Assessing The Quality In Different U S Early Childhood Education Programs

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of different types of early childhood education programs in a Midwestern university town in the US. This study reveals the structural and process characteristics observed in the classrooms, according to the results from the application of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised Edition (ECERS-R). Additional evidences such as sketches of classrooms, photographs of classrooms, daily classroom schedules, overall program philosophy and descriptions, and copies of children’s work samples, were also collected from the classrooms observed to evaluate the quality in these programs. Results of this study indicated that early childhood programs observed in this study exhibited an acceptable minimum level of quality, even though there were differences among types of programs. University affiliated programs showed a higher quality than the Head Start programs did. Compared to the children in Head Start programs, for children who attended universityaffiliated early childhood programs, there were a greater quantity and variety of materials, more space to explore and experiment, better personal care conditions, higher favorable conditions for early learning experiences, better interaction among the children as well as between children and adults in the classroom, and better working conditions for teachers.

Keywords

• early childhood,classroom environment,quality,ECERS-R

ASSESSING THE QUALITY IN DIFFERENT U.S. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın temel amacı Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde bulunan farklı türlerdeki okulöncesi eğitim kurumlarının kalitelerini ölçmektir. Çalışmanın örneklemi, Amerika Birlesik Devletleri’nin Ortabatı bölgesinde bir üniversite şehrinde bulunan, birbirinden farklı 10 okulöncesi eğitim kurumunu kapsamaktadır. Bu çalışma, gözlemlenen kurumlardaki yapısal ve işlevsel özellikleri, “Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised Edition” değerlendirme ölçeği kullanarak elde edilen sonuçlar doğrultusunda ortaya çıkarmaktadır. ECERS-R değerlendirme ölçeği şu kategorileri kapsamaktadır: (1) sınıf ortamı ve mobilyalar; (2) kişisel bakım düzeni; (3) dil ve nedenleme; (4) aktiviteler; (5) etkileşim; (6) program yapısı; (7) aile ve personel. Okul öncesi kurumları yukarıda verilen kategoriler bazında karşılaştırılmıştır. Bu çalışmada incelenen bütün kurumlar farklı yapılarda olmalarına rağmen gerekli olan kabul edilebilir en düşük kalite seviyesi ortalamasını tutturmuşlardır. Üniversite destekli kurumlar diğer kurumlara göre, Head Start programlarına göre daha yüksek seviyede kaliteye sahiptirler. Bütün kurumlar karşılaştırıldığında ortaya çıkan sonuçlar gösteriyor ki üniversite destekli kurumlar daha geniş alana, sayısal ve çeşitlilik bakımından daha fazla oyuncak ve materyale, çocuklar için daha iyi kişisel bakım koşullarına, daha iyi arkadaş ve öğretmen-öğrenci iletişimine ve öğretmenler için daha iyi çalışma kosullarına sahiptirler. Bu çalışma ayrıca gösteriyor ki okulöncesi kurumlarının eğitim kalitelerinin yüksekliği, o kurumda eğitim alan öğrencilerin okulöncesi eğitimin gerektirdiği öğrenme ve oyun gibi aktivitelerden maksimum seviyede yararlanabilmelerine olanak sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Okulöncesi eğitimi, sınıf ortamı, kalite, ECERS-R

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