Inclusive education is a fundamental part of South African Education with policies and initiatives being designed to provide support for learners with barriers to learning. With autism as a growing global phenomenon, South Africa has the additional challenge of providing learning support for learners with autism. This dissertation focuses on how one specialised preschool provides inclusive opportunities for preschool learners with autism through learning support. This setting is unique as it shares the same physical location as a mainstream preschool. The study focuses upon how the preschool teachers support their learners with autism so that they can be included within the adjoining inclusive environment. The research was conducted through participant observation and supporting interviews over a period of six months. All observations were recorded through field notes and reflections. The research produced a number of key findings. The shared physical environment enabled teachers and learners from both preschool settings to work together on a daily basis. This had a positive effect upon peer acceptance, staff and learner relationships and opportunities for staff to communicate and work collaboratively on a daily basis. The specialised preschool teachers provided learning support through the adaptation of learning environment, curriculum, multi sensory learning and language and communicative means. The main conclusions drawn from this research were the importance of a close working relationship between staff members and learners from both settings; the importance of adapting communication, environment and learning expectations; and lastly, the importance of focusing upon each individual when providing inclusive opportunities. The research recommends having a specialist setting physically close to an inclusive environment as this enables learners with high needs such as autism to build up the skills needed to benefit from being included. In addition, the research recommends staff in mainstream and specialist settings to have regular opportunity to work together collaboratively when developing learning strategies. Finally, the research recommends the publication of a guideline, outlining the nature of autism and recommended strategies to use within the classroom, which would serve as a flexible document for teachers to adapt to support their individual learners. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

In response to the main federal K-12 law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the teacher education program standards, teacher education programs have tried to address social and emotional learning (SEL) content in their curricula. Adding information on SEL alone may not be enough to overcome the shortenings of many existing early childhood programs. The current study attempted to address these shortenings through the inclusion of specialized SEL strategies and sample activities in addition to traditional content on social-emotional learning and development. This study was organized within a quasi-experimental design framework. One hundred thirty-nine preservice teachers were divided between control and treatment groups. The treatment group was exposed to the intervention (i.e. additional/special SEL strategies and activities) in the modified Nurturing Children's Social Competence class, while the control group was in the traditional version of the same class (i.e. traditional instruction with no additional/special SEL strategies and activities). All students were surveyed using the SEL Beliefs Scale for Preservice Teachers and the SEL Knowledge and Attitudes Scales for Preservice Teachers. The surveys were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the semester. An exploratory factor analysis, MANOVA, and descriptive discriminant analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that preservice teachers in the treatment group gained greater knowledge about (a) SEL in general, (b) the development of SEL skills in young children, and (c) implementation of the SEL strategies in the classroom. In addition, preservice teachers in the treatment group developed more positive attitudes toward implementation of SEL strategies and the importance of teaching social and emotional skills to young children. Even though SEL beliefs did not predict treatment / control group differences, there were statistically significant differences in the development of SEL beliefs within each group. Preservice teachers in both groups highly believed that creating a SEL environment in the classroom and schoolwide is essential.

