The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) acknowledges the need for a deeper understanding of the implementation process in early childhood education and care (ECEC) – that is, a better understanding of the missing link between evidence-based practices and improved teacher and educator practice, and outcomes for children.
Effective implementation in ECEC, as in other settings, involves more than simply adopting a new idea or the introduction of a new resource. It requires embedding planned meaningful and sustainable change that is responsive to the unique context of each service.
AERO has partnered with a small number of family day care, preschools and long day care services across New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania to learn about the use of a deliberate and structured approach to implementation to deepen the evidence-based practice of assessment for learning.
Drawing on feedback from teachers, educators, Implementation Coordinators (service leaders) and AERO Implementation Consultants, this paper highlights 5 key insights into the implementation of evidence-based practice in ECEC. They are:
- Service context influences implementation.
- Role clarity and purposeful, collaborative leadership support implementation.
- Finding your ‘why’ gains buy-in for implementation.
- Adopting a structured approach helps to sustain implementation.
- Establishing and facilitating supportive relationships advances implementation.
These insights offer evidence-informed perspectives for leaders seeking to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based practices in their services.
Keywords: ecce, evidence-based education, organisational change