TY - JOUR
T1 - The Impact of Process Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care on Socio-Emotional Development
T2 - A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies
AU - Sluiter, Rosanne M. V.
AU - Fukkink, Ruben G.
AU - Fekkes, Minne
N1 - (This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Adolescents).
With supplementary file.
PY - 2025/5
Y1 - 2025/5
N2 - We investigated the relationship between process quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) and children’s socio-emotional development in a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Our multi-level meta-analysis of 31 publications reporting on 16 longitudinal studies (N = 17,913 children, age: 2.5–18 yrs) demonstrates that the process quality of ECEC is a small but significant predictor of children’s socio-emotional development over time (ES = 0.103, SE = 0.026, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.052–0.155). This longitudinal association extends to the age of 18 years in our sample. Process quality of ECEC is, thus, a significant and stable predictor of children’s socio-emotional development and well-being from toddlerhood to adolescence. The longitudinal relationship was moderated by the type of care (center-based vs. home-based) and the informant (parent, professional caregiver, external assessor, or self-report of the child). Implications for future ECEC research are discussed.
AB - We investigated the relationship between process quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) and children’s socio-emotional development in a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Our multi-level meta-analysis of 31 publications reporting on 16 longitudinal studies (N = 17,913 children, age: 2.5–18 yrs) demonstrates that the process quality of ECEC is a small but significant predictor of children’s socio-emotional development over time (ES = 0.103, SE = 0.026, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.052–0.155). This longitudinal association extends to the age of 18 years in our sample. Process quality of ECEC is, thus, a significant and stable predictor of children’s socio-emotional development and well-being from toddlerhood to adolescence. The longitudinal relationship was moderated by the type of care (center-based vs. home-based) and the informant (parent, professional caregiver, external assessor, or self-report of the child). Implications for future ECEC research are discussed.
KW - early childhood education and care (ECEC)
KW - process quality
KW - socio-emotional development
KW - longitudinal
KW - meta-analysis
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105006527168
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph22050775
DO - 10.3390/ijerph22050775
M3 - Review article
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 22
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 5
M1 - 775
ER -