Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education
Abstract Systems ensure the attainment of goals at any educational level, including quality early childhood education. Various studies focus on the benefits and components of quality early childhood education, yet none emphasise systems that will support early childhood development (ECD) centres in...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2022-08-01
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| Series: | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/1107 |
| _version_ | 1818067431143243776 |
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| author | Adebunmi Y. Aina Keshni Bipath |
| author_facet | Adebunmi Y. Aina Keshni Bipath |
| author_sort | Adebunmi Y. Aina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract
Systems ensure the attainment of goals at any educational level, including quality early childhood education. Various studies focus on the benefits and components of quality early childhood education, yet none emphasise systems that will support early childhood development (ECD) centres in offering quality education. This study explored existing systems that support ECD centres in providing quality education to young children. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and collected data through document analysis and face-to-face interviews with eight participants purposively selected from four ECD centres situated in Pretoria. The data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that national policies, internally generated policies and financial systems support the participating centres in offering quality education. However, many of the participants did not know the existing national policies. The findings also revealed that ECD centres in the township area do not have financial systems to help them provide quality education. The study recommends effective implementation strategies to foster awareness and enforce strict adherence to government policies at ECD centres. The study contributes to awareness and adherence to quality early childhood education by suggesting that ECD centres, principals and teachers should engage in relevant and practical training on effectively establishing systems from the available national education policies that will help them offer quality education.
Contribution: This study adds to the body of knowledge by filling in the gaps on how ECD principals and teachers understand national policies and translate them into systems that assist them in managing their centres on a daily basis. The novelty of this study is the empirical input from different disciplines (Early Childhood Education and Management and Policies Studies), in a way that enables one to comprehend the role of educational management and policies studies at the early childhood learning centres in South Africa, which is the emphasis of the Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:23:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c3a44511db148b6a4cf4318dc202bd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1817-4434 2415-2005 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T15:23:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c3a44511db148b6a4cf4318dc202bd52022-12-22T01:43:37ZengAOSISThe Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa1817-44342415-20052022-08-01181e1e810.4102/td.v18i1.1107526Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality educationAdebunmi Y. Aina0Keshni Bipath1Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, PretoriaDepartment of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, PretoriaAbstract Systems ensure the attainment of goals at any educational level, including quality early childhood education. Various studies focus on the benefits and components of quality early childhood education, yet none emphasise systems that will support early childhood development (ECD) centres in offering quality education. This study explored existing systems that support ECD centres in providing quality education to young children. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and collected data through document analysis and face-to-face interviews with eight participants purposively selected from four ECD centres situated in Pretoria. The data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that national policies, internally generated policies and financial systems support the participating centres in offering quality education. However, many of the participants did not know the existing national policies. The findings also revealed that ECD centres in the township area do not have financial systems to help them provide quality education. The study recommends effective implementation strategies to foster awareness and enforce strict adherence to government policies at ECD centres. The study contributes to awareness and adherence to quality early childhood education by suggesting that ECD centres, principals and teachers should engage in relevant and practical training on effectively establishing systems from the available national education policies that will help them offer quality education. Contribution: This study adds to the body of knowledge by filling in the gaps on how ECD principals and teachers understand national policies and translate them into systems that assist them in managing their centres on a daily basis. The novelty of this study is the empirical input from different disciplines (Early Childhood Education and Management and Policies Studies), in a way that enables one to comprehend the role of educational management and policies studies at the early childhood learning centres in South Africa, which is the emphasis of the Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa.https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/1107systemsupportearly childhood development centrequality early childhood careeducation. |
| spellingShingle | Adebunmi Y. Aina Keshni Bipath Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa system support early childhood development centre quality early childhood care education. |
| title | Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education |
| title_full | Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education |
| title_fullStr | Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education |
| title_short | Reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education |
| title_sort | reimagining systems that support early childhood development centres in offering quality education |
| topic | system support early childhood development centre quality early childhood care education. |
| url | https://td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/1107 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adebunmiyaina reimaginingsystemsthatsupportearlychildhooddevelopmentcentresinofferingqualityeducation AT keshnibipath reimaginingsystemsthatsupportearlychildhooddevelopmentcentresinofferingqualityeducation |