Parent-practitioner partnerships in early childhood provision in England, Hungary and Kazakhstan: similarities and differences in discourses

Jane Murray, Eleonora Teszenyi, Anikó Nagy Varga, Sándor Pálfi, Marzhan Tajiyeva, Aigul Iskakova

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Whilst international policymakers have reached consensus on the importance of investing in early childhood development and increasingly monitor that investment using standardized measurement, the nature and rationale of early childhood education and care (ECEC) provision remain diverse. In the context of that disparity, this article explores an aspect of ECEC provision that is commonly recognized for its potential to enhance young children's development and learning, yet for which characteristics remain variable: partnerships between ECEC practitioners and parents. The article reports and discusses results from a cross-cultural narrative study that investigated the nature of such partnerships in three different countries: England, Hungary and Kazakhstan. During focus group interviews, ECEC academics (n = 16) discussed five themes that emerged from literature reviews. Findings indicate more differences than similarities between the countries' narratives concerning ECEC parent-practitioner partnerships, suggesting such partnerships may be an aspect of ECEC provision for which a homogeneous approach and quality measure across countries are not feasible.
Original languageEnglish
Article number188:5
Pages (from-to)594-612
Number of pages19
JournalEarly Child Development and Care
Volume188
Issue number5
Early online date13 Feb 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 May 2018

Bibliographical note

Jane Murray is Associate Professor and Co-Director at the Centre for Education and Research, University of Northampton, UK. She has published extensively on early childhood education and social inclusion, and is Editor of the International Journal of Early Years Education.

Keywords

  • Parent-practitioner partnerships
  • early childhood development
  • early childhood education and care
  • global monitoring
  • home-school links
  • international early childhood

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