Publisher's Synopsis
This paper describes the research design used in the study of Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) funded by the UK Department for Education and Employment. This five year longitudinal study assesses the attainment and development of children between the ages of 3 to 7 years. Research began in 1997 and both quantitative and qualitative methods (including multilevel modelling) are used to explore the effects of pre-school education on children's attainment and social/behavioural development at entry to school and any continuing effects on such outcomes two years later at the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7). In addition to centre effects, the study investigates the contribution to children's development of individual and family characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, language, parental education and participation in employment. This paper outlines the research design and discusses a variety of research issues (methodological and practical) in investigating the impact of pre-school provision on children's developmental progress. It sets the design of EPPE within the context of other research studies on the effectiveness of early education and care. A parallel study is being carried out in Northern Ireland and this too is described.
