The Assessment of Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education in Nigeria

This thesis explores Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) stakeholders’ accounts of quality assessment in the Nigerian context from an educational including sociological perspective. It unfolds the diverse socio-cultural meanings of the notion of quality in relation to teacher-child relationship, pedagogical instruction, learning environment and learning outcomes. The thesis demonstrates the need to locate current policy initiatives and quality measures (including the notion and development of quality care and learning) within the social, cultural, economic and political contexts that surround its provision. It is argued that understanding contextual complexity is germane to quality assessment of ECCE institutions. The study was carried out during seven months intensive fieldwork in Lagos state, Nigeria. The study employed a qualitative interpretive approach using semi- structured interviews, focus group discussions, observations and policy analysis. The study involved a number of stakeholders: teachers, parents, policymakers and Schools inspectors from the Ministry of Education. The study reveals that quality assessment of children’s services reflects economic, cultural and socio-political contexts that shape the welfare support services for children and how the aims of early childhood services are perceived by the stakeholders. The findings suggest that the contribution of poverty on early childhood provision and management, through public and private sectors’ involvement, constitutes a problematic notion of quality education for children. The study argues that the socio-cultural values that relate to communality and cultural learning have to be sufficiently incorporated into policy and practice structures in ECCE. The notion of quality from the perspectives of the different stakeholders taking part in the study was found to be open-ended, whilst embracing a mix of traditional and contemporary values that allow for continuous reflection and dialogue about possible ways of achieving quality care and education for Nigerian children given the challenges and possibilities of changes in the economic, political and socio-cultural outlook. Their major concern is how to adapt child care and learning to the rapidly changing educational structure that occurs around the world without losing the significance of cherished Nigerian societal values. The study suggests that there is a need to follow up on colonial educational policy and practices by documenting existing childrearing traditional practices and negotiating on the essential aspects that meet the notion of quality care and learning for children. In conclusion the study proposes a provisional theoretical model for assessing quality in the Nigerian ECCE parlance. The model emphasises an intensive interdisciplinary approach combining different aspects of relevant fields of study to understanding quality assessment and other assemblages of early childhood care and education

Sustaining community infrastructure through community-based governance (the social practice of collective design policy)

Taiwo Frances Gbadegesin - ORCID: 0000-0003-3211-0813 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3211-0813Item is not available in this repository.Purpose This paper empirically provides information on community-driven infrastructure provision through the collective efforts of community-based organizations (CBOs). It offers an insight into emerging events on community-based infrastructure procurement, scholarship and, creating gaps for new frontiers of knowledge on community development research agenda in the emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach It is drawn upon community-based associations, herein referred to as landlords-landladies community association (LLCAs) – representatives of households in the communities. After interviewing the key members of the groups, we administered copies of the semi-structured questionnaire randomly on the enumerated regular members of sampled seventeen LLCAs. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings Planning for a sustainable community, protection and security necessity and Government inadequate attention on emerging communities over the years are the main reasons for the joint decision. Electrification, drainage and road top the lists of the projects executed. Major challenges included diversity and inclusiveness. Development projects' design, execution and commission contribute to performance. Also, LLCAs' clarity of duties and purposes and tenure/duration of officials contribute to the overall membership satisfaction on governance structure and leadership. Research limitations/implications It is limited to the specific reasons for collective efforts, challenges of the participatory movement, membership satisfaction on governance and infrastructure recently procured in the communities. Frontier of studies should be extended to enabling factors. Practical implications Findings from this study indicate that community-driven governance with the support of the government enhances community-based infrastructure. Social implications Potential values of collective action embellished in the concepts of a social movement, active engagement, communalism, grassroots efforts, social cohesion and planning in bringing peoples of diversities together for common goals with less rigorous formalization. Originality/value The novelty of the research is the exposition on the evidence-based innovative concept of integrating the social practice of participatory design, representing a bottom-up model into infrastructure procurement in community settings.https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-10-2019-014210pubpub

Consumer’s welfare in the retail environment: implication for retail property development planning and policy

