TWO STARTING POINTS FOR DEFINING QUALITY

TWO STARTING POINTS FOR DEFINING QUALITY

• Quality is a dynamic, flexible and adaptable construct that contours

itself across cultures, settings, time and types of intervention (Britto

et al 2011).

• “Quality” in ECCE should be defined and measured by its effectiveness in supporting young children’s development in a manner desired by children themselves, their families, caregivers, communities, and nations – including children’s needs for play as well as academic achievement (GMR, 2007).

DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE QUALITY FRAMEWORK: SYSTEMS, SETTINGS, PROCESSES, OUTCOMES

Source: Britto et al 2011

HOW TO IDENTIFY CONTEXTUALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE (CAP)?(Source: Woodhead 1996)

DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY IN ECDE

Structural Quality Process Quality

Structural/ systems quality

• National policies• Laws and regulations• Governance, boards and leadership• Finance and accounting• Teacher standards, qualifications etc• Child-teacher ratios• Environmental standards• Child protection procedures• Health and safety

DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY IN ECDE

Structural Quality Process Quality

Settings/Process qualityNature of children’s experiences in care and learning settings.

•Inclusion and support of all children•Physical and emotional environment•Adult-child interactions•Approaches to learning•Family community involvement•Curriculum•Materials•Health and nutrition

DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY IN ECDE

Outcomes quality

• children’s health and well-being• parent/caregivers’ mental health, skills• children’s ‘readiness for school• Learning and achievement• Parent satisfaction with children’s progress•Teacher’s reports on school transition•Children’s views on their well being•Long term education/social outcomes

QUALITY DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES

Structural Quality Process uality

• Quality is not ‘once for all’. • Quality is dynamic and progressive.• Quality regulations are necessary but not

sufficient • Quality is specific to (changing) contexts• Quality is shaped by (changing) goals for

ECDE • Quality priorities may shift with new social

challenges, new research, new policies are introduced

• Balance quality focus at micro as well as macro levels

• Identify simple quality indicators!