This quantitative and qualitative case study examined the educators' perceptions of both the goals and unique aspects of the foundations for success (FFS) curriculum model. Specifically, this study was designed to explain the experiences of 55 early childhood educators and administrators who all had similar exposure to the FFS curriculum model. This study sought to understand the educators' perceptions of the specific goals of using pertinent curriculum and instruction terminology and the parallel process of content language, connecting the importance of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and learning standards and readiness for kindergarten. In the same way, the perceptions of the unique aspects of the value based curriculum, the use of reflective supervision and the use of design thinking were gathered and interpreted. This study looked closely into program successes, challenges and future implications of the FFS curriculum model. This study also considered the extent to which future implementations of the model could change the current interdependent relationship between early childhood education and the primary grades. The researcher analyzed the perceptions, utilizing the Likert-value survey instrument responses, the open-ended survey responses, along with the focus group responses to triangulate the findings. Common themes shared across all data collection were evaluated and described. The most apparent themes derived from the findings included the following: the importance of relationships; the importance of accountability and the role language plays; the necessity of the consideration of children's interest for optimal development; and the recognition of intentional planning, revisiting and reflection to the process of the FFS curriculum model. Overall, the FFS curriculum model was determined to be a curriculum model that takes educators on a continuous journey of thinking and learning. Evidence was gathered for the FFS curriculum model that implicated the possibility for replication of the model in other schools, as well as further research using the model to measure student success.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study examined the relationship between early childhood preservice teachers' cultural awareness and their self-efficacy in equitable science education. It further aimed to determine if the relationship between these two constructs was moderated by their race/ethnicity or the number of languages they speak. Finally, it sought to identify preservice teachers' understanding of equity in science education, as well as how they planned to incorporate the equity concept into their future science teaching practices for diverse learners in early childhood classrooms. Data for this study were drawn from 380 preservice teachers who self-enrolled in a science methods course as part of a teacher preparation program. To measure the preservice teachers' cultural awareness and self-efficacy in equitable science education, two Likert-scale instruments, Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory (CDAI) and Self-Efficacy Beliefs about Equitable Science Teaching and Learning (SEBEST), were employed. Qualitative data were collected by administering six open-ended questions. For quantitative results, statistically significant findings indicated that when the participants were more aware of creating a multicultural environment and instruction and/or when they were less biased and were more sensitive/knowledgeable about diversity of students and families, their expectations about science learning of students from diverse backgrounds would be higher. Furthermore, when the participants were more aware of creating a multicultural environment and instruction and/or when they felt more comfortable about confronting students or parents whose cultures and languages were different from their own, they tended to have a stronger sense of efficacy in teaching science to those students. In addition, when the participants were less biased and were also sensitive and knowledgeable about students' and families' diverse backgrounds, they were more likely to have a strong sense of science teaching efficacy. Along with these findings, participants' race/ethnicity was a statistically significant moderator affecting the relationship between their sense of science teaching outcome expectancy and awareness of creating a multicultural environment and instruction. When the awareness of creating a multicultural environment and instruction of both White and non-White participants were increased at an equal level, White participants' expectations for science learning of students from diverse backgrounds were higher than those of non-White participants. Measurement challenges were identified through the analysis process that compromised the validity of the quantitative findings. Thus, they should be interpreted with caution. For qualitative results, three predominant themes related to the participants' conceptualization of equity in science education were identified. First, the participants harbored alternative understandings of the definitions of equity in science education. One third of the participants understood equity as providing appropriate access and support based on the levels of students' needs whereas another one third defined equity as providing identical teaching services and resources to all students regardless of their backgrounds. They also conceptualized equity in science education as an issue independent of their future students' racial/ethnic backgrounds; instead, they regarded it as a subject associated with their students' English proficiency.

Inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood settings remains a goal for many early care and education centers and professionals. In this study, the perceptions of supports needed to accomplish this goal were examined. Early childhood teachers from a university-based child care center, which is inspired by the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, were interviewed and asked to explore their feelings and thoughts on fully including children with disabilities in their classrooms. An examination of their perceptions led to the identification of four major themes: a) everyone is valuable in the classroom community, b) additional training is needed, c) support from administrators, peers, specialists, and therapists, d) experience fosters success. From these themes the researcher found that teachers felt support from administrators(staffing, policies and procedures, time for meetings), peers, and on-site consultants, additional training, and an over arching philosophy of accepting differences were crucial to successful inclusion. The participants also indicated that all new teachers, whether in pre-service or through in-service should have access to these supports and be provided with information about the benefits and positive experiences of others who have included a child with a disability into their classroom. This study will add to the continuing discussion of early childhood inclusion and provide additional information for programmatic decision making within a particular setting.