Taiwo Frances Gbadegesin - ORCID: 0000-0003-3211-0813 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3211-0813Item is not available in this repository.In West African commercial cities, research on customers' well-being, social life, safety and retail environment is underrepresented. This study aims at examining how the environment of shopping malls influences feelings of well-being. Subsequently, the policy way-forward towards ensuring the sustainable well-being of consumers is solicited. Using the mall intercept technique, data were gathered on Tuesdays and Saturdays of the week. Subsequently, two categories of interviews (physical and telephone) were conducted. While the quantitative data were analysed using regression analysis, we utilized computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS-Atlas. ti) to analyse qualitative (interview) data. The study discovered that the shopping environment contributed to shopper's well-being. It suggests that shopping activities contribute to shoppers' social, leisure and work-life in the study area. However, there are issues with safety, self-identification, atmosphere and price/promotion from the outcomes. Social, leisure and work-life of shopper associates with retail environment. More concern is raised on safety (security). Planning, branding and rethinking strategies can be of help.https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2021.1983105pubpu

Child stunting in South Africa: Urban premium or penalty?

Taiwo Frances Gbadegesin - ORCID: 0000-0003-3211-0813 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3211-0813Item not available in this repositoryLiving in a high-density urban environment may be good for people’s health and well-being and standard of living but it may also have disadvantages. The international literature debates the extent to which urban living carries a premium or a penalty. Child growth and development indicators are good measures for assessing this. Using the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) database, we take the example of child stunting to investigate the spatial inequalities between urban formal, urban informal and rural areas in South Africa. The figures for child stunting in South Africa are considerably lower than those for other countries in sub-Saharan Africa but this is not a cause for complacency. We found an urban premium for male child stunting when comparing urban formal and rural areas, but an urban penalty for male child stunting when comparing urban informal and rural areas. The paper calls for a renewed focus on managing urbanization in South Africa.https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2022.2117627pubpu

Factors influencing healthcare-seeking behaviour of South African adolescents

Taiwo Frances Gbadegesin - ORCID: 0000-0003-3211-0813 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3211-0813Item is not available in this repository.Aims Access to healthcare, especially among adolescents, is a public health issue with long-lasting health and socio-economic consequences. Adolescence is a distinctive growing period for developing healthcare behaviour that can either improve or worsen future health conditions. Hence, the need for quality healthcare behaviour among adolescents who usually constitute a large proportion of any country’s population, is imperative. This paper thus examines the impact of medical aid coverage and other socio-economic factors in determining South African adolescents’ utilisation of either private or public healthcare facilities in the event of illness. By extension, the study investigates the effects of pertinent parental characteristics on South African adolescents’ choices of either private or public healthcare facilities. Subject and methods Data come from the population-weighted 2018 General Household Survey (GHS). Units of analysis include adolescents within the ages of 10 and 19 years. The empirical analysis relies primarily on a regressions-based model and instrumental variable approach. Results Result indicates that younger adolescents are more likely to use public healthcare facilities in the event of illness than older adolescents. However, adolescents who are medically covered are less likely to utilise public healthcare facilities in the event of illness. Further findings suggest that the likelihood of using public healthcare facilities is higher among adolescents who are black Africans, live in relatively poor households, large households and rural areas. Conclusion Further implementation and review of any national health policy such as the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme needs to address and take into consideration adolescents’ healthcare utlisation and socio-economic variations in their healthcare utilisation.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01572-430pubpub1

Housing, Home and Children’s Socio-Emotional Health: Conceptual Ideas and Empirical Evidence from a South African Pilot Study

Taiwo Frances Gbadegesin - ORCID: 0000-0003-3211-0813 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3211-0813Item is not available in this repository.The literature linking home and housing with the socio-emotional health of children focuses primarily on the physical attributes of housing. We conducted a pilot study to measure physical and socio-emotional attributes of housing for a sample of 69 children from a low-resource setting in South Africa. We used the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We analysed the data using descriptive and inferential methods. Our preliminary evidence from the descriptive methods shows that the children’s socio-emotional health had a statistically significant correlation with six of the subscales in the HOME inventory but with only two of the physical attributes of their housing. We conclude that studies of the relationship between home and children’s socio-emotional health should pay more attention to the concept of home and how it has been operationalized through the HOME inventory.https://doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2022.205860239pubpub