ERIC Number: EJ1229052
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 36
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1934-5747
EISSN: N/A
Distinctions without a Difference? Preschool Curricula and Children's Development
Jenkins, Jade Marcus; Whitaker, Anamarie Auger; Nguyen, Tutrang; Yu, Winnie
Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, v12 n3 p514-549 2019
Public preschool programs require the use of a research-based, whole-child curriculum, yet limited research examines whether curricula influence classroom experiences and children's development. We use five samples of preschool children to examine differences in classroom processes and children's school readiness by classroom curricular status (curriculum/no curriculum), and across classrooms using different curricular packages. When a teacher reports using a curriculum, their classroom processes are indistinguishable from classrooms where teachers report using no curriculum. Some differences in classroom activities emerged across classrooms using different curricula; however, substantial variability exists across classrooms using the same curriculum. Head Start program fixed effects models and meta-analytic regressions reveal few associations between curricula and children's skills. Findings question whether preschool curricular policy benefit child development. [For the Grantee Submission of this article, see ED597351.]
Descriptors: Preschool Education, Child Development, Meta Analysis, School Readiness, Class Activities, Educational Experience, Disadvantaged Youth, Correlation, Preschool Curriculum, Preschool Teachers, Comparative Analysis, Outcomes of Education, Curriculum Evaluation, Educational Quality
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH); Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305B120013; R305B170002; P01HD065704; 90YE0184