BACKGROUND: Evidence supports the importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) interventions to improve children's health, lifelong productivity, and human capital. However, ECD programs are not scaled sufficiently to reach many of the 250 million young children globally who are not meeting their developmental potential. Practical guidance is limited on how to scale ECD programs effectively. This mixed-method study explored the contextual and implementation determinants of scaling up ECD programs in Zambia, using one large-scale, community-based parenting group program (Scaling Up Early Childhood Development in Zambia (SUpErCDZ) program) as a case study. The goal was to generate recommendations for policymakers and implementers in Zambia and other LMICs. METHODS: This study was guided by the WHO/ExpandNet scale-up framework and the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (ISAT). A total of 30 key informant interviews were conducted with program staff, government officials, academic partners, implementing partners of other ECD programs, and donors. Qualitative transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis according to the framework method. A budget impact analysis (BIA) was conducted using prospectively collected program cost and implementation data supplemented by online sources and interviews with program staff. The total cost of scale-up over five years using three scenarios (low, medium, and high intensity) was modeled. RESULTS: According to government officials, donors, and partners, the most common contextual factors influencing scale-up ECD programs are political commitment, availability of an overarching or multisectoral ECD policy, availability of resources, and integration of ECD programs into existing government structures. In addition, multisectoral collaboration, stakeholders’ engagement, and sociocultural factors emerged as themes essential to scale-up. From the perspective of the program staff, the key facilitators of ECD implementation were stakeholders’ engagement, sociocultural factors (cultural norms and beliefs), adaptation of the intervention to the context, integration into existing government structures, and intervention characteristics. In addition, providing incentives to Community-Based Volunteers (CBVs) emerged as critical to sustainability. The main barriers to implementation identified by the program staff were the use of culturally inappropriate activities within the ECD curriculum, lack of incentives (financial or in-kind) to caregivers and CBVs, and unforeseen contextual circumstances (COVID-19 pandemic and insecurity). The budget impact analysis showed that the total cost and budget for scaling up SUpErCDZ or a similar ECD program depends on the magnitude of the scale-up in terms of geographic breadth and depth (coverage within specific geographic areas). Based on our scale-up scenarios, the estimated cost of scaling up this program over five years ranged between US$1.74M to US$4.3M depending on the breadth (how many provinces) and depth (how many health facilities, CBVs, and caregivers) of implementation. CONCLUSION: Multiple complex and interrelated contextual and implementation factors influence the scaling up of ECD programs in Zambia. To ensure equitable access to ECD programs for children under five in Zambia, policymakers and implementers will need to consider these when planning to scale up ECD interventions in Zambia. / 2025-08-04T00:00:00Z

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / After the democratic elections of 1994, the South African government embarked on radical reforms to the apartheid education system, which included the development of a policy that is committed to human rights and social justice. The inclusive education policy, entitled: Education White Paper 6: Special Needs Education: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System (Department of Education, 2001) was released in July 2001. This inclusive education policy brought with it the prospect of changing the structures that promoted exclusionary and discriminatory practices in the education system. While the inclusive education framework is characterised by explicit policy directives, well-defined outcomes and a firm commitment to human rights and social justice, there is a growing realisation that a considerable gap exists between this framework and its effective implementation. The main aim of this study was to understand the factors that facilitate or constrain the implementation of inclusive education in the South African context. These factors were explored through a qualitative case study. A documentary analysis, as well as unstructured and semi-structured interviews was used to collect the data within the context of the research aims, questions, and a framework of categories, drawn from relevant literature, was used to analyse the data. The first major finding of this study was that the implementation of inclusive education policy in South Africa has been facilitated by the school communities' beliefs, values and norms relating to the inclusion of learners with disabilities. The second major fmding of this study is that the designers of the inclusive education policy underestimated the deep-seated socio-economic factors that inhibit effective learning in certain contexts. Poverty was identified as a major constraining factor in the study, followed by the complexities of the National Curriculum Statement, a lack of capacity to implement the policy, lack of support for policy implementation, and the limitations of the Education White Paper 6 itself. Given the facilitating and constraining factors emerging from this study, the recommendations made have been based on the assumption that the implementation of inclusive education policy is a worthwhile endeavour. These recommendations are proposed within three broad areas, namely policy implementation, inclusive education policy, and inclusive education practice. Of these recommendations the following are critical: • The Department of Education should develop differentiated inclusive education guidelines that address inclusion of learners in poverty stricken contexts. • The Department of Education, in conjunction with schools, should create formal and informal communication channels through which stakeholders can raise their views and concerns about the policy of inclusive education and how it should be implemented. • The Department of Education should take full responsibility for the advocacy, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of inclusive education policy, rather than relying on the services of independent providers. • The Department of Education should address the complexities that prevent districts and schools from establishing support structures.

