Comparative assessment of the quality of early childhood physical environment in public and private settings in Ho Municipality

Abstract

This study assessed the quality of the physical environments in public and private Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres in Ho Municipality, focusing on indoor spaces, spatial quality, and facilities. Despite Ghana’s increased enrolment in ECE, many centres lack conducive environments for effective learning. The approach used was quantitative approach and sampling techniques were simple random and census sampling technique. A correlational survey design was adopted, involving 200 kindergarten teachers—100 each from public and private centres. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviation, and percentages) and t-tests. Findings revealed that public ECE centres had better-organized indoor spaces, promoting active participation and safety, with superior spatial quality in noise control, teaching and learning materials, ventilation, and lighting. While excelling in seating flexibility, private centres showed mixed perceptions of classroom arrangements. Both centres demonstrated similar hygiene levels with adequate hand-washing facilities but lacked sufficiently childfriendly washroom facilities. Teachers from both settings highlighted the need for visually stimulating environments, flexible seating, and hands-on learning materials. The study concludes that public centres generally offer more supportive learning environments than private ones. However, both types need improvements in childfriendly amenities and strategies to enhance physical learning environments. The findings highlight the need to resolve educational disparities to ensure high quality learning experiences for young children.