Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine if there were
differences between in-school and out-of-school day care centres. Five
centres housed in public schools and five housed in other locations
were selected for the research. Aquality assessment was administered
in each centre which examined the following components - physical
environment, adult social structure and socia-emotional environment,
children's socia-emotional environment, cognitive stimulation program
and toys and equipment. Quantitative analysis using simple t-tests
showed a significant difference between in-school and out-of-school
day cares for the physical environment variable. Differences approached
significance for the children's socia-emotional environment variable as
well as overall quality. Qualitative analysis using a triangulated
methodology revealed noticeable differences for every variable. The
researcher concluded that both the quality of the physical environment
and the capabilities of the administrators strongly influence the
quality of the day care environment.
This study also included an assessment of children's attitude
toward learning. No significant difference was found between in-school
and out-of-school centres.
