Assessment of the Quality of Education and Care in Selected Polish Preschools During the COVID-19 Pandemic Using the ECERS-E Scale

Objectives of the research: The aim of this project was to investigate the quality of education in Polish preschools during the COVID-19 pandemic in different social environments. Research methods: The study uses a pedagogical approach and the ECERS-E scale, used to both define and assess the quality of preschool institutions. The research also involved interviews with teachers. A short description of the context of the issue: An important goal of the research is to identify problem areas and areas that constitute resources or strengths of preschool institutions. Research findings: A detailed data analysis indicated differences in the quality of education and care offered to children. The preschools under study obtained the highest results for the mathematics subscale and the lowest for the diversity subscale. Importantly, in nearly 25% of them, the quality of science and environment classes was lower than the minimum. A comparative analysis of the locations of preschools revealed that rural institutions achieved lower results than urban institutions, both in the overall quality of everyday life and for all subscales. Despite the social changes taking place in Poland, research shows that the diversification of the educational environment may significantly determine school competences and achievements. Conclusions and recommendations: The added value of the project is showing the potential of the ECERS scale and proving that it can be used in the Polish context. This creates an opportunity to conduct comparative research on an international scale.