An adapted ecosystem model for inclusive early childhood education : a qualitative cross European study

Abstract

Early intervention for children vulnerable to exclusion is currently focused on the child’s effective inclusion in mainstream early childhood education. There is thus a search for developing a shared understanding of what constitutes quality inclusive preschool provision. This was the aim of a qualitative 3-year (2015–17) study of inclusive settings for children from 3 years to compulsory education across European countries, conducted by the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. Data consisted of practitioner descriptions of 32 example inclusive preschools from 28 European countries, and more detailed data collected during short visits to eight of the example settings. Qualitative, thematic analysis identified 25 subthemes representing the perceived constituents of inclusive early childhood education provision. These were organised within a framework that intertwined the structure-process-outcome model with the ecological systems model. The resulting adapted ecosystem model for inclusive early childhood education comprises five dimensions: (1) the inclusive education outcomes, (2) processes, and (3) structural factors within the micro environment of the preschool; and the wider (4) inclusive structural factors at community, and (5) at national levels. The framework can be useful for practitioners as well as researchers and policy makers seeking to improve inclusive early childhood education provision.