Democratic Participation and teaching practices in Public Pre-schools in Epe Local Government Education Authority

Аннотация

This study investigated the practicalities of democratic participation and the effects of teaching practices on the learning development of children in public pre-schools within Epe Local Government Education Authority, Lagos State. Emphasis was placed on understanding how child-centred approaches and inclusive practices contribute to early learning, as well as evaluating the extent to which government policies support children. A qualitative descriptive research design was adopted, and data was gathered from 100 ECCDE teachers selected from ten randomly sampled public primary schools. A validated, self-developed questionnaire served as the main instrument for data collection. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential analysis using the one-sample t-test were employed to interpret the data. These methods were shown to positively influence children’s learning development, particularly in cognitive, language, and social domains. However, challenges persist in terms of resource availability, professional development, and administrative support. Findings indicate incresing adoption of democraticclassroom practices and child centered teaching methods that enhance cognitive, language and social dedelopment. However, challenges persist due to limited resourses,inconsistent teacher training and weak policy implementation. Hence, the study recommended targeted teacher training, improved learning resources, stronger policy implementation, and community engagement to enhance the effectiveness of early childhood education. These steps are essential for ensuring equitable learning outcomes for all children in line with global education goals.

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