The conception of major stakeholders of quality in child care : case studies in selected National Higher Learning Institutions in Malaysia

Abstract

The quality of early care and education services is absolutely critical in providing a beginning or foundation for lifelong learning for young children. The mushrooming of early care and education services or child care centres throughout the country due to high demand for child care centres in Malaysia and the needs for the standardization or the benchmarking on the child care centre structure is very vital. However, identifying the benchmarking as well as standardization regardless of the civilization, cultural, nations and religion in defining quality child care is not a simple thing to do. In support of that, the idea of quality child care can be more elaborated even in a complex way of understanding it. Given this situation, it is high time to put standardization in child care services in Malaysia into place. The purpose of this study is to elicit and describe the parents, teachers and administrators and policy makers conception of quality in child care in selected national higher institutions in Malaysia. It is also the intent of this study to come to the consensus on their perceptions of quality in child care which can be further carried on to develop comprehensive and integrated child care guidelines for the whole nation. These multi site case studies used open-ended interviews with 21 respondents to gather information concerning stakeholders experiences and concerns regarding child care. The 4 child care centres chosen for this study are those attached to or associated with the National Higher Leaming Institutions in Malaysia. Findings revealed quality has been viewed in two broad components. They are (1) structural components which are measuring tangible components of quality in child care; and (2) process components. Structural and process components have to be combined in making childrens experience in child care richly rewarding and of the highest possible quality (Lamb, 1998). Process components which include staff and childrens behavior were also applied in understanding the other parts of quality components. Other findings also revealed that major stakeholders conception of quality revolves around the structural and process components, in particular the effectiveness of administration and management of the child care centres with regard to the activities of children, staff as well as the parents. Other concerns also include staff training, staff commitment, and the teaching and learning materials. They also stressed on the additional domains of quality that they consider important, such as systematic activities or programmes or curriculum and safety. Thus, many factors need to be incorporated in the child care centre in order for it to be called quality child care. None of the items can stand on its own as it involves the human factor. Thus, human beings require an efficient system or programme to function well.