Early childhood development centres play a major role in supporting the development of children from zero to six years. For sustainability and strengthening ECD Centres funding is provided by government departments, municipalities and the private sector. The City of Tshwane is funding a number of ECD centres in Mamelodi. The CoT has clear guidelines, policies and procedures outlined in the funding strategy. The challenge faced by the CoT is the compliance and accountability of the funded ECD centres. Utilizing the qualitative approach, this study communicates the challenges faced by the eight Mamelodi ECD centres in keeping to the allocated line items outlined by the CoT funding strategy. The study describes the status of compliance of these centres. It further outlines the CoT funding processes, the ECD managers’ understanding, concerns and reasons behind the lack of compliance. Based on the findings, the study makes recommendations for practice, policy and further research studies. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

Early childhood development is one of the critical services to support the development of young children from conception to age six. Children raised in vulnerable inner cities, with limited access to quality, well-resourced ECD services, are at risk of perpetuating cycles of disadvantage and exclusion. Even though ECD centres exist in abundance in the inner city of Durban, eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, managers of ECD centres face challenges such as meeting rigorous registration norms and standards, a lack of finances, resources, trained staff and socio-economic factors which affect the wellbeing of children. Using a qualitative approach, this study communicates the role played by the Inner City ECD Forum in the learning experiences of seven ECD managers through their participation in inter-sectoral stakeholder interventions and capacity building trainings. It further outlines the benefits of networking and collective support. Based on the findings, recommendations for practice, policy and further research are made. / School of Social Sciences / M.A. (Social Work)

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / The fostering of self-regulation is of great importance in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase, because it leads to future self-discipline. The aim of the study was to understand the participants’ ways of fostering self-regulation during free play in three primary schools in Zimbabwe. The theoretical frameworks of the study, namely positive psychology and Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (SDT), as well as the Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT), regarded the learners’ support for autonomy, competence and relatedness as key characteristics of positive discipline that support the development of self-regulation. Benner’s interpretive phenomenology method was used with the aim of describing and interpreting participants’ experiences of the phenomenon under study. The social constructivism paradigm underpinned the study and the approach was qualitative. Data collection and analysis were guided by Benner’s interpretive phenomenological method. A paradigm case, themes and exemplars were used in data presentation, discussion and interpretation. Findings showed that free-play activities consisted of, for instance, socio-dramatic play, indoor play in play corners and outdoor play. The common practices used by the participants to foster self-regulation through positive discipline were co-regulation, positive reinforcement, time-out and logical consequences. Teachers and learners often perceived the teachers’ use of time-out and logical consequences as punishment rather than positive discipline, because of the rigidity of its application without considering psychosocial needs. The findings, however, were consistent with an understanding of fostering self-regulation through positive discipline during free play by nurturing the learners’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, as well as mindfulness. Research proposed mindfulness as a possible fourth basic psychological need. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for achieving a better and sustainable future for all people by 2030, participants perceived the fostering of self-regulation through positive discipline as part of gender education for eradicating gender-based violence and to foster resilience. / Selfregulering moet in die vroeë kinderjare reeds by klein kinders gekweek word sodat hulle later in die lewe in staat sal wees om selfdissipline aan die dag te lê. