The Relationship Between the Process Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care and the Well-Being and Involvement of Toddlers.

Abstract

The process quality of Dutch Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is widely discussed. However, research has mainly looked at the predictive value for later developmental outcomes and less at the predictive value for the well-being and involvement of toddlers in the here and now. The current study examines whether the process quality of ECEC is a predictor of well-being and involvement. Process quality can be divided into emotional support and educational support. Both are included in this study using different approaches to process quality. It is examined whether the process quality at group level and the individually experienced quality by a toddler in the group influence the well-being and involvement of toddlers, or only one or none of the approaches. The process quality at group level is examined by means of the CLASS Toddler and the individually experienced process quality by means of the inCLASS Toddler. The outcome variables, well-being and involvement, are measured with the Leuven Well-Being and Involvement Scales. The results show that both classroom-level emotional and educational support do not predict well-being and involvement. The individually experienced process quality has turned out to be related to well-being, but not for involvement. The quality of peer interactions appeared unrelated to their well-being and involvement of toddlers. These results are not consistent with previous studies. Limitations and implications are discussed.