce in Australia aim to achieve high-quality ECEC services by (a) growing this workforce size to meet the demand for services; (b) meeting the higher educator-to-children ratios; and (c) raising the overall level of qualifications of ECEC workers. By combining the statistical data in an innovative way, this paper shows that even when the growing numbers in this group are combined with newly qualified, immigrant-born and Australian-born entrants, the total number of workers may still be too small to fully implement recent reforms. It concludes by identifying data quality issues and future research directions that would help inform and develop a new strategy for the Northern Territory ECEC workforce.

Early Childhood Educator Mental Health: Performing the National Quality Standard

IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION and care (ECEC) settings, the mental wellbeing of educators is likely to be crucial to delivering high-quality care. Hence, this paper uses a contextual understanding of educators' mental health, and its evaluation by both educators and management, to reveal areas of the National Quality Framework that require critical revision. Drawing on Hochschild's (2012) theory of emotional labour, we report on the analysis of semi-structured interviews with family day care educators (n = 16) and ECEC sector key informants (n = 18). Results demonstrate widespread belief that educator mental wellbeing affects care quality and the children attending care. In response to job stressors and perceived surveillance, educators use emotional labour to hide negative feelings and manage risks associated with low mental wellbeing. In this context, making individual educators fully responsible for performing good mental health to meet the National Quality Standard may increase job stress and emotional labour, further distancing the aims of high-quality care. Our findings suggest that revising the NQS to improve working conditions, and addressing educator mental wellbeing are essential approaches for supporting high-quality ECEC practice.

Parental socio-economic status and childcare quality: Early inequalities in educational opportunity?

This study examines whether children from potentially disadvantaged families attend early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers of lower quality compared to more advantaged children in the universal and strongly state-subsidized ECEC system in Germany. We combine the representative German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) with the 2014 K2ID- SOEP extension study on ECEC quality. We run linear and logistic regression models of 32 quality indicators based on 818 children who attend 749 ECEC groups in 647 centers. The findings provide evidence that migrant children and in particular children of low-educated parents experience moderately lower quality levels on some structural and orientation quality characteristics. Children from income poor or single parent households receive lower quality on few, hardly observable characteristics. In conclusion, financial resources may be less critical for families’ use of high-quality ECEC than knowledge, preferences, or networks which are stratified by educational qualifications and culture.

Learning and inclusivity via Interactive Groups in early childhood education and care in the Hope school, Spain

Abstract Access to high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), particularly for disadvantaged children, is critical to ensuring that future learning is more effective and more likely to continue throughout life. A wealth of research has provided extensive information about the key factors that impact the quality of ECEC and improve cognitive and social outcomes. Despite the European priority to make high-quality ECEC available to all children, accomplishing this goal remains a challenge. The present article discusses a specific type of inclusive classroom organisation called Interactive Groups (IGs). IGs were studied in the preschool classrooms of an urban school located in a disadvantaged area of Spain that has high levels of unemployment, poverty and marginalisation. Empirical data from interviews with teachers, daily life stories from mothers and children, and classroom observations shed light on the perceptions of the potential of this particular classroom setting, where children are placed in small, mixed-ability groups coordinated by one volunteer from the community, to benefit children and promote their cognitive, social and emotional development. The findings suggest that this particular form of inclusive classroom organisation can reach children from a minority background while providing high-quality ECEC.

The Selection of ECEC Programs by Australian Families: Quality, Availability, Usage and Family Demographics

HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD education and care (ECEC) programs have the potential to ameliorate socioeconomic status (SES) gradients. In the Australian ECEC market, however, there is no guarantee that children from low SES backgrounds access high-quality ECEC programs. This study tested the influence of family SES on the selection of ECEC program quality. Participants were 2494 children enrolled in up to 1427 ECEC classrooms (mean age at entry = 43 months, SD = eight months). The study controlled for a range of child, family, home and community-level background factors. Both cross-sectional (linear regression) and longitudinal (growth models) methods are used. The study confirmed that children from lower SES families were more likely to attend lower quality programs. Longitudinal modelling showed the largest quality gap before kindergarten. To narrow SES-related achievement gaps there is a need to significantly improve aspects of program quality that influence children's development, and specifically to do so in programs for younger children. There is a particular need to target ECEC programs in lower SES areas to ameliorate the observed SES quality gradient. The findings further challenge current policy directions from the Productivity Commission inquiry into child care and early learning.