La recherche aborde l’univers des savoirs enseignants depuis la perspective des professionnels qui travaillent en éducation préscolaire au Costa Rica et qui base la problématique dans les savoirs qui conforment la base de leur travail pendant l’attention et l’éducation des enfants de moins de trois ans d’âge. Ceci étant, le but général se centre dans l’identification, selon les enseignants eux-mêmes, les savoirs requis pour l’exercice enseignant, se centrant en: (a) les sources d’acquisition des savoirs enseignants, (b) la perception que les enseignants en éducation préscolaire possèdent de la population de 0 à 3 ans, ainsi que des savoirs qui ont besoin d’avoir une action et (c) analyser la façon dont les enseignants mobilisent les savoirs dans l’exercice de leur profession. Il s’agit d’une recherche qualitative de contact compréhensif qui a pour but de trouver des données avec la prétention de construire et de reconstruire leurs significations. Le contexte de la recherche a eu lieu au Costa Rica. Pour cela, on a eu la participation de 23 enseignants qui ont accompli avec les critères établis, comme, par exemple, le fait d’avoir une formation universitaire, posséder de l’expérience de travail et de travailler dans le système scolaire, aussi bien public que privé de l’éducation. Comme outils méthodologiques on a utilisé l’entretien semi-structuré et l’instruction au sosie. Tous les participants ont répondu sous leur consentement libre agréé par le Comité d’Étique de l’Université de Montréal. Les données sont passées par un processus d’analyse qui a eu le soutien du software QdaMiner et la composition d’étapes de création d’un système de classification et d’organisation initial des données, lecture générale des entretiens et signalisation de catégories préliminaires, ainsi que comme par la création de tableaux de codification finale. Les résultats peuvent être vus selon trois axes: (1) Sources d’acquisition des savoirs, qui contemple ceux en provenance de leur histoire de vie personnelle, ceux de la formation initial et continue et ceux offerts par l’expérience de travail avec les enfants de moins de trois ans; (2) Savoirs nécessaires pour travailler avec des enfants de 0 à 3 ans, se dérivant plusieurs types de savoir qui comprennent le vécu personnel et le vécu professionnel; les savoirs disciplinaires de disciplines sur le développement de l’enfant, les connaissances sur les théories d’apprentissage les diverses disciplines analogues à l’éducation; les savoirs pédagogiques dérivés de l’expérience, en rapport avec l’ébauche des propositions, l’enseignement, la méthodologie et l’évaluation des enfants; savoirs gérer leur travail sachant les caractéristiques que celui-ci possède, la routine et les relations avec la famille; finalement (3) Mobilisation des savoirs dans leur pratique pédagogique, centré dans les savoirs construis, reformulés et appris au jour le jour de leur travail enseignant. Ces trois axes sont composés par des sous-catégories et après leur présentation et discussion il a été possible de noter que les savoirs sont acquis en contact et en interaction fournis par les différents espaces de déroulement avec les autres, comme par exemple, celui de la formation professionnelle et l’action enseignante. Étant que la plus grande valoration des sources a été fournie dans la pratique professionnelle et dans l’expérience de l’exercice de l’enseignement dans la salle de classe, ce qui permet des reformulations, de modifications et de perceptions d’enseignement/apprentissage. Les participants enregistrent une large gamme de savoirs qui pointent vers une complexité dans leur exercice professionnel qu’ils ont une grande répercussion dans le développement éducatif des garçons et des filles. Plus largement, les savoirs de ces enseignants sont fortement relationnés au contexte de travail et sont constamment soumis à la vérification, à la réflexion et à la modification, à cause de la mobilité dans la pratique pédagogique. En plus, il a été possible d’identifier les failles, lacunes, critiques et besoins que les participants ont mentionnés comme essentiels pour être repensés, en ce qui concerne le processus formatif initial et continu, ainsi que le matériel d’appui curriculaire et aux conditions de travail. De cette manière, on conclue que l’analyse a répondu aux objectifs proposés et en plus on le situe comme une contribution pour réfléchir sur les améliorations dans la formation des enseignants qui travaillent dans l’éducation préscolaire, étant l’insertion de la thématique des savoirs adéquate pour le processus de réflexion sur les pratiques professionnelles. / This research approaches the universe of the teaching knowledge from the perspective of the professionals who work in Preschool Education in Costa Rica. Its object of study is the problem of the knowledge foundation which is the basis of their work during the care and education of children below three years of age. Consequently, the general objective of the investigation is focused on the identification, according to the very same preschool teachers, of the knowledge required for teaching practice, focusing on: (a) the acquisition sources of their teaching knowledge, (b) the perception that the teachers in Preschool Education deal with the student population from 0 to 3 years, as well as the other necessary knowledge areas to be able to act and (c) to examine how the teachers move that knowledge in the exercise of their profession. This qualitative research was done from a comprehensive approach with the intention to find data and attempt to build and rebuild its