Professional Development and Its Impact on Children in Early Childhood Education and Care: A Meta-Analysis Based on European Studies

The article analyses European research on the link between continuing education for kindergarten teachers and kindergarten children’s reading skills, mathematics skills and behaviour. The study has the following research questions: (1) Can children’s outcomes be improved by the professional development of kindergarten teachers for children aged 0-6 years in regular kindergartens? (2) How great is the effect of continuing education for kindergarten teachers on children’s outcomes, and is the effect different across the child’s outcome domains and/or do they depend on the intensity of the professional development?

The study found a significant positive effect of professional development on children’s reading skills, mathematics skills and behaviour, with an overall effect size of 0.35. The effect size is slightly smaller than similar results based on U.S. studies, but indicates a general positive effect regarding the professional development of kindergarten teachers on children’s academic and social outcomes.

Nine studies are included in the meta-analysis. The most important inclusion criterion was that the studies had been conducted in one or more European countries, which ensured that one had relatively similar institutional factors. The studies also had to address the effect that continuing education for kindergarten teachers had on children’s test results regarding reading skills, mathematics skills or behaviour. The studies had to focus on regular kindergarten practice, including kindergarten teachers working with children aged 0-6, in either pre-schools or kindergartens. The studies did not have to focus on specific groups of children who were at risk, but some of the children included in the studies could have special needs or be defined as disadvantaged based on their observable characteristics. The studies also had to report effect size or the necessary information to calculate the effect size. The studies did not necessarily have to come from research literature, but they had to include information that could be encoded to effect size. This type of information could not be obtained from summary texts or reports. Cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies from 1990 or later were eligible for inclusion as long as they were published in the English language.

Jensen, P. & Rasmussen, A. W. (2019). "Professional Development and Its Impact on Children in Early Childhood Education and Care: A Meta-Analysis Based on European Studies". Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 63(6):935-950.