Original Research

Quality in South African early learning centres: Mothers’ and teachers’ views and understanding

Judy Van Heerden
South African Journal of Childhood Education | Vol 6, No 1 | a423 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v6i1.423 | © 2016 Judy Van Heerden | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 06 April 2016 | Published: 25 November 2016

About the author(s)

Judy Van Heerden, Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This study investigated how quality in early learning centres (preschools) in South Africa was experienced and perceived by mothers and teachers. A theoretical framework, based on a model of quality development by Woodhead (1996), informed the study. This framework that consists of input (structural), process and outcome quality indicators is a well-established model for quality development, which has been used in developing countries. The findings generated from a thematical analysis of interview data showed that aspects perceived by mothers and teachers as quality indicators in early learning centres were predominantly process indicators and hard to ‘measure’ in a quantitative way. For mothers and teachers, children’s social-emotional well-being, holistic development, a normative foundation for values and respect, effective infrastructure and accountable learning indicated quality. A quality school climate enhances emotional and social well-being, and the findings suggest that for mothers and teachers quality concerns were not about that which the early learning centres have provided in terms of facilities (input indicators), but rather about the process indicators where centres promote children’s holistic well-being. The only outcome indicator that was regarded as extremely important by mothers and important, but not to the same extent, by teachers, is whether children are happy and content and enjoying school.

Keywords

Quality in early childhood education; South African early learning centres; preschools; quality assurance framework

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