Session Information
09 SES 05 C, Interactive Poster Session
Interactive Poster Session
Contribution
Increasing interest of research and policy in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is visible at European level. There is a growing number of Council conclusions and Commission communications regarding ECEC (e.g. Council conclusions 2011/C 175/03).There have been different ECEC-related calls for tender and research proposals. The interest stems from recognition that ECEC can help addressing poverty, promoting social inclusion (Children in Scotland, 2010), reducing early school leaving; ECEC has a wide range of short- and long-term benefits for both individuals and society at large (Nesse, 2009). However, this is true only when it involves high-quality ECEC (Eurydice, 2009).
In the present study we explore how effective the ECEC system in Slovenia is in helping children overcome their social background. One of the tools that can help us evaluate this aspect of ECEC is international studies of student achievement. The 2011 cycle of TIMSS and PIRLS was the first that included question regarding students’ enrolment into preschool. In this study we investigate how preschool attendance relates to early school-related competences (numeracy and literacy) and later mathematics and science achievement before and after accounting for parental education.
ECEC system in Slovenia is organized in a unitary setting for children of all preschool ages (11 months until the school entry at 6 years). Slovenia does not have a separate setting for 1-3 year-olds and for 3-6 year-olds (Eurydice, 2009). In Slovenia the participation rates have been steadily increasing over the last 10 years; in 2010/2011 75 % of children attended preschool (SORS, 2011). Vast majority (97 %) of children attended public preschools (SORS, n.d.). Public preschool are required to respect Kindergarten Curriculum (Bahovec et al., 1999). It is an open and flexible national document with specified principles, outcomes and examples of activities but is not structured in detail.
In the present study secondary analyses of TIMSS and PIRLS 2011 were conducted for Slovenia. As indicated in international reports (Martin, Mullis, Foy and Stanco, 2012; Mullis, Martin, Foy and Arora, 2012; Mullis, Martin, Foy and Drucker, 2012) there were significant differences in mathematics, science and reading achievement for Slovenian fourth-graders who attended preschool for 3 years or more compared to children who did not attend preschool. In the reports it is also indicated that students who were able to do early numeracy and literacy activites prior to compulsory schooling had substantially higher mathematcis and reading achievement compared to student who were not able to do those activities. However, these analyses did not account for parental education which is typically very strongly related to children achievement and early competences.
Aims of the present study are to investigate:
- Difference in students’ performance in TIMSS and PIRLS between students who were enrolled into preschool and student without preschool attendance – before and after controlling for parental education
- Relation between students’ performance in TIMSS and PIRLS and enrolment into preschool for different levels of parental education
- Relation between early numeracy/literacy activities and enrolment into preschool (before and after controlling for parental education)
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bahovec, E. D., Bregar, K. G., Čas, M., Domicelj, M., Saje-Hribar, M. et al. (1999). Kurikulum za vrtce [Kindergarten curriculum]. Ljubljana: Strokovni svet RS za splošno izobraževanje, Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport. Children in Scotland (2010). Working for inclusion: how early childhood education and care (ECEC) and its workforce can help Europe’s youngest citiziens. The final report of the Working for inclusion programme. Downloaded from http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk/docs/WFIFinalReportDecember2010_001.pdf, February 1, 2013. Council conclusions on early childhood education and care: providing all our children with the best start for the world of tomorrow. 2011/C 175/03. Eurydice (2009). Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe: Tackling Social and Cultural Inequalities. Brussels: EACEA P9 Eurydice. Martin, M. O., Mullis, I. V. S., Foy, P. and Stanco, G. M. (2012). TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science. Chestnut Hill, MA, USA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. Downloaded from http://timss.bc.edu/timss2011/downloads/T11_IR_Science_FullBook.pdf, January 28, 2013. Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Foy, P. and Arora, A. (2012). TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics. Chestnut Hill, MA, USA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. Downloaded from http://timss.bc.edu/timss2011/downloads/T11_IR_Mathematics_FullBook.pdf, January 28, 2013. Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Foy, P. and Drucker, K. T. (2012). PIRLS 2011 International Results in Reading. Chestnut Hill, MA, USA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. Downloaded from http://timss.bc.edu/pirls2011/downloads/P11_IR_FullBook.pdf, January 28, 2013. Nesse (2009). Early childhood education and care. Downloaded from http://www.nesse.fr/nesse/activities/reports/activities/reports/ecec-report-pdf, September 15, 2012. SORS (Statistical office of the Republic of Slovenia, n.d). SI-STAT data portal. http://pxweb.stat.si/pxweb/Dialog/statfile1.asp SORS (Statistical office of the Republic of Slovenia, 2011). Kindergartens, Slovenia, school year 2010/11 - final data. Downloaded from http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3813, January 5, 2013.
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