Title: Inclusive Early Childhood Project
Type of the resource: Project
Funded by: European Commission’s Erasmus + Programme
Authors:
Type of disability: ALL TYPES
Target education level: General
Language(s): English
Greek
IPR:
OER:
Overall objectives of the inclusive learning resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What are the overall broader objectives to which the action will contribute?)
Improvement of the Quality of Inclusive Education
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the key indicators related to the overall objectives?)
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information for these indicators?)
Examples of inclusive practice in ECE
Qualitative analysis of examples: The project team conducted a qualitative analysis of the 32 examples of how IECE providers perceive inclusion and try to provide it. It provides interesting practice evidence about several main issues that are important in inclusive ECE settings.
Case study visits: Eight of the proposed IECE examples were selected, on the basis of some quality criteria, for more in-depth investigation. Detailed reports on the eight selected case study sites, including analysis of the key project themes investigated, were drafted.
A self-reflection tool for the IECE environment was developed for practitioners to use. It consists of sets of questions about the inclusiveness of the ECE environment. These focus on an overall welcoming environment, an inclusive social environment, a child-friendly physical environment, materials for all children, opportunities for communication, a child-centered learning environment, an inclusive teaching environment and a family-friendly environment. These sets of questions served as an observation tool during the case study visits. They were developed into a self-reflection tool, which has been translated into all Agency languages.
Synthesis report: All the information collected over the project’s lifetime was combined into a synthesis report. This will support policy-makers and practitioners at local, national and European levels in promoting IECE provisions that ensure the necessary strong start for all children.
Risks and Challenges:
Specific purpose of the inclusive learning resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What specific objective is the resource intended to achieve to contribute to the overall objectives?)
The IECE project focused on five thematic areas, from the perspective of quality inclusive provisions:
1) Access to quality early childhood education (ECE) for all children.
2) Workforce quality
3) Quality curriculum/content
4) Evaluation and monitoring.
5) Governance and funding.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (Which indicators clearly show that the objective of the actions/resource has been achieved?)
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information that exist or can be collected? What are the methods required to get this information?)
The project made three main new contributions to inclusive early childhood education:
First of all, the project found that the high-quality IECE services that benefited all children were guided by an inclusive vision and worked towards inclusive goals. Their primary outcome was to ensure each child’s belongingness, engagement and learning.
The IECE project’s second contribution was a Self-Reflection Tool. It enables practitioners to review their service’s quality in terms of the inclusiveness of the physical, social and other learning environments it offers to children and families.
The project’s third contribution was a new Ecosystem Model of Inclusive Early Childhood Education. This is grounded in the project data. Three major frameworks for quality IECE inspired it. These are the structure-process-outcome framework, the ecological systems framework and the inclusive education perspective. It can support policy-makers and practitioners to collaborate in planning, reviewing and improving quality IECE services.
Risks and Challenges: (Which factors and conditions outside the user's responsibility are necessary to achieve that objective? (external conditions)) Which risks should be taken into consideration?
Expected results on implementation of the resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (The results are the outputs envisaged to upscale. What are the expected results?)
The project paid attention to three fundamental traversal issues in quality ECE, namely:
-The need for a holistic child-centered approach based on an appreciation of each child as a unique, capable and active co-creator of learning
-The need for close partnership with families
-The need to ensure quality structures and processes.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the indicators to measure whether and to what extent the action/resource achieves the expected results?)
Sources and means of verification: (What are the available sources of information for these indicators?)
Risks and Challenges: (What external conditions must be met to obtain the expected results on schedule?)
Activities
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What are the key activities to be carried out and in what sequence in order to reach the expected results?)
The project activities and outputs consisted of:
-A literature and policy review
-Country questionnaires for collecting information about national policy and practice in relation to IECE.
-Examples of inclusive practice in ECE
-Qualitative analysis of examples:
-Case study visits
-A self-reflection tool for the IECE environment
-Synthesis report
-Final Summary Report
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the means required to implement these activities, e.g. personnel, equipment, training, studies, supplies, operational facilities, etc.)
Equipment: PC and Internet access
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information about action progress?)
Risks and Challenges: (What pre-conditions are required before the use of the resource starts? What conditions outside the user's direct control have to be met for the implementation of the planned activities?)
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