Norwegian ECEC is organised differently than ECEC in many other countries. This is particularly pertinent in Norwegian ECEC, which includes several structural-quality characteristics that differ significantly from those of other cultural contexts. ( 2015) claim that the relationship between structural quality and process quality has not yet been fully investigated across a range of cultural contexts, especially in countries outside the US with different structural-quality regulations. Despite this large body of research, however, Slot et al. 2015), have also been related to process quality. 1997) and in-service professional development (Slot et al. Other structural factors, such as years of experience (Phillipsen et al. In addition, staff members’ formal education and training are associated with a higher quality of care and sensitivity in interactions (Burchinal et al. 1997), and it has been pointed out that the staff–child ratio may be specifically important for young and vulnerable children, who need more one-on-one attention (Munton et al. 2006 Early Child Care Research Network 2006 Phillipsen et al. For instance, several studies have found associations between group sizes and ratios and staff–child interactions (Burchinal et al. 2011).Ī large body of research has found associations between structural- and process-quality characteristics. 2002 Early Child Care Research Network 2006 Mortensen and Barnett 2015 Phillipsen et al. The relationships among the structural- and process-quality characteristics related to children’s outcomes have been investigated in several studies (Burchinal et al. The NICHD Early Child Care Research Network (ECCRN 2002) illustrated the connections among these quality factors by linking ECEC structural characteristics to proximal processes, and subsequently, children’s social and cognitive outcomes. 2001 Sanders and Howes 2013), often defined as ‘proximal processes’ (Bronfenbrenner 1979 Mortensen and Barnett 2015). Structural characteristics include such aspects as the staff–child ratio, organisation form, group size, and so on, while process characteristics are related to interactions between caregivers and children (Litjens and Taguma 2010 Phillips et al. The concept of quality in ECEC is multifaceted, although the general consensus is that quality is related to both structural- and process-quality characteristics. The quality aspects of ECEC are related to children’s experiences in ECEC institutions, such as their involvement in interactions and activities that are assumed to be beneficial for their learning and development (Sylva et al. Most of the changes were related to quantity however, in recent years, quality has appeared more systematically on policy-makers’ agendas, especially for infants and toddlers (OECD 2015 Vassenden et al. To meet heightened demand, new and larger ECEC settings were built, group sizes were expanded, the number of children under the age of three attending ECEC settings increased and a new type of organisation, flexible groups was formed (Gulbrandsen and Eliassen 2013). The overall purpose of these settlement initiatives and the establishment of universal access to ECEC was to ensure social equality and secure a good start for all children (Haug and Storø 2013). In 2009, access to a place in an ECEC programme became a legal right for all children. These changes began with the 2003 ECEC settlement, which required municipalities to offer all children a place in ECEC. To provide this access, Norway has undergone considerable structural changes in recent decades (Vassenden et al. As a part of its welfare system, Norway provides universal access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) for all children between the ages of 1 and 5.
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