CHILD WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF ECEC Country experience: Denmark

Transcription

1 CHILD WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF ECEC Country experience: Denmark Bente Jensen 30 June 2011, Brussels

2 Content Background Nordic preschools and the Danish situation Enrichment of preschool quality: VIDA/ASP Experimental study and measurements of child well-being Conclusion and policy implications

3 CHILD WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF ECEC Enrichment of preschools: A Danish intervention program (VIDA) to promote children s well-being through education and training of preschool teachers.

4 Background 123 Research showed that what works is: An early effort (children from age 3) targeting children s learning and cognitive development in day-care (e.g. Garber, 1988). High-quality care (structure and process), i.e. welleducated staff, good staffing, systematic curriculum-based efforts with attention to socioemotional and intellectual development (Currie & Neidell, 2007, Melhuish, 2003).

5 Background 123 Research showed that what works is ( cont.): A combination of day-care program and parental involvement appeared to generate the greatest effect (e.g. Kaminski, 2007). Offers for parents that do not involve day-care may even have a directly negative effect (e.g. Roberts et al., 1989, Wasik et al., 1990, a new Danish Clearinghouse Review, made for the VIDAproject 2011:02).

6 Background 123 Research showed that what works is ( cont.): Cost-benefit analysis showed that long-term benefits outweigh the costs involved, especially for disadvantaged groups (Heckman, 2008). In the Nordic context, ECEC programs are implemented in general day-care because 95% of all children attend day-care.

7 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) for all children? 123 Socially disadvantaged children: Children with a socially impaired background (predicted by poverty, unemployment among parents, short or no education, parents on welfare payment and/or difficult divorces).

8 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) for all children? 123 Socially disadvantaged children (...cont.): Children who have high risk of being involved in child service systems related to the identified poor socio-economical conditions. Who may have less developed cognitive and social skills.

9 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) for all children? 123 One hypothesis based on Reviews of Scandinavian Research (Nordenbo et al., 2010) is that these children are at high risk of being excluded from their peer s community, but better quality in ECEC may meet theses challenges.

10 Quality of ECEC and Child Well- Being and Learning a summary International Research show that quality in ECEC has long-term effects and involves the interplay of: Structural conditions and framework Social relations between child and pre-school teacher. It is hypothesised that enrichment of quality in universal ECEC offers and improving pre-school teachers innovative competences might improve children s life opportunities and decrease social inequalities.

11 Nordic Preschools and Danish situation Two major functions Child:staff ratio Employees autonomy Educated and non- educated staff From single day-care centers to larger units New challenges for management and staffing

12 Danish Legislation Danish legislation focuses on a broad holistic concept of learning based on a free and creative development of the child in a social context. The national curriculum is designed to enhance the possibilities for all children s learning and competence development in a broad sense, through experiences, play and various activities The goal is to improve children s concentration, exploration and experience. And prevent social exclusion (Ministry of Social Affairs, 2004, revised 2011)

13 Broad Holistic Concept of Learning in Danish Preschools 12 Interactionistic, social constructivistic perspective Aspects of Dewey s theory of learning by doing, curious investigation, critical thinking and action Child centred learning perspective and learning stimulation not individual learning standards

14 Broad Holistic Concept of Learning in Danish Preschools 12 All children together, mixed with different backgrounds Learning environments, inclusive projects.

15 Enrichment of Preschool Quality 12 Means more for disadvantaged children. Quality of pedagogy; positive relationships between teacher and child. Quality may be improved in two ways; - a fixed set of well-defined modules and methods or - quality enhancing measures for preschool teachers.

16 Enrichment of Preschool Quality 12 Teachers reflection on ordinary practice as a tool for intervention (Hattie, 2008). Danish ECEC for all children in ordinary day-care no extra resources.

17 ECEC Quality in a Nordic Context a summary In the Nordic context, ECEC programs are implemented in general day-care, children are mixed, as almost all children attend day-care. In Danish programs, learning and pedagogical environment must pay attention to the implicit inand exclusion mechanisms in the day-care in order to take these preconditions into consideration when working with enrichment of ECEC. Legislation set goals but not learning standards as a fixed curriculum

18 VIDA a Danish Knowledge Based ECEC intervention for all children VIDA aims: To improve child well-being and learning To develop education and training to enhance staff s systematic and determined work with ECEC VIDA compares 1) a general program (VIDA Basis) with the same program but 2) supplemented with a parental program (VIDA Basis + Parental efforts)

19 A New Approach to Education and Training of Staff Staff is encouraged to develop a detailed local curriculum based on concrete situations of the individual day-care (e.g. composition of children, staff s preconditions etc.) The education and training program serves as a platform that gives the staff the opportunity to: Work with theories of child development in a social contextual perspective and a broad learning perspective Study and interpret legislation as well as develop required professional skills to construct curricula that comprises the goals, methods and specific content relevant to target groups. Study and acquire learning theories (based on Dewey s pragmatic learning theory) in order to think and analyse critically on all children s learning opportunities.

