Adult/child ratio and group size in early childhood education or care to promote the development of children aged 0–5 years: A systematic review

The study investigates how the relationship between the number of adults and children, as well as group size, affects the quality of interactions and child development in kindergarten. The goal is to find out if fewer children per adult and smaller groups lead to better care and follow-up. The research questions are: 1) How do changes in the adult/child relationship and group size affect the quality of adult-child interaction? 2) What effects do these changes have on children’s language skills and social development?

The meta-analysis of the quality of the interaction between adults and children included five studies and showed a small but not statistically certain improvement in the quality of the interaction when there were more adults per child. The meta-analysis of children’s language skills included three studies and showed no clear effect. The results suggest that fewer children per adult and smaller groups may improve interaction, but there is uncertainty due to variations and limitations in the studies included. The researchers conclude that more high-quality research is needed in order to draw reliable conclusions.

The researchers conducted a systematic review of existing research. Relevant studies were identified through electronic searches in bibliographic databases, as well as grey literature and the internet. A total of 14,060 potentially relevant studies were found, of which 31 studies met the inclusion criteria and were thoroughly assessed by the researchers. The data were combined and analysed using a meta-analysis.

Dalgaard, N. T., Bondebjerg, A., Klokker, R., Viinholt, B. C., & Dietrichson, J. (2022). Adult/child ratio and group size in early childhood education or care to promote the development of children aged 0–5 years: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 18(2), e1239.