meaning. The research took place in Costa Rica. Twenty three female preschool teachers who met the required criteria such as having a university degree, work experience and practice in both the private and public education sectors participated. The methodological instruments provided were a semi-structured interview and the Instructions to Sosia. All the participants answered after signing a free consent letter approved by the Ethics’ Committee of the University of Montreal. Data underwent a process of analysis supported with QdaMiner software and next came the creation of an initial classification and data organization stages, the general reading of the interview results and the assignment of preliminary categories as well as the creation of templates for the final encoding. The results can be seen according to three axes: (1) Knowledge Acquisition Sources, which contemplates those emanating from their personal life history, those from early and continuous education, and those provided by work experience with children less than 3 years of age; (2) Necessary knowledge to be able to work with infants from 0 to 3 years of age, comprising various types of knowledge which include personal and professional life; the knowledge from study disciplines regarding infant development, knowledge about learning theories and several other education-related disciplines; pedagogical knowledge derived from experience, related to educational proposal design, teaching, methodology and the evaluation of infants; work management suitable to the characteristics of the job description, its routine and relations with the family; finally (3) Moving of knowledge in their pedagogical practice, focused on built and reformulated knowledge learned throughout the daily teaching practice. These three axes are comprised by subcategories and after their introduction and discussion, it was possible to notice that knowledge is acquired through the contact and relation available in the different interactional spaces of development with the others, such as professional development and the teaching practice. The highest value from all these sources of knowledge was granted to the professional practice and the teaching experience inside the classroom, which allows the teacher to reformulate, to modify and reshape perceptions of the teaching-learning process. The participants registered a wide range of knowledge pointing towards a complexity of sources in their professional practice which transcends the vision of preschool teachers as “caretakers” and places them as professionals. This has a tremendous repercussion in the educational development of their pupils. In general, teachers´ knowledge is strongly linked with the job context and it is a constant subject to be tested, reflected upon and modified, due to the movement of knowledge in their pedagogical practice. In addition, it is possible to identify the failures, knowledge blanks, targets of criticism and needs that the participants mentioned as key aspects to reflect upon, the relationship between the early and the continuous educational background, just as with the curricular support material and the work conditions. In this way, it is concluded that the research satisfied the set objectives. In addition, it has contributed to the thinking of improvements in preschool teacher training, being a timely opportunity to insert the topic of knowledge as an area for discussion and reflection during the process of knowledge acquisition of the professional teaching practicum. / La investigación aborda el universo de los saberes docentes desde la perspectiva de los profesionales que se desempeñan en educación preescolar en Costa Rica y teniendo como problemática los saberes que conforman la base de su trabajo durante la atención y educación de la niñez menor de tres años de edad. Siendo así, el objetivo general se enfocó en identificar, de acuerdo con las propias docentes, los saberes requeridos para el ejercicio docente, enfocándose en: (a) las fuentes de adquisición de los saberes docentes, (b) la percepción que los docentes de educación preescolar poseen de la población de 0 a 3 años, como de los saberes que necesitan tener en su actuación y (c) examinar cómo los docentes movilizan los saberes en el ejercicio de su profesión. Se trata de una investigación cualitativa de abordaje comprensivo que tiene la intención de encontrar datos con la pretensión de construir y reconstruir sus significados. El contexto de la investigación se dio en Costa Rica. Participaron 23 docentes que cumplieron con los criterios establecidos, como por ejemplo tener formación universitaria, poseer experiencia laboral y trabajar en el sistema tanto público como privado de educación. Como instrumentos metodológicos se utilizaron la entrevista semiestructurada y la instrucción al sosia. Todas las participantes respondieron bajo consentimiento libre aprobado por el Comité de Ética de la Universidad de Montréal. Los datos pasaron por un proceso de análisis que contó con el apoyo del software QdaMiner y la composición de etapas de creación de un sistema de clasificación y organización inicial de los datos, lectura general de las entrevistas y señalización de categorías preliminares, así como la creación de plantillas de codificación final. Los resultados pueden ser vistos de acuerdo con tres ejes: (1) Fuentes de adquisición de los saberes, que contempla los provenientes de su historia de vida personal, los de la formación inicial y continua y los brindados por la experiencia laboral con la niñez menor de tres años; (2) Saberes necesarios para