20 VIDA: Education and Training of Preschool Teachers 12 Constraints of most interventions in preschools and other settings is falling implementation (REF).

21 VIDA: Education and Training of Preschool Teachers 12 VIDA aims at improving day-care staff s competence to construct curricula by: - Working systematically with theories of pedagogy and didactics. - Working systematically with theories of wellbeing and learning. - Work systematically and determined with evaluation and documentation of children s wellbeing and learning.

22 Implementation of the VIDA Program To implement the program, the staff s innovative skills must be developed by following the qualification strategy that consists of three elements:

23 Activities in the VIDA-Education and Training Three main activities Education and workshops for manager and one employer, by teachers from UCs. Reflection and knowledge-sharing in local networks. Courses (by university teachers) for managers to facilitate organizational learning processes in the entire center 80 preschools each in a network of 10 preschools supported by consultants from the local authorities.

24 Knowledge is not enough a summary Simply giving the preschool teachers new knowledge is not enough - Innovative methods - A Nordic program must include both international knowledge about intervention that works (Top-down) - And integrate the Nordic approach to autonomous work procedures (Bottom-up)

25 Experimental Study of the VIDA Program Involves 6,000 children in general day-care, randomized control at the institutional level in four municipalities ( ) The program includes all groups of children; about 95% of all Danish children attend day-care Implemented by educated and non-educated staff, because that is common in Denmark.

26 Experimental Study of the VIDA Program (cont.) Implemented in a determined and systematic manner in 80 intervention day-care centers (+ 40 day-care centers that constitute the control groups) The intervention covers both a basis program and a basis + parental program Measurements.

27 Measuring Effects on Children s Well-being 12 Wellbeing measured by The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has five domains: emotional aspects (5 items) conduct aspects (5 items) hyperactivity/inattention (5 items) peer relationship aspects (5 items) pro-social aspects (5 items)

28 Measuring Effects on Well-being and Learning 12 We expect that effect of the intervention works through the different domains of the SDQ. So kindergartens with large fraction of children with emotional and conduct problems will benefit most from the intervention. We also expect that effects of works through different cognitive learning goals (measurements inspired by EPPE, Sylva, Melhuish et al, 2011)

29 Case Studies of Quality of Implementation Quality is measured by analyzing the processes of organizational learning and innovation in each day-care center. Case studies involve interviews with managers, assistant managers, observations and document analysis. Baseline and follow-up studies ( ).

30 Effects of ASP, a Previous Program Treatment effect on SDQ measures of non-cognitive aspects with lower conduct problems, hyper activity and peer relational problems conditional on the fraction of children with emotional symptoms, (Jensen and Holm, 2011).

31 International Programs Compared with VIDA / ASP All are model program experiments (RCT designs). ASP program: 3,000 children in general day-care, randomized control at the institutional level in two municipalities. VIDA project: 6,000 children in general day-care, randomized control at the institutional level in four municipalities. Perry Preschool program: 123 children, randomized control at the individual level. Abecedarian: 97 children, randomized control at the individual level. ASP and VIDA have larger samples to test the success of interventions in general day-care. This is the main reason for designing a new innovative program, emphasising social inclusion as a part of the intervention.

32 Conclusion and Recommandations

33 Conclusion The VIDA program differs from traditional intervention programs in two ways: 1)It takes a resource-oriented view on socially disadvantaged children vs. a failure approach. 2)It applies an understanding of interventions as methods to invite preschool teachers to develop new practices through local initiatives and curriculum based on analyses and reflection over everyday practice and composition of children.

34 Conclusion Jensen and Holm (2011) demonstrated a positive causal effect of ASP - it had an average effect. The VIDA intervention is expected to have a greater effect on children who are disadvantaged and excluded but will benefit all children. We expect that the intervention is especially beneficial in kindergartens where there are relatively many disadvantaged children. We also expect that the intervention is beneficial in kindergartens where staff education and training in practice leads to implementation.

35 Recommandations 12 Future ECEC-program must be placed in a wider concept of inclusive learning.

36 Recommandations 12 Future recommendation within the ECEC-context may take into account: Appropriate balance in curriculum (cognitive/noncognitive learning and wellbeing goals) ECEC towards improving the individual child as well as equity among children Promoting teachers professional competences, by sharing knowledge and reflection over practice Innovative approaches to ECEC-intervention by transnational projects and networks

37 VIDA(and ASP) financed by Danish Ministry of Social Affairs For further information: Bente Jensen Photos from That will teach them the child from day care to graduation, DPU, 2009