ERIC Number: EJ1394437
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1350-293X
EISSN: EISSN-1752-1807
Available Date: N/A
Together from Kindergarten: Exploring Quality to Inform Inclusion in Early Childhood Settings in Bulgaria
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, v31 n4 p544-561 2023
The Bulgarian Government has made a commitment to inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). High-quality ECEC settings are more inclusive and responsive to children's individual learning needs. In partnership with UNICEF, the Ministry for Education established a pilot project, 'Together from Kindergarten', to enhance quality and support early childhood settings in creating and maintaining quality conditions that support all children's right to access and participate in ECEC. As part of this project, the ECERS-3 was used as a broad measure to explore quality across 40 kindergarten settings. Evidence suggests that despite the positive attitudes of ECEC teachers towards inclusion, the quality of the kindergartens was low, with particular challenges concerning teacher--child interactions and individualised learning supports. The study offers important insights into how ECEC settings in Bulgaria can enhance quality to develop conditions that support children with SEND to participate in mainstream ECEC provision.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Inclusion, Early Childhood Education, Students with Disabilities, Educational Quality, Student Needs, Educational Improvement, Student Rights, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Student Relationship, Mainstreaming, Educational Environment, Skill Development, Teacher Competencies, Parent Participation, Allied Health Personnel
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Bulgaria
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A