ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN IMPLEMENTATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN ENUGU STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the implementation of quality assurance in early childhood education in public schools in Enugu State. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses, which were tested at a significance level of 0.05. A descriptive survey research design was used, and the population consisted of 1,202 head teachers, including 804 females and 398 males, in Enugu State. The sample for the study comprised 360 respondents, with 119 males and 241 females chosen using stratified, proportionate simple random sampling. Data was collected using a structured 13-item questionnaire called the "Early Childhood Education Programme for Quality Assurance Questionnaire (ECEPQAQ)", which was face validated by three research experts. The reliability of the instrument was assessed using Cronbach Alpha statistic, resulting in a reliability index of 0.81 for both clusters A and B, indicating good reliability for data collection. The questionnaire was administered by the researcher and two research assistants, and a total of 292 completed questionnaires were retrieved out of the 360 administered. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics at a significance level of 0.05. The study found that compliance with standard learning environments and curriculum implementation for quality assurance in early childhood education in public primary schools in Enugu State was significantly high. Based on these findings, recommendations were made, including the need for the government to fence the school premises of early childhood education centers to ensure a secure environment, as well as the provision of separate toilet facilities for boys and girls by non-governmental organizations, philanthropists, and other well-meaning individuals.