Individual Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Predictors of early childhood developmental outcomes: The importance of quality ECDE services

Tue, April 16, 10:00 to 11:30am, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Pacific Concourse (Level -1), Pacific N

Proposal

The importance of improving the quality of early childhood development and education (ECDE) services has received increasing recognition in recent years, given that more women with young children are joining the workforce and the demand for child care has risen. Research has clearly established that the quality of care and education provided to young children matters for school readiness. High quality early childhood development and education (ECDE) promotes optimal child outcomes in all domains of development. On the other hand, low quality ECDE is associated with negative outcomes for children (Huntsman, 2008). There are currently several definitions of preschool quality, depending on what elements should be considered. The most commonly referred to elements include structural quality, process quality and educational beliefs of preschool teachers (Cryer, 1999; Fives & Buehl, 2012; Kluczniok & Roßbach, 2014). For the purpose of the study reported in this presentation, preschool quality is defined in terms of structural quality. Structural elements of quality are those which focus on the characteristics of preschools and preschool classes such as preschool and class size (number of children), teacher/caregiver education, qualifications, specialized training and job experience, child-adult ratios and classroom equipment and materials (Pianta et al., 2005). Teacher qualification is a key characteristic of structural quality as teachers and caregivers are central to providing quality ECDE (Ackerman, 2005; Croninger, Rice, Rathbun, & Nishio, 2007). As far as the literature has revealed, there have hardly been any studies investigating the association between preschool quality and child outcomes, to determine which aspects have the strongest associations. The current study attempts to fill this gap.


The study reported here is a sub-study of an evaluation of the Tayari preschool programme. The Tayari programme is a pilot project which aims to develop a cost-effective scalable model of ECDE that ensures children in Kenya are mentally, physically, socially and emotionally ready to start, and succeed in primary school. The Tayari programme seeks to strengthen the existing ECDE model in Kenya through development of child-centred instructional materials, interactive teacher training and ongoing instructional coaching and support, and a child health intervention that integrates psychosocial and health components to support the holistic development of the child. The components of the Tayari intervention were delivered through three treatment arms – treatment one received teacher training support through District Centre for Early Childhood Education (DICECE) officers; treatment two received the teacher training support plus books and teachers’ guides; treatment three received all the components in treatment one and two groups, together with a health/hygiene component. The programme was implemented in public and low-cost private (also known as Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training) ECDE centres in four counties in Kenya: Laikipia, Nairobi, Siaya and Uasin Gishu.

The study reported here was designed as a cross-sectional study, and is based on the data of all the PP2 learners (N = 4190) from 303 public ECDE centres that were included in the Tayari evaluation study. The baseline data were collected from public ECDE centres during two phases of the main evaluation study; phase 1 was completed in January 2016 while phase 2 was completed in January 2017. The main study used a ‘stepped-wedge’ design where half the sample of schools (Phase 1 schools or baseline one) was included in January 2016, while the other half (Phase 2 schools or baseline two) was included in January 2017. Those selected for participation in the study were children who were aged between 5 and 6 years, and were expected to join primary class one at the beginning of the next schooling year. The number of learners in each classroom across the ECDE centres ranged from 2 to 19, with a mean number of 13.8 (SD = 3.44).

Three quantitative instruments were used to collect the data: a head teacher questionnaire, an ECDE teacher questionnaire and a direct assessment administered to the learners. The head teacher questionnaire was used to collect information about enrolment, attendance, class size, and facilities in the ECDE centre. The ECDE teacher questionnaire captured data on education attained, professional training, access to learning materials in the classroom and classroom facilities. The direct assessment test was adapted from the UNICEF/UNESCO school readiness tool (Monitoring Early Learning, Quality and Outcomes – MELQO) and early grade literacy and numeracy assessment tools used by other researchers. The direct assessment test was used to assess learners’ progress in literacy, numeracy, health knowledge and psychosocial skills. All data were captured using tablets.

In the multiple linear regression, a significant regression equation was found (F(9, 210) = 3.426, p = .001), with an R2 of .128. Teaching experience, availability of textbooks and school facilities were significant predictors of school readiness. Learners’ school readiness scores decreased by 0.019 points for each year of teachers’ experience, and increased by 0.272 points where school facilities were better. Learners in schools where textbooks were available had 0.3 points higher than those in schools without textbooks. Based on the standardized coefficients, school facilities was the strongest predictor of school readiness, followed by availability of text books and finally length of teaching experience.

The multiple regression results suggest that teachers who have taught for a long time produce poorer school readiness scores in young children. In analysis not reported here, teacher age and teaching experience were found to be highly correlated. It may be that older teachers rely on ‘old school’ pedagogical methods which emphasize rote learning and memorization. Such methods are not suited to young children, hence do not enhance their school readiness. One earlier study has reported that the types of engagement that young children encounter in prekindergarten settings impact their learning outcomes, and those that focus on individual instruction tend to be more influential (Chien et al., 2010). The results of the current study are important for researchers in the early childhood development field, as well as policy makers, as they highlight the aspects of quality that are most critical for school readiness in low-income settings.

Authors