How Does Crèche Attendance Affect Social and Cognitive Abilities of Children in the First Grade of Primary School?

Author(s):

Kaspar Burger

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

SES F3, Pre Conf Parallel Session

Time:

2009-09-26

09:00-10:30

Room:

HG, HS 26

Chair:

Anatoli Rakhkochkine

Contribution

Recently the vast majority of OECD member countries have been increasingly concerned with the development of early childhood education and care. Approximately 80% of the three-to-six year-olds are currently enrolled in some form of preschool programme in the OECD countries (UNICEF, 2008). Early care and education interventions have also been implemented in countries in Asia, Africa and South America (e.g., Moore, Akhter & Aboud, 2008; Mwaura, Sylva & Malmberg, 2008; Peairson, Austin, de Aguino & de Burro, 2008; Watanabe, Flores, Fujiwara & Huong Tran, 2005; Zhao & Hu, 2008). For this reason it is important to assess how these programmes affect the development of children. Up to now, longitudinal studies have provided evidence for positive effects on later school achievement, class repetition rates, educational attainment in adulthood, health, delinquency, and employment ratio (e.g., Barnett, 1995) whereas others have revealed only minor or no beneficial effects on subsequent development (e.g., Driessen, 2004). Along with the effects of programme participation, these studies have typically assessed the effects of timing, intensity, and duration of programmes. While some studies suggested that an earlier beginning and a longer duration afford greater benefits to the participants (Ramey & Ramey, 1998), others found that longer lasting programmes do not necessarily result in better competencies (e.g., EPPE, 2008) even if an earlier age at entry is associated with a more positive educational development in certain cases (Caille, 2001). Besides, some analyses have established that more intensive interventions produce larger positive effects (e.g., Cryan, Sheehan, Wiechel & Bandy-Hedden, 1992). However, other studies do not consistently support this finding (Belsky, 2006; Landvoigt, Muehler & Pfeiffer, 2007; Votruba-Drzal, Li-Grining & Maldonado-Carreño, 2008). Hence it seems difficult to define an ideal framework for early interventions. There appears to be no general pattern of results. Consequently, the effects of specific programmes need to be evaluated on an individual basis. The present study investigates the effects of crèche attendance on the competencies of children in their first grade in the Canton Zurich in Switzerland. The study considers two major research questions: 1) Is crèche attendance associated with the level of cognitive and social competencies in the first grade of primary school? And 2) Can crèche attendance help to overcome inequalities among children from different social backgrounds?

Method

The study is based on data from a survey of children in their first grade. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The study analyses the relationship between crèche attendance and the level of competencies by comparing children who attended crèche with children who did not attend crèche but were otherwise equivalent with regard to relevant background characteristics. The sample consists of 2.161 children between six and seven years of age, 24% of which attended a crèche. To assess the effects of crèche attendance, different models including regression analyses were conducted. Duration of crèche attendance (number of years) and intensity (days per week) were taken into account. In addition, the extent to which crèche attendance established equal educational opportunities for children from different social backgrounds was evaluated.

Expected Outcomes

Children with crèche experience are expected to have somewhat higher levels of competencies than their counterparts without any crèche experience. Duration and intensity of participation in crèche programmes might have an effect on the social and cognitive development of children but do not necessarily have to. In relative terms the developmental progress of children from socially disadvantaged families is expected to exceed the progress of children from more privileged families.

References

Barnett, W. S. (1995). Long-term effects of early childhood programs on cognitive and school outcomes. The Future of Children, 5(3), 25-50. Belsky, J. (2006). Early child care and early child development: Major findings of the NICHD study of early child care. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 3(1), 95-110. Caille, J.-P. (2001). Scolarisation à 2 ans et réussite de la carrière scolaire au début de l'école élémentaire. Éducation & formations, 60, 7-18. Cryan, J. R., Sheehan, R., Wiechel, J., & Bandy-Hedden, I. G. (1992). Success outcomes of full-day kindergarten: More positive behavior and increased achievement in the years after. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 7, 187-203. Driessen, G. W. J. M. (2004). A large-scale longitudinal study of the utilization and effects of early childhood education and care in the Netherlands. Early Child Development and Care, 174(7-8), 667-689. EPPE. (2008). Influences on children's attainment and progress in key stage 2: Cognitive outcomes in year 6 (Research report DCSF-RR048). London: Department for Children, Schools and Families. Landvoigt, T., Muehler, G., & Pfeiffer, F. (2007). Duration and intensity of kindergarten attendance and secondary school track choice (Discussion paper No. 07-051). Mannheim: Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung. Moore, A. C., Akhter, S., & Aboud, F. E. (2008). Evaluating an improved quality preschool program in rural Bangladesh. International Journal of Educational Development, 28(2), 118-131. Mwaura, P. A. M., Sylva, K., & Malmberg, L.-E. (2008). Evaluating the Madrasa preschool programme in East Africa: a quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Early Years Education, 16(3), 237-255. Peairson, S., Austin, A. M. B., de Aguino, C. N., & de Burro, E. U. (2008). Cognitive development and home environment of rural Paraguayan infants and toddlers participating in Pastoral del Nino, an early child development program. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 22(4), 1-23. Ramey, C. T., & Ramey, S. L. (1998). Early intervention and early experience. American Psychologist, 53(2), 109-120. UNICEF. (2008). The child care transition. A league table of early childhood education and care in economically advanced countries (report card 8). Florence: UNICEF innocenti research centre. Votruba-Drzal, E., Li-Grining, C. P., & Maldonado-Carreño, C. (2008). A developmental perspective on full- versus part-day kindergarten and children's academic trajectories through fifth grade. Child Development, 79(4), 957-978. Watanabe, K., Flores, R., Fujiwara, J., & Huong Tran, L. T. (2005). Early childhood development interventions and cognitive development of young children in rural Vietnam. The Journal of Nutrition, 135, 1918-1925. Zhao, L., & Hu, X. (2008). The development of early childhood education in rural areas in China. Early Years, 28(2), 197-209.

Author Information

Kaspar Burger

Universität Fribourg

Departement Erziehungswissenschaften

Fribourg

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