An adapted ecosystem model for inclusive early childhood education: a qualitative cross European study

The aim of the study is to develop a common understanding of what characterises quality inclusive early childhood education (IECE) for children aged three years old and up to school age. The purpose is to enable researchers, educators and politicians to identify and help children with physical disabilities, or other vulnerable children, through a quality inclusive early childhood education. The research question is: What type of outcomes, processes and structures do European kindergarten employees believe an inclusive early childhood education contains?

The results were organised in a framework that combines a structural process and a presentation of results, and an ecological development model. Here, the researchers identify five dimensions that a quality inclusive early childhood education should consist of: 1) Main objectives for an inclusive kindergarten: The child’s sense of belonging, participation and learning. 2) Inclusive processes in kindergarten: Positive social interaction, participation in daily activities, child-centred approaches, personal assessment for learning and adapted support. 3) Inclusive structures in kindergarten: Parental participation, a holistic curriculum, an inclusive environment for all children, qualified employees, inclusive leadership, collaboration. 4) Inclusive structures in the local community: Relevant further education, collaboration with municipal services and offers, good transitions. 5) Inclusive structures at a national level: Rights-based approaches, a kindergarten provision for everyone, national curricula, good management and funding, evaluation systems and relevant education and research. The researchers believe that such a framework may be useful for educators, researchers and politicians who want to improve inclusive early childhood education.

The study was part of a three-year European project on inclusive kindergartens. The sample in this study consisted of 32 pairs (a kindergarten employee and an academic) with in-depth knowledge about IECE from 28 EU countries. Each of these pairs then selected a kindergarten from their home country that they believed delivered inclusive, high-quality education and collaborated with the employee group in the kindergarten to describe how they worked with inclusion. Eight of these kindergartens were visited by the project participants. The data material was analysed using a thematic analysis to highlight the factors the informants believed a quality inclusive kindergarten consists of.

Bartolo, P. A., Kyriazopoulou, M., Björk-Åkesson, E. & Giné, C. (2019). “An adapted ecosystem model for inclusive early childhood education: a qualitative cross European study”. International journal of School & Educational Psychology, 9(1):3-15.