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel hoe die deelnemers by drie laerskole in Zimbabwe gedurende vrye spel selfregulering by leerders gekweek het. Die drie teoretiese raamwerke waarop hierdie studie berus, is die positiewe sielkunde, Deci en Ryan se selfbeskikkingsteorie (SBT) en die teorie van basiese psigososiale behoeftes (TBSB). Hiervolgens is die bevrediging van kinders se behoefte aan outonomie, bedrewenheid (‘competence’) en verhoudings (‘relatedness’) voorvereistes vir die positiewe dissiplinering waarmee selfregulering by hulle gekweek word. Benner se metode van interpretatiewe fenomenologie is gevolg om deelnemers se belewing van die fenomeen te beskryf en te vertolk. Die sosiale konstruktivisme het die grondslag van hierdie studie gevorm, en die benadering was kwalitatief. Data is volgens Benner se metode van interpretatiewe fenomenologie ingewin en ontleed. ʼn Paradigmageval, temas en voorbeelde (‘exemplars’) is in die aanbieding, bespreking en interpretasie van data gebruik. Volgens die bevindings het vryespelaktiwiteite bestaan uit onder meer sosiaal-dramatiese spel, binnenshuise spel in speelhoekies, en buitelugspel. Die praktyke waarvolgens deelnemers selfregulering deur positiewe dissiplinering gekweek het, was onderlinge regulering, positiewe versterking, afkoeltyd en logiese gevolge. Onderwysers en leerders het afkoeltyd en logiese gevolge nie as positiewe dissiplinering nie, maar eerder as straf belewe aangesien dit streng toegepas word en nie met die kind se psigososiale behoeftes rekening hou nie. Die bevindings strook egter met ons siening van die kweek van selfregulering deur positiewe dissiplinering tydens vrye spel deur leerders se psigososiale behoefte aan outonomie, bedrewenheid (‘comptetence’), verhoudings (‘relatedness’) en bewustheid (‘mindfulness’) te bevredig. Navorsers stel bewustheid (‘mindfulness’) as ʼn vierde basiese psigososiale behoefte voor. In ooreenstemming met die Doelwitte vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (DVO’s) vir ʼn beter en volhoubare toekoms vir alle mense teen 2030, het deelnemers gevind dat die kweek van selfregulering deur positiewe dissiplinering deel uitmaak van genderopvoeding as teenvoeter vir geslagsgeweld, en vindingrykheid aanwakker. / Ukukhuthaza ukuzilawula kubaluleke kakhulu esigabeni sokuThuthukiswa Kwabantwana Abasebancane (i-ECD phase), ngoba kuholela ekuzikhalimeni esikhathini esizayo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuqonda izindlela zababambiqhaza zokukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngesikhathi sokudlala ngokukhululeka ezikoleni ezintathu zamabanga aphansi eZimbabwe. Izinhlaka zombono wezinzululwazi zalolu cwaningo, ezaziwa ngokuthi okuhle kwengqondo kanye noMbono Wenzululwazi kaDeci noRyan Wokuzimisela (i-SDT), kanye noMbono Wenzululwazi Wezidingo Eziyisisekelo Zokuphathelene Nenggqondo (i-BPNT), zithathe ukwesekwa kwabafundi njengokuzimele, ikhono kanye nokuhlobana njengezimpawu ezisemqoka zokukwazi ukuzikhalima okuhle okusekela ukuthuthukiswa kokuzilawula. Kusetshenziswe indlela kaBenner yokuhumusha okwenzekile ngenhloso yokuchaza nokuhumusha okwenzeke kubabambiqhaza kulokho okufundwa ngako. Inqubo yokwakhiwa kwezenhlalakahle iyona esekele ucwaningo kanti futhi indlela yokwenza ibibheka amaqiniso. Ukuqoqwa kwemininingo nokuhlaziywa bekuncike endleleni kaBenner yokuhumusha okwenzekile. Kwasetshenziswa izimo semiqondo, izingqikithi kanye nezibonelo ukwethula imininingo, izingxoxo nokuhumusha. Okutholakele kukhombisile ukuthi ukudlala ngokukhululeka kubandakanya, ngokwesibonelo, ukudlala ngokulingisa ezenhlalo, ukudlala endlini emakhoneni okudlala kanye nokudlala ngaphandle. Imikhuba ejwayelekile esetshenziswa ngababambiqhaza ukukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngokusebenzisa ukukhalima okukahle kwakungukulawula ngokubambisana, ukukhuthaza okuhle, ukuqedwa komdlalo kanye nemiphumela eyenza umqondo. Othisha nabafundi babevame ukubona ukuqedwa komdlalo nemiphumela eyenza umqondo njengento esetshenziswa ngothisha njengesijeziso kunokukhalima okuhle, ngenxa yobukhuni bokusetshenziswa kwako ngaphandle kokubheka izidingo zomqondo. Okutholakele, nokho, bekuhambisana nokuqonda kokukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngokukhalima okukahle ngesikhathi sokudlala ngokukhululeka ngokunakekela izidingo zabafundi zokuphathelene nengqondo ekuzimeleni, ikhono kanye nokuhlobana, kanye nokuqaphela izinto. Ucwaningo luhlongoze ukuqaphela izinto njengesidingo sesine esiyisisekelo kokuphathelene nengqondo. Ngokuhambisanayo neziNjongo Zokuthuthukiswa Okusinokusimama (ama-SDG) ukuze kufezeke ikusasa elingcono nelinokusimama kubantu bonke ngonyaka ka- 2030, ababambiqhaza babona ukukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngokuzikhalima okukahle njengengxenye yemfundo yobulili ukuze kuncishiswe udlame oluncike ebulilini futhi kukhuthazwe ukuqina. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)