In 2013, Russia adopted the preschool education standard, which introduced new educational guidelines and quality requirements, new requirements for the structure and content of educational programs. Information on the relationship between structure quality and process quality is extremely important for understanding the key problems of educational policy in the field of preschool education and the effects of the standard implementation. Also, as Cassidy et al. (2005) mentioned, research data about correlation of structure and process quality can be used for better understanding of global mechanisms of preschool education quality development.

In different studies the relationship between process quality and a group size or child/adult ratio is discussed. However, an empirical data gives the evidence that this correlation is inconsistent: significant correlations were found in the studies of Bigras et al. (2010), Gordon (2012), and were not found in others (Pianta et al., 2005; Slot et al., 2016). Moreover, meta-analysis of 72 studies results revealed that positive correlations were found in some cases, and negative in the others (Vermeer et al., 2016). The OECD review (Slot, 2018) indicates that fewer children in a group and fewer children per a staff member are associated with a higher quality process, although in some studies this relationship is not obvious.

The same situation is with teachers’ experience. The meta-analysis of Slot (2018) points out that the correlation with this parameter is inconsistent, and there is possibly some optimum work experience, which has a positive effect on the process quality.

However, there are some parameters which reveal quite a consistent relationship with process quality (f.e. teachers’ or a head of kindergarten qualification). A bachelor degree (especially in preschool education) positively correlates with the process quality (Sylva et al., 2004; Pianta, 2005; Slot, 2018). Another variable of this kind is in-service trainings for teachers (Slot, 2018). In terms of our research, it’s important that in some studies it is proved: if teachers use the evaluation instrument for self-assessment it has positive influence to the process quality (Hui et al., 2017).

Thus, relations between structure and process parameters are more complex, mediated – a certain factor affect only with some additional condition (Slot, Lerkkanen & Leseman, 2015).

In 2016 and 2017, the Federal Service for Supervision in the Field of Education and Science of the Russian Federation initiated a national study of preschool education quality. For the first time the state monitoring was focused on the process quality. The data on the structure parameters was also collected.

The focus of this study is the relationship between structure parameters (a group size, child/adult ratio, teachers’ qualification and working experience, enrollment of teachers into in-service trainings) and process quality (provisions for child safety, emotional wellbeing, learning, socialization, and interactions in a class). It could help to proceed the analysis of the significant parameters and find out if they can be predictors for process quality.

For the first time in Russia a structured observation as the main method was used in a study of preschool education quality. ECERS-R (Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2005), which was approbated in Russia and officially published in Russian in 2016 was chosen as a tool for process quality evaluation. The data on the structure parameters was collected both – by the experts during the observation (such as child/adult ratio, a group size and number of children currently present in the class) and with questionnaire which was filled in by the teachers after the observation (their age, working experience, qualification, enrollment into in-service training programs, for those who participated in the study for the second time – the issues which took place after the first study concerned its results). The research model was tested in Moscow region in 2016. The assessors (N=155) were trained to conduct the study by the staff of the Laboratory of a Child Development at MCU (who are ERSI-certified trainers). In 2016 the sample consisted of 423 kindergartens from 40 regions of the Russian Federation, in 2017 – 1301 kindergartens from 74 regions (2.6% of all kindergartens in Russia, 87% of all regions). The sample was formed by regional research teams according to the protocol and included 2 cohorts: so-called “Best” (B-cluster - 1/3 of the sample) and “Random” (R-cluster - 2/3 of the sample). Kindergartens were referred to the B-cluster as they were on the top of municipal ratings (they usually don’t have evidence-based criteria). Therefore, we tested in our research if the criteria of these ratings coincide with the criteria of ECERS-R. Kindergartens from the R-cluster had no any seals and were selected randomly. The assessor chose randomly one group in the kindergarten (the age of children from 3 to 5 years) just before the observation. In 2017 there were 367 kindergartens in the sample, which took part in the study for the second time (the observation was in the same class as in 2016). Comparing 2016 and 2017 results, we divided the 2017 sample for each cluster into 2 groups: Group 1 - “newcomers” (participated for the first time), Group 2 - “second-time participants”. We checked the assumption that the fact of participation in the study influences the quality enhancement. The descriptive statistic methods, correlation and regression analysis were implemented. Research was carried out in accordance with Code of Ethics of the Russian Psychological Society.

We traced significant process quality growth in 2017 compared to 2016 (α ≤ 0.01). The overlap of confidence intervals proved that the overall score of Group 2 is significantly different in relation to the results of 2016 for each of the clusters (R-cluster: confidence intervals 3.34-3.41 Vs 3.83-3.93; B-cluster 3.83-3.94 Vs 4.25-4.41). In Group 1 significant difference was revealed only in R-cluster (3.34-3.41 Vs 3.67-3.72). It is likely the national research itself (particularly, presentation of the research criteria to professional community and the deliverance of the results of 2016 to participated kindergartens) could become significant influence factors. However, it requires additional investigation of factors that affected this dynamic. The significant differences between clusters proved that the criteria of municipal ratings in general coincide with the ECERS-R criteria, or at least, do not contradict them. We found no significant correlation between process quality and teachers’ age, qualification, working experience. There was no interconnection between teachers’ qualification and process quality. It indicates that the training programs should be revised. The impact of in-service training depends on the evidence-based orientation: the feedback on the results of the research is significantly correlated with the positive dynamics of process quality. The relationship between a group size and process quality was not revealed. The number of teachers in the class significantly correlate with process quality in B-cluster rather than in R-cluster. It probably can be explained by their competency, but we need more research there. Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between the child/adult ratio and the scores for “Language-Reasoning” subscale. Child/adult ratio is likely a stronger predictor of process quality than a group size and a number of teachers in the class, or some variables mediate these parameters. It doesn’t contradict the results of other studies which were discussed in the first section.

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