Quality of Child Care Using the Environment Rating Scales: A Meta-Analysis of International Studies

Abstract

The current study provides a systematic examination of child care quality around the globe, using the Environment Rating Scales (ERS). Additional goals of this study are to examine associations between ERS process quality and structural features (group size, caregiver-child ratio) that underpin quality and between ERS and more proximal aspects of child care quality (caregiver sensitivity). Furthermore, we consider possible differences in ERS associations arising from scale characteristics (infant vs early childhood version, original version vs revised scale, full version vs shortened version). The reported meta-analysis combines results of ERS child care quality reported in 72 studies from 23 countries across five international geographic regions. Group center care appeared to be of average quality with higher quality levels in Australia/New Zealand and North America. Our results suggest that: (1) ERS characteristics are not associated with differences in ERS scores and (2) ERS scores are related to indicators of proximal quality of care (caregiver sensitivity) and, to a lesser degree, structural quality of care (caregiver-child ratio). The meta-analysis provided cross-cultural comparisons on child care quality on a common instrument as a means to advance discussion on child care quality internationally. (2) que les scores aux ERS sont liés aux indicateurs de qualité proximale (sensibilité de l'éducateur) et, à un degré moindre, à la qualité structurelle (ratio éducateur-enfant). La méta analyse donne des comparaisons interculturelles de la qualité des services de garde à un instrument commun comme moyen de faire avancer la discussion sur la qualité des services de garde au niveau international.Resumen El presente estudio provee una revisión sistemática de la calidad del cuidado infantil en guarderías alrededor del mundo, usando las Escalas de Calificación del Ambiente (ERS). Los objetivos adicionales de este estudio son examinar las asociaciones entre la calidad de procesos y características estructurales (tamaño del grupo, proporción cuidadores -niños) que sustentan la calidad, y entre ERS y aspectos más próximos de la calidad del cuidado infantil (sensibilidad del cuidador). Además consideramos posibles diferencias en la asociación en ERS surgidas desde las características de las escalas (infantes versus niñez temprana, versión original versus escala revisada, versión completa versus versión abreviada). El meta-análisis reportado combina resultados de la calidad del cuidado de guarderías ERS de 72 estudios reportados en 23 países de cinco regiones geográficas internacionales. El cuidado grupal en estos centros apareció estar en calidad promedio, con altos niveles de calidad en Australia/Nueva Zelandia y Norte América. Nuestros resultados sugieren que: (1) Las características de la escala ERS no están asociadas con diferencias en los puntajes ERS y (2) Los puntajes de ERS están asociados a indicadores proximales de la calidad del cuidado (sensibilidad del cuidador) y, en menor grado, a la calidad estr...

Structural characteristics and process quality in early childhood education and care

“…A cross-country comparison between Basque region of Spain and the Netherlands showed that group size was negatively related to process quality in Basque region, but unrelated to process quality in the Netherlands (Vermeer et al, 2010 [120] ). The average group size in Basque region was significantly higher with 15.4 compared to 12.1 in the Netherlands with comparatively larger child-staff ratios (15.4 and 5.7 respectively), which could explain these differences.…”

Teachers’ actions and children’s interests. Quality becomings in preschool documentation

“…This is recognised and discussed worldwide (Vermeer et al, 2016). In Sweden most preschools are run by municipalities.…”

Production and Products of Preschool Documentation: Entanglements of children, things, and templates

“…For example, there is research on different kinds of more or less standardised methods such as IDPs or ECERS (Cecconi et al, 2014;Vallberg Roth & Månsson, 2011). There is also research using standardised methods to measure quality as a point of departure for studying how different aspects of children's learning or preschool practices relate to preschool quality (Sylva et al, 2011;Vermeer et al, 2016). Pedagogical documentation is studied in different ways by a number of researchers (Alnervik, 2013;Bjervås, 2011;Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 1999;Elfström, 2013;Lenz Taguchi, 2000, 2013aOlsson, 2012) and it is also used in research, in cooperation with teachers (Olsson, 2012) and as empirical material (Alnervik, 2013;Olsson, 2008) and also as taking part in the process of constructing empirical material (Bjervås, 2011;Elfström, 2013).…”

“…Two such methods are BRUK11 and the above-mentioned ECERS. The criteria in BRUK build on the topics in the Swedish preschool curriculum (Skolverket, 2014), and the criteria in ECERS focus on some structural aspects (Haug, 2003) but measure mainly process quality, emphasising physical features such as hygiene, space and equipment, while also relating to care provided by adults (Vermeer, van Ijzendoorn, Cárcamo, & Harrison, 2016). While ECERS is often used to compare preschools, the National Agency for Education emphasises that BRUK is supposed to develop school and preschool quality but not to measure and compare (Skolverket, 2014).…”

“…To document 'properly', to do it the right way, was in her study more important to the teachers than to focus on, for example, how and what children learn (Johansson, 2016). Other research finds templates directing what areas the preschool documentation focuses on (Vallberg Roth & Månsson, 2008), and teachers adjusting their documentation to fit the templates (Löfdahl & Pérez Prieto, 2009b;Vermeer et al, 2016). In an interview study involving a school leader and a teacher, what was made visible through documentation was that which fit into common templates (developed by school leaders), which also made important parts of preschool practice invisible.…”