trabajar con infantes de 0 a 3 años de edad, derivando varios tipos de saber que incluyen lo personal y profesional; los saberes disciplinares sobre el desarrollo del infante, los conocimientos sobre teorías de aprendizaje y diversas disciplinas afines a la educación; los saberes pedagógicos derivados de la experiencia, relacionados con el diseño de propuestas, la enseñanza, la metodología y la evaluación de infantes; saber gestionar su trabajo sabiendo las características que este posee, la rutina y las relaciones con la familia; finalmente (3) Movilización de los saberes en su práctica pedagógica, enfocado en los saberes construidos, reformulados y aprendidos en lo cotidiano del ejercicio de la docencia. Estos tres ejes están compuestos por subcategorías y después de su presentación y discusión fue posible notar que los saberes son adquiridos en contacto e interacción proporcionada por los diferentes espacios de desenvolvimiento con los otros, como lo es la formación profesional y la actuación docente. Siendo que la mayor valorización de las fuentes de saber fue otorgada en la práctica profesional y a la experiencia del ejercicio de la docencia dentro del aula, lo que permite reformulaciones, modificaciones y percepciones de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Las participantes registran una amplia gama de saberes que apuntan hacia una complejidad en su ejercicio profesional la cual trasciende la visión de “cuidadoras” y las colocan como profesionales que tienen gran repercusión en el desarrollo educativo de los niños y las niñas. De manera general, los saberes de estas docentes están fuertemente vinculados al contexto del trabajo y son constantemente sometidos a la comprobación, reflexión y modificación, debido a la movilidad en la práctica pedagógica. Además, fue posible identificar las fallas, lagunas, críticas y necesidades que las participantes mencionaron como fundamental para ser repensadas, en lo relacionado con el proceso formativo inicial y continuo, así como el material de apoyo curricular y a las condiciones de trabajo. De esta forma, se concluye que el estudio atendió los objetivos propuestos y además se coloca como una contribución para pensar en mejoras en la formación de docentes que actúan en educación preescolar, siendo la inserción de la temática de los saberes oportuna para el proceso de reflexión sobre las prácticas profesionales.

The aim of the thesis is to compare the educational systems of two European states with different state institutions, history and current political-historical situation. The work will be of comparative character and will be based mainly on the work with the studied literature. The work will use both Czech and Spanish literature. The main benchmarking tool will be the International Standard Classification of Education at ISCED 2011. In the practical part, this classification will be applied to both education systems, and at the end of each level of education there will be comparisons. The result will be a simultaneous evaluation and comparison of the education system of the Kingdom of Spain and the Czech Republic. KEYWORDS: ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education by UNESCO), education system, early childhood education, primary, lower secondary, upper secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary education, short cycle of tertiary education, bachelor or other equivalent, master or other equivalent).

Poverty is a global concern and the implementation of a quality early childhood development (ECD) programme is one of the most powerful ways of breaking the poverty cycle. Although research has been done regarding ECD centres in impoverished, marginalised and predominantly black communities (informal settlements), there is little, if any, similar research regarding predominantly white settlements. The purpose of this narrative study is to explore and understand the experiences of ECD practitioners regarding their work in impoverished and marginalised predominantly white communities. I, therefore, conducted this study from a social constructivist paradigm. The participants constructed their realities based on their lived experiences and interaction with others. The experiences of the participants were also influenced by their entire ecological system – their everyday experiences in their work and lives, as well as more distal influences for example South-Africa’s socio-political dispensation and cultural influences. Consequently the study was framed within the Ecological Systems Theory of Bronfenbrenner. I collected data through narrative interviews with two participants (ECD practitioners), and through field notes from observations, documents, photographs and artefacts. From the coded data, four main themes emerged – social and personal experiences, experiences concerning place, experiences with camp leadership and experiences concerning support infrastructure. These themes will be useful to determine the kind of support that practitioners need to ensure the quality of ECD programmes to support the optimal development of the children. / Armoede is ʼn globale probleem en kwaliteit kleinkinderontwikkelingsprogramme (KKO-programme) is een van die kragtigste maniere om die armoede-siklus te verbreek. Alhoewel daar navorsing omtrent KKO-sentra in verarmde en gemarginaliseerde oorwegend swart gemeenskappe (informele nedersettings) gedoen is bestaan daar min, indien enige, soortgelyke navorsing in oorwegend blanke nedersettings. Die doel van hierdie narratiewe studie is om die ervarings van KKOpraktisyns in hulle werk in verarmde en