Adult/child ratio and group size in early childhood education or care to promote the development of children aged 0–5 years: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Worldwide, a large number of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are enroled in formal non-parental early childhood education or care (ECEC).Theoretically, lower adult/child ratios (fewer children per adult) and smaller group sizes are hypothesised to be associated with positive child outcomes in ECEC. A lower adult/child ratio and a smaller group size may increase both the extent and quality of adult/child interactions during the day.Objectives: The objective of this review is to synthesise data from studies to assess the impact of adult/child ratio and group size in ECEC on measures of process characteristics of quality of care and on child outcomes.Search Methods: Relevant studies were identified through electronic searches of bibliographic databases, governmental and grey literature repositories, Internet search engines, hand search of specific targeted journals, citation tracking and contact to experts. The primary searches were carried out up to September 2020.

An Analysis of Early Childhood Mental And Character Education in Rural Areas in Indonesia

“…Although the meta-analysis study done by Dalgaard et al, (2022) 29 found a low relationship between the ratio of the number of teachers and students and effectiveness in teaching and learning. The 25 ratios shown in Sula Island and Taliabu Island were shocking.…”

Gestures, objects, and spaces: Exploring teachers’ multimodal communication in nursery schools

“…Educational quality in early childhood education is usually assessed in terms of criteria such as a high level of teacher education and adequate resourcing for centers, that includes low adult-child ratios and small group sizes (Vermeer et al, 2016). Low-ratio settings have been typically associated with better opportunities for children to interact with adults, though a recent meta-analysis suggests that their effects on children's developmental outcomes are the result of complex interactions between several variables, and that they might be compensated for larger ratio situations through, for instance, the teacher's professional competence (Dalgaard et al, 2022).…”

Assessing the quality of early childhood education and care in Australia: Challenges and opportunities

“…A national mechanism to ensure quality standards are upheld under the National Quality Framework (Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, 2020) was established under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 No. 69 of 2010 (2022) and is constituted of a key guiding framework document, the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) (Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009) (a revised version of which was released in January 2023 and will be phased in over the course of 2023) and the implementation of the National Quality Standard (NQS) by the Regulator within each jurisdiction. There is little doubt of the commitment to quality ECEC both in terms of rhetoric and increasingly, funding.…”

“…Whilst the NQS provides governments with valuable information about the ECEC system in an aggregated manner (Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, 2022), it more importantly provides the basis for interventions where services are underperforming, increasingly forms the basis for differentiating ECEC services in a competitive market, and forms the basis of much of the effort to educate families about the importance of early education. Indeed, the NQF Annual Performance Report (2022) indicates that families' knowledge about the NQS is patchy; just 55% are aware of the quality rating system and less than two-thirds of those (who are aware) know the rating of the service they use. Understandably, and as reported in earlier research (Cloney et al, 2016), many families focus on pragmatic concerns (e.g., location, cost) when choosing a service.…”