Principles into Practice: Improving the Quality of Children's Early Learning. Phase One Report [and] Interim Report: Year Two (June 1994 to May 1995).

N

247

Child Development; Curriculum Development; Developmentally Appropriate Practices; Early Childhood Education; Educational Assessment; Educational Attitudes; Educational Quality; Foreign Countries; Interviews; Longitudinal Studies; Parent Teacher Cooperation; Professional Development; Questionnaires; School Surveys; Teacher Qualifications

United Kingdom (England); United Kingdom (Wales)

This report presents the main findings of the first phase of an ongoing study on improving the quality of children's early learning in England and Wales. The purpose of the project is to investigate the ways in which early learning in group settings can be improved by raising the quality of the practice of those professionals who work with young children. The first part of the project focused on conducting an extensive survey of existing provisions for young children in England and Wales. In surveying this range of provision, information concerning both the nature and the quality of provision was obtained. The report is divided into three main areas. The first four chapters contain an overview of the project, including a brief summary of the findings, the research methodology adopted, and the mode of analysis. The fifth chapter is the main core of the report and presents, in a detailed and technical form, findings from the survey. Chapter 6 contains an outline of the dissemination process and a discussion of the action research pilot studies which were conducted during the first phase. The concluding chapter identifies the main findings of the research. Copies of the questionnaires used in the study are included in the appendices. The interim report, which is included, presents an introduction, research methodology, analysis, preliminary findings, future plans and conclusions relating to the second phase of the study that involves practitioners in action research, enabling them to investigate and critically reflect upon aspects of their practice. (AA)

1995

ED383420