gemarginaliseerde oorwegend blanke nedersettings te ondersoek en te verstaan. Daarom het ek hierdie studie vanuit ‘n sosiaal-konstruktivistiese paradigma uitgevoer. Die deelnemers het hulle realiteite geskep gebaseer op hulle geleefde ervarings en interaksies met ander. Die ervarings van die deelnemers is ook beïnvloed deur hulle hele ekostelsel – hulle daaglikse ervarings in hulle werk en lewens, asook verwyderde stelsels van invloed soos Suid-Afrika se sosio-politieke bedeling en kulturele invloede. Gevolglik is hierdie studie geformuleer binne die Ekologiese Sisteemteorie van Bronfenbrenner as raamwerk. Ek het data versamel deur narratiewe onderhoude te voer met twee deelnemers (KKO-praktisyns), en deur veldnotas van waarnemings, dokumente, foto’s en artefakte. Uit die gekodeerde data het vier hooftemas navore gekom – sosiale en persoonlike ervarings, ervarings met betrekking tot plek, ervarings met kampleierskap en ervarings rakende ondersteuningsinfrastruktuur. Hierdie temas sal bruikbaar wees om die soort ondersteuning te bepaal wat praktisyns benodig om ʼn kwaliteit KKOprogram te verseker om sodoende die optimale ontwikkeling van die kinders te ondersteun. / Early Childhood Education / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

A child's early years are vital for development. The first few years of life is a period of rapid physical, mental, emotional, social and moral growth and development. This is a time when young children acquire concepts, skills and attitudes that lay the foundation for lifelong learning. During this time, parents are the primary influence on a child’s development and learning. The more parents are involved with their children, the more positive learning and general life outcomes occur. Different factors have been linked to children’s readiness to learn as they enter school. These include family characteristics such as the income level of the child’s household, parent education, and family structure. Other experiences in the home and community also linked to children’s readiness to learn include the quality of their relationships with parents, educational activities at home, and opportunities to participate in recreational or educational activities. Research has shown that poverty in early childhood can prove to be a handicap for life. Studies have revealed that many children under the age of five, living in poverty, annually fail to reach their full cognitive and social potential and do not have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to engage effectively in formal schooling once entering Grade 1. In the light of this, parents are in a key position to establish a suitable environment and to provide experiences during the early childhood years, whereby their young children can grow and develop to reach their fullest potential. This study is aimed to determine the way parents from disadvantaged backgrounds perceive their role, in their children’s early development and preparation for school. A selected group of parents of preschool children from disadvantaged communities in an area northeast of Tshwane participated in focus group discussions. Through the information obtained from the study, crucial limitations and needs regarding parenting and school preparation were identified. Based on these findings, the necessity for an effective and helpful parental guidance and intervention programme for these disadvantaged communities were recognized. If parents become more knowledgeable about early childhood development and school readiness, by expanding and improving their parenting skills, they might largely improve the development and learning abilities of their preschool children. It is therefore recommended that this study forms the foundation in the development of an intervention programme, which addresses the needs of these parents and provides support to equip them in their roles, in preparing their preschool children for school. / Early Childhood Education and Development

This study was conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of practitioner training in underprivileged early childhood settings. The quantitative study set out to test a target group of 800 Grade R children, ranging in age from five to six and a half years, in order to determine the impact that practitioner training on early intervention has on young children. A pre-test evaluated the initial level of each child‟s abilities, including physical-motor, language and speech, cognitive, play and social and emotional development. Children were placed into control and experimental groups through random selection of practitioners. The experimental group's teachers (practitioners) underwent an eight-month part-time intervention programme which focused on the importance of early intervention, the domains of development, planning, preparation and assessment as well as encouraging community awareness. The control and experimental groups continued with their normal school programmes, but the practitioners in the experimental group were developing a deeper understanding of early childhood development and activities which enhance development in children. The results indicate that the impact of effective practitioner training and enhancing a deep understanding of stimulation in young children can have positive, long-term results in children's cognitive ability, laying foundational concepts and scope for development. Vast differences were noted in the ability level of children which were stimulated, as compared with those children who were not as stimulated. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)