TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS: EFFECTS ON PRE-PRIMARY STUDENTS IN BHUTAN
Keywords:
Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Centers; perceptions; developmental skills; Pre-PrimaryAbstract
The mixed methods research aimed at investigating how students’ enrollment in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Centers affected their developmental skills as they began their formal education at the Pre-Primary level through teachers’ perceptions. The respondents comprised of 35 teachers’ teaching the Pre-Primary level across 13 schools in one of the western districts in Bhutan. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected using survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews respectively. The findings were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis. The teachers perceived that the preparedness of the students who attended ECCD Centers before starting Pre-Primary was at a high level (Mean=3.73) in terms of overall developmental skills and opined participation in such programs as important. Hence, the study recommends students participation in such programs before beginning their formal education and the need for prioritization at the national level through increased investment and awareness programs.
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Pholphirul, P. (2016). Pre-primary education and longterm education performance:Evidence from Programme for Intrnational Student Assessment (PISA) Thailand. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(4), 410-432.
Rao, N., Sun, J., Pearson, V., Pearson, E., Liu, H., Constas, M. A., & Engle, P. E. (2012). Is Something Better than Nothing? An Evaluation of Early Childhood Programs in Cambodia. Child Development, (83)3, 864-876.
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. (2000). Teachers’ judgments of problems in the transition to kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15(2), 147–166.
Sawhill, I. (2016). Kids Need an Early Start. Retrieved from https://www.heartland.org/publications-resources/publications/kids-need-an-early-start
Save the Children & UNICEF (2003). What’s the Difference? An ECD Impact Study from Nepal. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/index_29686.html
S. Kennedy, A. (2019). Promoting the Social Competence of Each and Every Child in Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/early-childhood-education/promoting-the-social-competence-of-each-and-every-child-in-inclusive-early-childhood-classrooms
Stedron, J. M., & Berger, A. (2010). NCSL Technical Report: State Apporaches to School Readiness Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/documents/Educ/KindergartenAssessment.pdf
UNESCO. (2005). EFA Global Monitoring Report: The importance of good quality: What research tells us. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/gmr_download/chapter2.pdf .
Zigler, E., Gilliam, W. S., & Jones, , S. M. (2006). A Vision for Universal Preschool Education. New York,US: Cambridge University Press.doi:10.1017/CB09781139167284
Ball, J., & Wangchuk, K. C. (2018). The Emerging Early Childhood Care and Development Sector in the Kingdom of Bhutan. In J. R. Roopnarine, J. E. Johnson, S. F. Quinn, & M. M. Patte (Eds.), Handbook of International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education (pp. 134-147). Routledge
Boyd, J., Barnett, W. S., Bodrova, E., Leong, D. J., & Gomby, D. (2005). Promoting Children’s Social and Emotional Development Through Preschool Education.Retrieved from http://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/report7.pdf
Brotherson, S. (2009). Understanding Brain Development in Young Children. Retrieved from https://hekmah.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/developed-brain.pdf
Ceido, M. B., Nayo, M. P., & Sampang, M. J. (2015). Making a Case for ECCD:Impact Evaluation of Save the Children Phillipines ECCD Program. Asia-Pacific Regional Network For Early Childhood (ARNEC) Conference. Beijing: Save the Children.
Chen, J.-Q., & McNamee, G. D. (2011). Positive Approaches to Leaarning in the Context of Preschool Classroom Activities.  Early Childhood Education Journal 39(1), 71-78.
Conn-Powers, M. (2006). Strategies for Readiness in Each Developmental Domain. Retrieved fromhttps://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/ECC/ECC_Strategies_Each_Devel_Domain.pdf.
Cox, L. (2016). Effectiveness of Early Childhood Programs on the Literacy Achievement of Kindergarten. (Doctoral Dissertation, Walden University). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=3503&context=dissertations
ECCD & SEN Division. (2012). Curriculum Implementation Guide for ECCD Centre Facilitators. Thimphu, Bhutan: Ministry of Education.
ECCD & SEN Division. (2014). Early Learning and Development Standards. Thimphu, Bhutan: Ministry of Education.
