Quality Supervision Of Preschool Education Institutes

Quality improving is not only our basic value pursuit of accelerating the development of preschool education in China, but also a common trend in education development throughout the world. Since the preschool enrollment rate is rising significantly, it has become a key to enhance the quality of preschool education institutes. With double-functions of control and guiding, education supervision is an important way to guarantee and promote the quality of preschool education institutes. Although Education Supervision Regulations has been published and implemented in 2012, the operation system of preschool education institutes quality supervision is faultiness, and many problems need to be solved.Therefore, in-depth academic research, especially constructing the theoretical framework of preschool institutes quality supervision, is in urgent needs.From the two perspectives of preschool education quality and school supervision, a basic foundation has been set up for quality supervision of preschool education institutes: the nature, elements, evaluation criteria and tools of preschool education institutes, especially kindergarten, have been discussed; function orientation and structure elements of supervision have also been studied; theoretical structures such as developmental supervision and subjectivity supervision have been put forward. However, how to improve the quality of preschool education institutes through education supervision, and how to constructing theoretical structure of supervision based on the nature of preschool education institutes, are still expecting for research.In this study, the nature of quality supervision of preschool education institutes and basic value orientation were discussed firstly. Then, through interview and questionnaire, the problems and influence factors of quality supervision of preschool education institutes in China were investigated. After that, a theoretical structure including subject-object and their relationship, supervision affairs and it s establishing, supervision process and constructed. Before providing policy suggestions, a action research was carried out to check out the validity of theoretical structure.In chapter one, some most important ideas were posed. The nature of preschool education institutes quality is realizing the value of children s life. So, it should be from the perspective of dignity and meaning of life to think about educational practice, to study the allocation of resources, and to judge the quality of preschool education institutes. This quality concept is of methodological nature, showing dynamic. It was opposed to isolated and static paying attention to quality standards and index system. Educational activities and the existing quality indicators must be examined in the light of the value of life. The life oriented quality concept preferred children’s rights, actively supporting the interactive relation, fully respecting for the personality, and constructing quality standard multiply. The quality supervision of preschool education institutes should enhance the inner development mechanism through empowerment. This kind of supervision perspective is not simply trying to control the power and action of preschool education institutes, but, on the contrary, by empowerment, to help the institutes to have inner abilities, and eventually leading to a conscious behavior change, to achieve the quality improving of preschool education institutes. Multiple dialogue and incentive guidance are its remarkable characteristics.Using literature, questionnaire, interviews and other methods, the quality supervision of preschool education institutes in our country was investigated. Results show four problems: firstly, there is a function and power overlap among government organizations, and guidance of preschool institutes is weak; secondly, different types of preschool education institutes failed to have equally concerned, early education institutes for 0-3 years old children is almost ignored; thirdly, supervisory affairs is policy oriented, and is weak in leading inner development; lastly, supervision practice is insufficient in improving quality of preschool institutes. The deep reason of these problems lies in "technological rationality" and its dominating on life; on the other hand is the regulatory oriented philosophy of supervision, and its constraints of creativity and endogenous development.In chapter three to chapter five, a theoretical structure of quality supervision of preschool education institutes was established. Cone model can well explain the professional structure of quality supervisor, it is the root of supervisor s guiding power. Improving the personnel management system, and stimulating the internal supervision body are also important measures to enhance the guiding power. The weak kindergarten should be considered as prior object in quality supervision. Early education institutes for 0-3 must be concerned. When supervisor s role changed from "parents" to "coach", the object behavior changed from "compliance" to "beyond", the relationship must change from "I- it" to "I- you". The establishing of supervision affairs must regard educational policies and regulations as basis. Also, it must go from "pre-established" to "constructed", from "single" to "diversity", and ultimately aiming at the realization of human life. Based on three principle, which are development principle, subjectivity principle, and practical principles, a three-dimensional structure of quality supervision affairs was established. In this structure, the process and the results are combined with, from the main perspective of children, parents and the teachers, five core components are investigated, including the organizational vision and basic concept, organization structure and management operation, curriculum plan, teaching practice, reflection and improvement. The nature of quality supervision process is the continuous dialogue between supervisor and other subjects relating with the three-dimensional structure of supervisory affairs. The core of this dialogue is to improve quality level of the organization, the premise of the dialogue is the multiply built discourse system. In dialogue, each side must try to involved in the other s life situations. The result of dialogue must realizing concept and behavior change. In order to improve the effectiveness of the dialogue, it is needed to improve the operation process, expanding channels, increasing the depth and consider accountability.Chapter six is an action research.Working together with a new established private kindergarten for nearly 9 months, the researcher examined the validity of quality supervision theoretical framework by implementing it on that kindergarten and playing the role of supervisor by himself. Supervising dialogue was co-constructured by the researcher and the kindergarten. The topics were around the core concept, management and operation, children’s activities. Parent-participation and reflective practice were emphasized during dialogues. The quality supervision effectively improved the quality of this kindergarten. Also, this action research suggested that: preschool education institutes quality supervision should adhere to the correct values orientations, namely the function of guiding should be prior to the function of control. Effective guidance must be based on the clear awareness of the inherent demand, and he inherent demand must be based on the scientific and reasonable quality concept and educational philosophy. Supervisory dialogue must be continued, multiple, and reflective. Endogenous development must take Learning Organization as the basis.In the last chapter, some reform suggestions were discussed. It is necessary to establish a new order of quality supervision of preschool education institutes, which means to clarify the boundaries of supervision- research- evaluation- authentication. It is reasonable to integrate multiple subjects relating to preschool quality supervision by education supervision organization. Government purchasing service and third party participation also could be a reform trend.