SEA-CECCEP

Bridging the Gap: A Case Study on How NGOs and International Organizations Expand Access to Early Childhood Education in Afghanistan

2025-09-02T10:27:23+07:00

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is known worldwide as an important foundation for children’s lifelong learning and development. The paper will discuss how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other international agencies can improve the accessibility to ECCE in Afghanistan, what challenges they face and whether their programs are sustainable. The qualitative case study design was used, including semi-structured interviews with the employees of the NGO and the analysis of documents, such as the reports and policy materials. Thematic analysis has demonstrated that there are some recurrent themes, which are capacity building, community-based strategies, teacher training, inclusion, and sustainability. The findings suggest that NGOs have stopped their supportive roles in ECCE to take up the dominant roles in the delivery of education, which involves integrated education, health, and social participation. However, the barriers are the insufficiency of funds, gender limitation, and unpredictable policies. Findings are minimal and cannot be generalized to other weak environments. The limitations are the limited sample size and inaccessibility to organizations that may influence the field of views elicited. The paper concludes that sustainable ECCE with regard to fragility requires long-term investment, ownership of the communities, and policy coherence.

Validating Systemic Factors of STEM Integration in Early Childhood Education and Care Using Mixed Methods

2025-10-09T08:42:28+07:00

The rapid global push toward STEM education and the increasing accessibility of robotics have prompted renewed attention to their integration in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). While robotics in early learning has been shown to foster creativity, problem-solving, and socio-cognitive development, its adoption in Southeast Asia remains fragmented, hindered by uneven infrastructure, limited teacher readiness, and inconsistent curriculum alignment. This study aims to map the systemic factors shaping robotics integration in ECEC and to provide a strategic framework for policy and practice across the region. Employing a mixed-methods research design with 17 experts, including early childhood educators, curriculum specialists, and policymakers, the research combined the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to identify and prioritize key factors, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to explore hierarchical interdependencies, and the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to validate expert consensus. Findings revealed five critical factors: teacher competency in STEM pedagogy, availability of age-appropriate robotics, curriculum integration, cost and infrastructure, and parental support and digital literacy. ISM analysis highlighted a dependency chain in which parental support and infrastructure form the foundational conditions, robotics availability and teacher competency act as drivers, and curriculum integration stands as the dependent, strategic goal. FDM validation confirmed strong consensus on teacher competency and curriculum reform, moderate consensus on infrastructure and robotics availability, and conditional consensus on parental engagement, with refinements emphasizing culturally relevant tools, innovative financing, and community-based digital literacy. The study concludes that sustainable integration requires a sequenced, systemic approach addressing foundational and enabling factors before curricular reform. These insights provide a roadmap for educational stakeholders to guide equitable and context-sensitive STEM transformation in early childhood education.

Pre-Service Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives on Music, Dance, and Drama for Children with Special Educational Needs in Malaysia

2025-09-30T10:53:51+07:00

Music, dance, and drama are increasingly recognised as powerful pedagogical tools in early childhood education (ECE), fostering creativity, confidence, collaboration, and inclusivity. However, despite policy commitments to inclusion, limited attention has been given to how these art forms can be systematically embedded into teacher preparation, particularly to support children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). This study addressed this gap by examining three questions: (1) How do future early childhood educators perceive the role of music, dance, and drama in enhancing creativity, confidence, and collaboration? (2) In what ways do these art forms contribute to classroom readiness for inclusive practice? and (3) How do pre-service educators understand their potential in fostering inclusion, particularly for children with SEN? Adopting a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 62 undergraduate pre-service early childhood educators through surveys and open-ended reflections. Quantitative findings, analysed using descriptive statistics, indicated strong agreement that music, dance, and drama enhance creativity, build confidence, strengthen collaboration, and prepare educators for diverse classrooms. Qualitative insights reinforced these perspectives, highlighting benefits such as multisensory engagement, empathy-building, and adaptability, while also identifying barriers including limited training, insufficient resources, and few structured opportunities for practice. The study concludes that music, dance, and drama should be positioned as central rather than peripheral within inclusive pedagogy in ECE. Recommendations include embedding these art forms into teacher education coursework and workshops, as well as strengthening institutional support through resources and arts-based partnerships. These findings align with the vision of an equitable, high-quality ECE, positioning music, dance, and drama as transformative tools for inclusive practice across Southeast Asia.

Surviving the Enrollment Crisis:Challenges and Strategies of an Early Childhood Education Provider in Lampung

2025-09-30T10:55:25+07:00

This qualitative study examines how a community-based early childhood education (ECE) provider in
Lampung, Indonesia, namely TK Darul Ma’arif, is navigating an ongoing enrollment crisis. Against the backdrop
of nationwide declines in ECE participation and growing competition from free public institutions, the study
investigates the perspectives of four key stakeholders: the principal, a teacher, the institution committee
member, and a representative of the founding family. Using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews
conducted in Bahasa Indonesia and translated into English, four major themes were identified: (1) perceived
causes of enrollment decline, (2) financial and emotional impact, (3) strategies for institutional survival, and (4)
resilience rooted in faith, history, and community. Findings suggest that while the school faces real financial
pressures due to its reliance on tuition-based income, its ability to continue operating stems from non-material
resources such as long-standing community relationships, historical legitimacy, and a deep sense of moral
responsibility among staff and leadership. Participants also described adaptive strategies including door to
door visits around the area, shared budgeting, wide promotion regardless the limited budget, and maintaining
emotional motivation through spiritual and social commitment. The study contributes to the literature on ECE
sustainability by highlighting the importance of relational trust and institutional identity as well as supportive
community in shaping how schools survive in uncertain conditions. It calls for more inclusive and localized
approaches in educational policy that support not only infrastructure but also the cultural and moral
ecosystems sustaining community-based education.

Blended Learning in Brunei’s Preschool Education: Innovations, Challenges, and Policy Implications

2025-12-12T15:25:35+07:00

Blended learning, which combines face-to-face and online instruction, gained prominence globally during the COVID-19 pandemic as education systems sought continuity amid school closures. In Brunei Darussalam, blended approaches were introduced across all levels of education, including preschool, where play-based learning and parental involvement are central. However, despite growing adoption, there remains limited literature examining the role, challenges, and developmental appropriateness of blended learning in early childhood education (ECE). This article reviews and analyses existing research, policy documents, and contextual reports related to blended learning in Brunei’s preschool sector, situating the discussion within national priorities such as Wawasan 2035 and the Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad ke-21 (SPN21). The review identifies innovative practices, including digital storybooks, video-based lessons, interactive home activities, and the use of television and radio programmes to support learning continuity. It also highlights key challenges, such as unequal access to technology, varying parental capacity, limited teacher preparedness for digital pedagogy, and concerns about screen time and child well-being. The analysis suggests that blended learning can enrich preschool education when it is developmentally appropriate, play-oriented, and supported by adults, but it should function as a complement rather than a substitute for face-to-face learning. Policy implications emphasise investment in infrastructure, teacher professional development, and structured parental support to ensure equitable and sustainable implementation.