TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigating quality indicators of early childhood education programs in Kosovo, Ukraine and Finland
AU - von Suchodoletz, Antje
AU - Larsen, Ross
AU - Uka, Fitim
AU - Nadyukova, Iryna
AU - Pakarinen, Eija
AU - Lerkkanen, Marja Kristiina
N1 - Funding Information:
The data collection in Kosovo and Ukraine was supported by New York University Abu Dhabi Faculty Research Funds to Antje von Suchodoletz. The Finnish part of this work was supported by the Academy of Finland under grant number 292466 for 2015–2019; by the Ella ja Georg Ehrnroothin Säätiö and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation; and by the University of Jyväskylä, Department of Teacher Education. We wish to thank all school principals and kindergarten teachers who supported or participated in this project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - The existing literature on early childhood education (ECE) quality is predominantly from the US or other developed countries. In low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), systematic research on ECE quality, however, is very limited. In the present study, we explore variation in structural and process indicators of ECE quality in two Eastern European LMICs, Kosovo and Ukraine, using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K (CLASS) as a measure of process quality for the first time in these countries. We also include Finland because governments in Kosovo and Ukraine show a particular interest in the Finnish education model to inform policy reforms. Participants were kindergarten teachers (n=177) from these three countries who were observed in their classrooms and asked to complete questionnaires. Results indicated variability in ECE quality at various levels, both within and across the three countries. Directions for future research and implications for practice and policy development in LMICs are discussed.
AB - The existing literature on early childhood education (ECE) quality is predominantly from the US or other developed countries. In low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), systematic research on ECE quality, however, is very limited. In the present study, we explore variation in structural and process indicators of ECE quality in two Eastern European LMICs, Kosovo and Ukraine, using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K (CLASS) as a measure of process quality for the first time in these countries. We also include Finland because governments in Kosovo and Ukraine show a particular interest in the Finnish education model to inform policy reforms. Participants were kindergarten teachers (n=177) from these three countries who were observed in their classrooms and asked to complete questionnaires. Results indicated variability in ECE quality at various levels, both within and across the three countries. Directions for future research and implications for practice and policy development in LMICs are discussed.
KW - CLASS Pre-K
KW - ECE quality
KW - kindergarten
KW - LMICs
KW - process quality
KW - structural characteristics
KW - Structural quality
KW - teacher–child interactions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096529584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85096529584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09669760.2020.1848527
DO - 10.1080/09669760.2020.1848527
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096529584
VL - 30
SP - 290
EP - 306
JO - International Journal of Early Years Education
JF - International Journal of Early Years Education
SN - 0966-9760
IS - 2
ER -