Educational services, inclusion, and access to basic services in early childhood education centers: An analysis from the teachers' perspective

Abstract

This study is part of a broader research project, but the component presented herein aimed to analyze the teaching perspective on the adequacy of educational services to address the individual needs of early childhood students, the level of teacher familiarity with the Inclusive Education Policy and the inclusive approach, and the access to basic services in Educational Centers serving early childhood in El Salvador. The theoretical foundation of this research is grounded in the Inclusive Education Policy and the National Policy for Early Childhood Development Support. This study employed a quantitative research approach with a descriptive scope. A two-stage probabilistic sampling was conducted in public Early Childhood Education Centers in El Salvador. The final sample comprised 2,336 teachers instructing this student population.  A descriptive analysis was conducted using boxplots and measures of central tendency. The findings indicate that teachers’ evaluations regarding the adequacy of educational services and their familiarity with the Inclusive Education Policy were generally positive (median of 8). Additionally, a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to identify groupings based on the behavior of the variables, specifically through a dendrogram illustrating access to services.