Abstract

This research introduces a fresh perspective by developing a quality management model designed to enhance the internal capacity of Early Childhood Education (ECE) institutions through the empowerment of teachers, principals, and other educational staff. The goal is to shift the focus of quality management from being a purely administrative task to a more self-sustaining, internally driven process. The study employed a modified Borg and Gall Research and Development (R&D) model, including preliminary studies, design, expert validation, and model revision. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis at ECE institutions in Parepare City, Indonesia. The model is practical, easy to implement, and has high content validity. The findings indicate that the developed model consists of five core components: learning planning, learning implementation, internal supervision, educator professional development, and continuous improvement strategies. This model strengthens ECE institutions' internal capacity for continuous quality management and is recommended for adaptation across various ECE contexts. It offers a process-based approach that aligns with national standards and international best practices, making it adaptable for developing countries. The model’s flexibility and focus on local contexts provide valuable insights for improving ECE practices and informing education policy globally. The contribution of this research lies in offering a practical and sustainable framework for ECE institutions to manage and improve quality, with a focus on internal empowerment and contextual adaptation.

Keywords

ECE, Quality Management, Internal Empowerment, Supervision, Learning Model,

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

  1. Anderson, J.C., Rungtusanatham, M., Schroeder, R.G. (1994). A Theory of Quality Management Underlying the Deming Management Method. Academy of Management Review, 19(3), 472–509. https://doi.org/10.2307/258936
  2. Aniskina, N., Terekhova, E. (2019). Innovative Methods for Quality Management in Educational Organizations. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 36(2), 217–231. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-12-2016-0235
  3. Burchinal, M. (2018). Measuring Early Care and Education Quality. Child Development Perspectives, 12(1), 3 – 9. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12260
  4. Cimino, S., Maremmani, A.G.I., Cerniglia, L. (2025). The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Early Childhood Education. Societies, 15(12), 341. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15120341
  5. Crawford, L.E., Shutler, P. (1999). Total Quality Management in Education: Problems and Issues for the Classroom Teacher. International Journal of Educational Management, 13(2), 67–73. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513549910261122
  6. Dahlgaard-Park, S.M., Reyes, L., Chen, C.K. (2018). The Evolution and Convergence of Total Quality Management and Management Theories. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 29(9–10), 1108–1128. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2018.1486556
  7. Davis, H.A. (2003). Conceptualizing the Role and Influence of Student-Teacher Relationships on Children’s Social and Cognitive Development. Educational Psychologist, 38(4), 207–234. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3804_2
  8. DHJM, D., HAP, W., AJJA, S. (2003). From Quality Assurance to Total Quality Management: How can Quality Assurance Result in Continuous Improvement in Health Professions Education?. Education for Health: Change in Learning & Practice, 16(2).
  9. Hannaway, D., Govender, P., Marais, P., Meier, C. (2019). Growing Early Childhood Education Teachers in Rural Areas. Africa Education Review, 16(3), 36–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2018.1445974
  10. Ho, D., Chen, S.S. (2013). Behind the Starting Line: School Capacity Building in Early Childhood education. School Leadership & Management, 33(5), 501–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2013.800476
  11. Ho, D., Lee, M. (2016). Capacity building for School Development: Current Problems and Future Challenges. School Leadership and Management, 36(5), 493–507. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2016.1247040
  12. Hogg, R.V., Hogg, M.C. (1995). Continuous Quality Improvement in Higher Education. International Statistical Review, 63(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.2307/1403776
  13. Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Pianta, R., Bryant, D., Early, D., Clifford, R., Barbarin, O. (2008). Ready to learn? Children’s Pre-Academic Achievement in Pre-Kindergarten Programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23(1), 27 – 50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2007.05.002
  14. Jaya, M.I., Herman, A.A., Morales, A.I.C. (2024). The Fusion of Islamic Education and Bugis Socio-cultural Values as a Guide to Freedom of Thought. AL-ISHLAH Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 22(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.35905/alishlah.v22i1.7858
  15. Kuswara, K., Laws, R., Ganakas, E., Bell, C., Love, P. (2025). Enhancing Healthy Eating and Active Play in the Australian Early Childhood Education and Care System. Health Promotion International, 40(6), daaf201. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf201
  16. Lynn, M.R. (1986). Determination and Quantification of Content Validity. Nursing Research, 35(6), 382–386.
  17. Mahfuzhah, H. (2018). Inovasi Pengembangan Kurikulum Berorientasi Continous Quality Inprovement di Lembaga Pendidikan Islam. Journal of Islamic Education Policy, 3(2), 106–115. https://dx.doi.org/10.30984/j.v3i2.864
  18. Mashburn, A.J., Pianta, R.C., Hamre, B.K., Downer, J.T., Barbarin, O.A., Bryant, D., Burchinal, M., Early, D.M., Howes, C. (2008). Measures of Classroom Quality in Prekindergarten and Children’s Development of Academic, Language, and Social Skills. Child Development, 79(3), 732 – 749. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01154.x
  19. Masuwai, A., Zulkifli, H., Hamzah, M. I. (2024). Evaluation of Content Validity and Face Validity of Secondary School Islamic Education Teacher Self-Assessment Instrument. Cogent Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2308410
  20. Melhuish, E., Gardiner, J. (2019). Structural factors and Policy Change as Related to the Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care for 3–4 year olds in the UK. Frontiers in Education, 4, 35. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00035
  21. MENTEŞOĞULLARI, E. (2023). Total Quality Management in Education: A Strategic Approach for Continuous Improvement and Success. International Journal of Social Sciences, 7(29), 184–198. https://doi.org/10.52096/usbd.7.29.10
