Enhancement of Early Childhood Education (ECE) through Professional Development: Sri Lankan ECE Teachers’ Perceptions

Abstract

This study examined the influence of teacher Professional Development on
the quality of learners’ cognitive development, behavior management, and
the overall effectiveness of Early Childhood Education. A questionnaire
was administered among 285 Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers
serving at private educational institutions in Sri Lanka to gather data. The
stratified sampling method was applied to select the respondents and the
findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis,
correlation, and regression analysis. The study results demonstrate
that teacher Professional Development has a positive and significant
impact on the quality of the ECE classroom, young learners’ cognitive
development, behavior management, and the overall effectiveness of
the ECE. The current study provides important insights into the role of
teacher Professional Development in enhancing the quality of ECE in
Sri Lanka. The study underscores the critical significance of Professional
Development in reinforcing the quality of ECE in Sri Lanka. It advocates
for continuous investment in teacher Professional Development initiatives,
recognizing their potential to raise the standards of ECE classrooms, foster
cognitive development among young learners, and facilitate positive
behavior management techniques. Furthermore, the research emphasizes
the necessity for future investigations to explore deeper into the correlation
between teacher Professional Development and the efficacy of ECE. Such
inquiries could uncover insights and explain strategies aimed at optimizing
the effectiveness of ECE across diverse contexts.