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:
supported by funds from Finland
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
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
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U2 - 10.1080/09669760.2020.1848527
DO - 10.1080/09669760.2020.1848527
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096529584
JO - International Journal of Early Years Education
JF - International Journal of Early Years Education
SN - 0966-9760
ER -