  22. Miles, M.B., Huberman, A.M. (1984). Drawing Valid Meaning from Qualitative Data: Toward a Shared Craft. Educational Researcher, 13(5), 20–30.https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X013005020
  23. Nilsson‐Witell, L., Antoni, M., Dahlgaard, J.J. (2005). Continuous Improvement in Product Development: Improvement Programs and Quality Principles. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 22(8), 753–768.https://doi.org/10.1108/02656710510617210
  24. Nores, M., Fernandez, C. (2018). Building Capacity in Health and Education Systems to deliver Interventions that Strengthen Early Child Development. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1419(1), 57–73. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13682
  25. O’keeffe, L. R., Southwood, S.L., Hayes, N. (2022). Towards Circles of Care and Education: Exploring Understandings of Quality in Early Childhood Development. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 12(1), a1061. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v12i1.1061
  26. Oberhuemer, P. (2005). International Perspectives on Early Childhood Curricula. International Journal of Early Childhood, 37(1), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03165830
  27. Pereira, L., Guedes, S. da C., Morais, R.L. de S., Nobre, J.N.P., Santos, J.N. (2021). Environmental Resources, Types of Toys, and Family Practices that Enhance Child Cognitive Development. CoDAS, 33(2), e20190128. https://doi.org/10.1590/2317-1782/20202019128
  28. Pianta, R., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., Clifford, R., Early, D., Barbarin, O. (2005). Features of Pre-Kindergarten Programs, Classrooms, and Teachers: Do they Predict Observed Classroom Quality and Child-Teacher Interactions? Applied Developmental Science, 9(3), 144 – 159. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532480xads0903_2
  29. Pianta, R.C., Hofkens, T. (2023). Defining Early Education Quality using CLASS-Observed Teacher-Student Interaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1110419. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1110419
  30. Rahmatin, J.A., Larasati, S.A.N., Alawiyah, R. (2025). A Literature Review: The Implementation of the Borg & Gall Development Model in Science Learning. Indonesian Journal of STEM Education, 7(1), 40–46. https://journal.publication-center.com/index.php/ijse/article/view/1692
  31. Ridwan, N., Hamdanah. (2025). the Effectiveness of WhatsApp as an Assessment Platform in Qur’an and Hadith Learning at Islamic Junior High Schools in Parepare. Journal of Communication and Education Studies, 1(1), 1–9. https://ejurnal.mentorta.com/index.php/jces/article/view/22
  32. Sheridan, S. (2000). A Comparison of External and Self‐evaluations of Quality in Early Childhood Education. Early Child Development and Care, 164(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/0300443001640106
  33. Sylva, K., Siraj-Blatchford, I., Taggart, B., Sammons, P., Melhuish, E., Elliot, K., Totsika, V. (2006). Capturing Quality in Early Childhood through Environmental Rating Scales. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21(1), 76 – 92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2006.01.003
  34. Syslová, Z. (2019). The Relation between Reflection and the Quality of a Preschool Teacher’s Education Performance. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 13(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40723-019-0060-y
  35. Tarí, J.J., Dick, G. (2016). Trends in Quality Management Research in Higher Education Institutions. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 26(3).https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-10-2014-0230
  36. Tietze, W., Cryer, D., Bairrão, J., Palacios, J., Wetzel, G. (1996). Comparisons of Observed Process Quality in Early Child Care and Education Programs in Five Countries. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11(4), 447–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(96)90017-4
  37. Tilbe, Y.T., Gai, X. (2022). Teacher-child interactions in early childhood education and its effects on social and language development. Early Child Development and Care, 192(5), 761–774. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2020.1798944
  38. Tobin, J. (2005). Quality in Early Childhood Education: An Anthropologist’s Perspective. Early Education and Development, 16(4), 421–434. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed1604_3
  39. Ulferts, H., Wolf, K. M., Anders, Y. (2019). Impact of Process Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care on Academic Outcomes: Longitudinal Meta‐Analysis. Child Development, 90(5), 1474–1489.https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13296
  40. van Elsen, J., Buckers, L., Van Tricht, C., Torbeyns, J., De Maeyer, S. (2025). PROSPER: A Comprehensive, Valid, and Reliable Instrument to Observe Problem-Solving Behaviours in Preschoolers. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 58, 101940.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.101940
  41. Vandenbroucke, L., Spilt, J., Verschueren, K., Piccinin, C., Baeyens, D. (2018). The Classroom as a Developmental Context for Cognitive Development: A Meta-Analysis on the Importance of Teacher–Student Interactions for Children’s Executive Functions. Review of Educational Research, 88(1), 125–164. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654317743200
  42. Von Suchodoletz, A., Lee, D. S., Henry, J., Tamang, S., Premachandra, B., Yoshikawa, H. (2023). Early Childhood Education and Care Quality and Associations with child Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis. PLoS One, 18(5), e0285985. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285985
  43. Wehachart, R. (2024). Development of External Educational Quality Assurance to Reduce Educational Inequality and Address Developmental and Learning Issues in Early Childhood Development Centers. ONESQA Quality Assurance in Education Journal, 1(1), 1–12. https://so16.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/onesqa/article/view/1076
  44. Wong, M.N., Li, H. (2010). From External Inspection to Self-Evaluation: A Study of Quality Assurance in Hong Kong Kindergartens. Early Education and Development, 21(2), 205–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409281003638725
  45. Yang, L., Nasri, N. (2024). A study of Teacher-Child Interaction in Social-Emotional Teaching Activities in Kindergarten. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(4), 1815-1831. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v13-i4/23777
  46. Yusoff, M.S.B. (2019). ABC of Content Validation and Content Validity Index Calculation. Education in Medicine Journal, 11(2), 49–54.https://doi.org/10.21315/eimj2019.11.2.6