exploring vygotsky’s ideas: crossing borders prague, czech republic, 2007 exploring the quality...

Exploring Vygotsky’s ideas: Crossing Borders

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 2007

EXPLORING THE QUALITY ISSUES IN THE EARLY YEARS CARE AND EDUCATION POLICIES

The case of Greece

Prof. LALOUMI - VIDALI EVA

Department of Early Childhood Care and Education

ALEXANDRIO TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

THESSALONIKI

Greece

Since middle 1990’s most developed countries have experienced reform initiatives in administration and educational policies due to worldwide economic, social and technological pressures and challenges.

The field of early childhood care and education has experienced tremendous growth, and faced with various challenges due to the changing perceptions of childhood and the growing demand for early care and education programs.

Research has shown that national policies and current trends for change are associated with and promoted by particular beliefs and cultural values about the nature of early development, the needs of children and the prerequisites for quality care and education.

EXPLORING THE QUALITY ISSUES IN THE EARLY YEARS CARE AND EDUCATION POLICIES:The case of Greece

Prof. LALOUMI - VIDALI EVA PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 2007

In Greece the reorganization of the administrative system

involving decentralization in education and health care

became popular targets at national level.

Its context changed rapidly, having higher political

profile than it has had for many years and new emphasis

was placed on quality.

As Eliaison L.C.(1996) stressed popularity in decentralism

is justified as a governmental policy strategy in an era

of fiscal stress attempting to produce some kind of

desirable social change.



But do they always change the heart of the matter ?

Do changes and developments at structural level, due to

decentralization process, take into account fundamental

principles and quality concerns on which work with young

children should be based ?

Does the vision of quality early childhood care and

education services is realized through quality indicators

of what is critical for the child, the parent, the

teacher, curriculum and classroom ?



Bronfenbrenner U. (1983) demonstrated how early childhood

care and education public policies, provide the

educational and social-cultural contexts that influence

each child's development and help or hinder the ways in

which early childhood professionals care and educate

young children.

Vygotsky L.S. (1978), stressed the importance of human

relationships and the social-cultural contexts in which

learning occurs.



The starting point of the present research was

the argument that new policies of the 21st

century, in the era of early childhood care and

education, should offer solutions taking into

account the universality of child development

principles and respond to the internal

challenges of the field.

When these solutions do not embrace the basic

indicators of quality and choices are

determinated only by traditional or political

beliefs, then problems may arise.



The aim of this research is to identify the climate of

these services by exploring professionals’

perspectives on the role of early childhood care and

education policies in relation with the quality

aspects of provision.



METHODOLOGY

The 170 questionnaires which were distributed

provided 157 responses, rate 92.3 %.

Early childhood services at local level in

Northern Greece (urban and non-urban areas)

were randomly selected by taking in to

account these to be representative of the

Greek population.


Prof. LALOUMI - VIDALI EVA

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 2007

The questionnaire consisted of a series of statements

which described present critical aspects of child care

and educational services and needs of their

professionals.

These statements had been selected for their

application and their relevance to the areas of

research. They were pre-tested with ten subjects and

corrected, to ensure that it was understandable and

easy to answer.



The data have been analyzed through a procedure with

the statistical packages related to social science (SPSS).

For univariate analysis, frequently distribution of the

answers was used, while for bivariate analysis

(examination of possible relation between two variables)

x2-test of independance has been implemented.

Where appropriate ANOVA, t-test and Pearsons

correlation coefficient between professional views of the

services and their ranking of the importance of factors

related with their effectiveness in their work was also

applied.

The significant levels used in the study were 1%, 5% and

1%0.

kindergartenteachers educares

(Vrefonipiokomi) trained at privateschools as assistants

S1

38,6%

30,1% 31,3%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Types of professional training

Figure 1

Ministry ofEducation should be

responsible

Ministry of HealthLocal Authority

Private sectorS1

78,6

16,2

3,9

1,30

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Who should be responsible for the provision of early childhood care and education services?

Figure 2

46,50%

36,90%

13,40%3,20%

46,5% The choice and the organization of an early childhood program" very important

36,9% The choice of recourses and the methodology

13,4% The development of relationships between parents

3,2% The integration of community activities in the educational program

What in your opinion is very important ?



