ERIC Number: EJ773343
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Sep
Pages: 18
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1881
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Mobile Creches: A Way of Reaching Children of Poverty
Isikoglu, Nesrin; Ivrendi, Asiye
Educational Research, v49 n3 p225-242 Sep 2007
Background: Early intervention programmes can minimize the negative impacts of poverty on children's development and learning. The success of these programmes relies on considering several interrelated components, including, but not limited to, working with parents as partners, using a holistic approach in educating children and supporting children's immediate environment and their mothers and fathers. Purpose: This study aimed to provide an in-depth description of mobile creches in Denizli, Turkey, focusing on providing the perceptions of key stakeholders involved in the mobile creche, including administrators, teachers, parents and children. Programme description: Mobile creches were established by the Ministry of National Education of Turkey (MONE), municipalities and universities to provide early childhood education (ECE) services to children in poverty. Launched in 2004, the mobile creches were considered as an alternative programme to centre-based ECE. The most notable characteristic of the mobile creches is that the buses are used as ECE classrooms. Sample: The participants of this study were representative of the key stakeholders involved with two mobile creches, including: an administrator, eight teachers, four parents, and 20 children. All stakeholders who volunteered to participate were involved in the study. A total of 33 participants were interviewed. Design and methods: This is a qualitative case study of two mobile creches in Denizli, Turkey. Data were generated through in-depth interviews with the administrator, teachers, children, and parents in the mobile creches. The interviews lasted between 30 minutes and one and a half hours. Data were analysed using content analysis techniques. Two researchers independently analysed the data and negotiated the emerging themes, representative excerpts and agreed upon the categories within these themes. Results: This research revealed three emerging themes: (1) the promising effects of the mobile creches, (2) the challenges of the mobile creches and (3) the support systems of the mobile creches. The first theme discussed the impacts of mobile creches on the development and learning of the children and the perceptions of other stakeholders. The second theme dealt with the challenges of the mobile creches. The final theme identified systems of support to overcome these challenges. Conclusions: The findings revealed that participants viewed the mobile creches as an essential advantage for children in poverty. Mobile creches were perceived as an agent to advance the development and school readiness of the children. Perhaps, with improvements in curriculum and community services, mobile creches can be a way to reach disadvantaged children in developing countries.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Mobile Classrooms, Program Effectiveness, Early Intervention, Young Children, Disadvantaged Youth, Poverty, School Readiness, Administrator Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes, Parent Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Problems, Case Studies, Child Development, Learning, School Support, Early Childhood Education
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/default.html
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: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A