ERIC Number: EJ1328227
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Apr
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1082-3301
EISSN: N/A
An Opportunity for Our Little Ones: Findings from an Evaluation of an Aboriginal Early Childhood Learning Centre in Central Australia
Elek, Catriona; Gibberd, Alison; Gubhaju, Lina; Lennox, Jodi; Highfold, Roxanne; Goldfeld, Sharon; Eades, Sandra
Early Childhood Education Journal, v50 n4 p579-591 Apr 2022
Attendance at high-quality early childhood education and care services can have positive impacts on children's learning and development, particularly for disadvantaged children. Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory are among the most disadvantaged in Australia and stand to benefit in the short- and long-term from attending high-quality and culturally safe early childhood education and care. Few studies, however, have evaluated how early childhood education and care services can support Aboriginal children's learning and development, or reported on the challenges of conducting such evaluations. This article reports on an evaluation of the "Arrwekele Akaltye-Irretyeke Apmere" Centre for Aboriginal children in Alice Springs, Australia, which employed a culturally-adapted Abecedarian approach. The evaluation drew from interviews, classroom observations, document review, and language and developmental assessments to report findings about quality, cultural safety, acceptability to the community and children's language and development. The findings show that despite the Centre facing challenges during its establishment, by the end of the evaluation children were attending the Centre and receiving high-quality service. The service was overwhelmingly valued by interviewees from families and the community and there were indications of positive outcomes in children's language and development. Insights for the design of similar evaluations are discussed, such as the need for more rigorous and consistent data collection techniques, a larger sample, and the inclusion of a wider range of perspectives.
Descriptors: Program Evaluation, Indigenous Populations, Early Childhood Education, Foreign Countries, Culturally Relevant Education, Child Development, Minority Group Students
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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: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A