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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).
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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/ 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 • Settings/Process quality • Nature 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 • 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!