Figure 3

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

150% Easy access to «Findings of current research in pedagogics and psychology»34% Are interested in seminars for « Activities in early childhood programs»7,1% Want seminars for « New technology applied to their profession»4,5% Are interested in «Creative collaboration with parents»3,8% «Current trends in health and childrens’ care» 0,6% In organization and administration of early childhood services.

Which are your professional needs for quality teaching ?

Figure 4

0,00%

10,00%

20,00%

30,00%

40,00%

50,00%

60,00%

1lack of resources (58,7%) high ratio adult/child (55,5%) poor buildings and facilities (43,4%) Lack of collaboration with Parents (22%) Lack of specialized personnel (17,3%)lack of provision of in-service training (16,7%)lack of collaboration among professionals(15,9%)low professional status (11%)low salaries (9,2%)

What are the barriers to high-quality education and care provision?

Figure 5

The lack of personnel is an issue which creates worries

and concerns for the quality of what is being provided.

More statistical analysis of the above demands with the

mentioned problems revealed close connection between

those who do not regard the «Lack of collaboration with

parents» as a problem and those who demand

«recognition of their professional role» (p<0,05).

It seems that there is a strong correlation between

professionals with high self-esteem with the

development of good relationships and collaboration

with parents.



DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The above findings represent significant points and

current trends in Child Care and Early Childhood

Education debates.

It is well known that good quality in early care and

education is always central to the Governments' aims.





However, what role should early

childhood care and education policies

play in achieving quality in the whole

educational process ?

Our research evidence demonstrated that the

majority of professionals regard more

appropriate the early childhood care and

education services under the Ministry of

Education,(94.8 %) (as it is for Kindergarten

and the rest educational system).

The findings reveal that professionals reject

the individual policies and procedures of local

agencies and highlight the need to be part of

the wholeness approach to the education process.



Justification for their preferences derive from the

educational rationale that the Ministry of Education can

provide:

• common legislation and policies

• administration by a seamless system of care and education

for all children

• high standards of quality provision

• coordination of community resources

• help for families to develop social networks so important

for our time.

• A united profession of early childhood care and education.



This is a contradictory finding with the current

assertments that local authorities can ensure better

quality in ECCE services because they are closer to

the needs of children and their families so they

can respond better to them.

Under these circumstances questions arise how the

provision of early childhood care and education

services may harm the educational quality ?



1. Studies found that the division of the profession

(teachers for the state services and educares for

the Local services early childhood services)

negatively affects the professional status of the

last as well their relationships and the types of

cooperation.

This in turn may strongly influence the quality of

provision in ECCE.

EXPLORING THE QUALITY ISSUES IN THE EARLY YEARS CARE AND EDUCATION POLICIES: The case of Greece


2. Our findings demonstrated that it is questionable

whether the local authorities as providers and

decision makers can recognize all needs and have

the power to integrate principles of quality in

ECCE services for all:

education, care, recreation, socialization, health,

family support, adequate resources for educational

process, e.t.c.



3. Studies have demonstrated that quality programs

need a well –focused investment in early care and

education provision. All are ensured with proper

size of each group of children and adult-child

ratio as well as the in service education of the

teachers and staff.

Our findings indicated that educational

priorities

and expenditure ECCE in local authorities, are at

the lowest level comparing with those of the

state services.



4. Research demonstrated that concepts of quality,

professionally informed decisions based on

contemporary knowledge of child development or

parental expectations (Laloumi-Vidali E., 1998a,b )

seem to be undermined by the policy-decision

makers.

High quality programs need a collaboration of

professionals with policy makers at local level to

remind them the essential components of the quality

provision in the educational field.

Our study highlighted the minimum role of the

professionals in the decision making process.



5. The political rational of the decentralization

represents in our view the minor role the

government wishes to play in these services,

explains why local authority undermines the

professional expertise and needs and places high

attention in addressing family needs.

Such development of relations justify why,

according to our findings, professionals pay

special attention to the educational aspect

(priorities in the choice and organization of early

childhood programmes, resources and methodology)

and minor to relationships with parents and

integration to community activities.



6. We also found that only part of professionals

with high "self-esteem " to their professional

role seem to have good relationships with

parents (p<0,05).



7. The choice of the state control (in a country with

centralized educational system) can ensure a holistic and

coherent approach encompassing early childhood education,

primary, secondary, higher education, adult literacy and

the quality of education in line with the wider objective

of Education for all.



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