Cultural competence in North Carolina’s early care and education system

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Mary Lee Porterfield (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Catherine Scott-Little

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to investigate ways in which early childhood systems such as those that rate and license child care programs can incentivize, support, and reward cultural competence of the early care and education (ECE) workforce. The study employed a focus group design to consider the research problem from the vantage point of child care resource and referral (CCR&R) staff who routinely support ECE programs to meet system requirements and to engage in quality improvement work. Three focus groups were convened, with a total of N=28 participants, and the meetings were audio recorded and transcribed. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Emergent themes were noted and grouped into three categories: capacity, content, and system. Focus group members advocated for incorporation of system requirements related to cultural competence as well as supports to ensure that ECE providers could succeed in meeting new requirements. A conceptual model was developed to represent the relation between themes and categories, and recommendations and future directions are discussed.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
Cultural Competence, Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Systems
Subjects
Early childhood education $z North Carolina
Child care services $z North Carolina
Cultural competence $z North Carolina

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