Quality Pedagogical Practice in Early Childhood Education Institutions Relating to Children at Risk of Social Exclusion

Oct 15, 2026

Quality early childhood education and care is central to positive outcomes across development and learning, particularly for disadvantaged children at risk of social exclusion. This paper presents a multi-perspective concept of quality in early childhood education and care, with a focused literature review on quality of pedagogical practice directed at children at risk of social exclusion. It proposes a theoretical model for responding to these children’s needs within Croatia’s early childhood system, emphasizing interdisciplinary expert practice and stakeholder participation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Quality of early childhood education and care

Monitoring and improving quality

Concept and theoretical model

Quality of pedagogical practice for children at risk of social exclusion

Key factors for quality pedagogical practice

doi: 10.26529/cepsj.1086 Quality Pedagogical Practice in Early Childhood Education Institutions Relating to Children at Risk of Social Exclusion Sandra Antulić Majcen*1 and Maja Drvodelić2 • Quality early childhood education and care has been the focus of interest of researchers for over half a century. Approaches to the quality monitoring and quality assurance of early childhood education and care, as well as its conceptualisation and operationalisation, have changed and developed over the decades in line with contemporary understandings of child development and learning, and in accordance with changes in the purpose and functions of early childhood education and care. The results of many relevant studies confirm that quality early childhood education and care is crucial for short-term and long-term positive outcomes in different development and learning areas, especially in the case of disadvantaged children, including children at risk of social exclusion. The aim of this paper is to present the concept of quality in early childhood education and care from various research perspectives, with special emphasis on a review of the literature on the quality of pedagogical practice aimed at children at risk of social exclusion. The paper presents the theoretical model of responding to the needs of children at risk of social exclusion in Croatian early childhood education and care. Special attention is given to the quality of pedagogical practice regarding children at risk of social exclusion, as a prerequisite for planning targeted measures and interventions directed at this group ofchildren and their families within the Croatian early childhood education and care system. It was concluded that the key factors for quality pedagogical practice are an interdisciplinary approach of highly qualified professionalsand the participation of all key stakeholders within the child’s immediate environment, as well as connection between relevant policies and practice, which are crucial for early childhood education and care quality. Keywords: children at risk of social exclusion, early childhood education and care, quality pedagogical practice 1 *Corresponding Author. Research and Development Department, National Centre for External Evaluation of Education, Croatia; [sandra.antulic.majcen@ncvvo.hr](sandra.antulic.majcen@ncvvo.hr). 2 Department of Pedagogy and Didactics, Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Croatia. 82 quality pedagogical practice in early childhood education institutions relating ... Kakovostna pedagoška praksa v ustanovah predšolskevzgoje in otroci, ki jim grozi socialna izključenost Sandra Antulić Majcen in Maja Drvodelić • Kakovostna predšolska vzgoja in varstvo sta v središču zanimanja razi-skovalcev že več kot pol stoletja. Pristopi k spremljanju in zagotavljanju kakovosti predšolske vzgoje in varstva ter njena konceptualizacija in operacionalizacija so se skozi desetletja spreminjali in razvijali skladnos sodobnim razumevanjem otrokovega razvoja in učenja ter s spremembami namena in funkcij predšolske vzgoje in varstva. Izsledki številnih relevantnih študij potrjujejo, da sta kakovostna predšolska vzgoja in varstvo ključnega pomena za kratkoročne in dolgoročne pozitivne rezultate na različnih področjih razvoja in učenja, zlasti pri prikrajšanih otrocih, vključno z otroki, ki jim grozi socialna izključenost. Namen prispevka je predstaviti koncept kakovosti v predšolski vzgoji in varstvu z različnih raziskovalnih vidikov, s posebnim poudarkom na pregledu literature okakovosti pedagoške prakse, namenjene otrokom, ki jim grozi socialna izključenost. V prispevku je predstavljen teoretični model odzivanja na potrebe otrok, ki jim grozi socialna izključenost, v hrvaški predšolski vzgoji in varstvu. Posebna pozornost je namenjena kakovosti pedagoške prakse pri otrocih, ki jim grozi socialna izključenost, kot predpogoju za načrtovanje ciljno usmerjenih ukrepov in intervencij, namenjenihtej skupin

FAQs

What is the paper’s main aim?

To present the concept of quality in early childhood education and care from various research perspectives, especially through a literature review on pedagogical practice for children at risk of social exclusion.

Which framework does the paper develop for Croatia?

It presents a theoretical model for responding to the needs of children at risk of social exclusion within the Croatian early childhood education and care system.

What key factors determine quality pedagogical practice?

The paper concludes that quality depends on an interdisciplinary approach by highly qualified professionals, participation of key stakeholders in the child’s immediate environment, and alignment between relevant policies and practice.

Oct 15, 2026

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