Giallo, R., Treyvaud, K., Matthews, J., & Kienhuis, M. (2010). Making the Transition to Primary School: An Evaluation of a Transition Program for Parents. Australian Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 10, 1-17 .
Huisman, S. (2012). Family Connections: Promoting Early Literacy Skills: Ages Birth to 5: Susan Catapano, Editor. Childhood Education, 88(6), 398–399.
Jordan, N. C., Kaplan, D., Locuniak, M. N., & Ramineni, C. (2007). Predicting First-Grade Math Achievement from Developmental Number Sense Trajectories. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(1), 36–46.
Jordan, N. C., Glutting, J., & Ramineni, C. (2010). The importance of number sense to mathematics achievement in first and third grades. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(2), 82–88.
Kamerman, S. B. (2006). A global history of early childhood education and care. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000147470
Klass, P. E., Needlman, R., & Zuckerman, B. (2003). The developing brain and early learning.
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 88(8), 651-654. doi:10.1136/adc.88.8.651
M, J. R., & S, R. K. (2015). Impact of Early Childhood Education on Pupils Learning in Primary Schools in Kenya. Global Journal of Educational Studies, 1(1), 52-60.
Ministry of Education. (2012). Educating for GNH;National Educaton Policy. In Gross National Happiness Commission. Retrieved from https://www.gnhc.gov.bt/en/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/NEP-2012-21st-March.pdf
Ministry of Education. (2014). Bhutan Education Blueprint (2014-2024): Rethinking Education. Thimphu, Bhutan: Ministry of Education.
National Statistics Bureau. (2018). Statistical Yearbook of Bhutan. Thimphu, Bhutan: National Statistics Bureau.
O ’farrelly, C., & Hennessy, E. (2013). Understanding Transitions Within Early Childhood Care and Education Settings: the Perspectives of Professionals. International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, 6.
Palmer, V. (2015). The 13 Key Benefits of Early Childhood Education: A Teachr's Perspective. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-13-key-benefits-of-ea_n_7943348
Pedey, K., & Sims, M. (2015). Are We All Travelling Similar Paths to Early Childhood Professionalisation? The Case of Bhutan . International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Services,2(3), 2349–5219.
Pianta, R., Downer, J., & Hamre, B. (2016). Quality in Early Education Classrooms:Definitions, Gaps, and Systems. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1118551.pdf
Pisani, L., Dyenka, K., Sharma, P., Chhetri, N., Dang, S., Gayleg, K., & Wangdi, C. (2017).
Bhutan’s national ECCD impact evaluation: local, national, and global perspectives. Early Child Development and Care, 187(10), 1511–1527.
Pholphirul, P. (2016). Pre-primary education and longterm education performance:Evidence from Programme for Intrnational Student Assessment (PISA) Thailand. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(4), 410-432.
Rao, N., Sun, J., Pearson, V., Pearson, E., Liu, H., Constas, M. A., & Engle, P. E. (2012). Is Something Better than Nothing? An Evaluation of Early Childhood Programs in Cambodia. Child Development, (83)3, 864-876.
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. (2000). Teachers’ judgments of problems in the transition to kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 15(2), 147–166.
Sawhill, I. (2016). Kids Need an Early Start. Retrieved from https://www.heartland.org/publications-resources/publications/kids-need-an-early-start
Save the Children & UNICEF (2003). What’s the Difference? An ECD Impact Study from Nepal. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/index_29686.html
S. Kennedy, A. (2019). Promoting the Social Competence of Each and Every Child in Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/early-childhood-education/promoting-the-social-competence-of-each-and-every-child-in-inclusive-early-childhood-classrooms
Stedron, J. M., & Berger, A. (2010). NCSL Technical Report: State Apporaches to School Readiness Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/documents/Educ/KindergartenAssessment.pdf
UNESCO. (2005). EFA Global Monitoring Report: The importance of good quality: What research tells us. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/gmr_download/chapter2.pdf .
Zigler, E., Gilliam, W. S., & Jones, , S. M. (2006). A Vision for Universal Preschool Education. New York,US: Cambridge University Press.doi:10.1017/CB09781139167284
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2019-12-27
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