Dissertation Title: PRESCHOOL EDUCATION METHODOLOGIES AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN ALBANIA. COMPARISON OF REGIONAL KINDERGARTEN AND THEM WITH OTHER METHODOLOGIES THE CASE OF TIRANA
Authors: Zhaneta BEQIRI
- Institution: University of Tirana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogy and Psychology
- Field of study: Education
- Online publication date: 16.06.2026
- The dissertation is published in Albanian.
© Copyright: Zhaneta BEQIRI
Published by the University of Tirana
Based on legal acts, regulations and policies of the UT
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ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the implementation of preschool education methodologies and the level of school readiness of children in preparatory classes, by comparatively analyzing the differences between institutions that implement different pedagogical approaches, with a focus on the Reggio Emilia approach.
Methodology: The study used a quasi-experimental design with measurements at the beginning and end of the academic year, integrated within a mixed methods approach. Quantitative data were used to analyze changes over time and differences between groups, while qualitative data provided a deeper understanding of the study variables. The sample included 535 children from 18 preparatory classes in public preschool institutions in Tirana, together with their parents (N = 535) and 36 teachers. Nine of the classes were oriented according to the Reggio Emilia approach. Data were collected through instruments such as questionnaires and interviews, to assess children’s development, the quality of learning environments, pedagogical practices and parental involvement.
Results: The findings showed significant progress of children in all areas of development, from the beginning to the end of the preparatory year in kindergarten, with more pronounced effects on language and cognitive development. Comparative analyses between children in Reggio classes and other classes revealed that the differences between the groups resulted in significant differences in the area of socio-emotional development and in the approach to learning. The quality of the learning environments, contemporary pedagogical practices and parental involvement resulted in satisfactory and comparable levels between the groups, but with advantages for Reggio classes in some specific indicators. Demographic, pedagogical and institutional factors explained a significant part of the variance in school readiness, where pedagogical practices had the strongest predictive role.
Conclusions: The results suggest that the Reggio Emilia approach contributes more to specific areas of development. The findings highlight the importance of contemporary pedagogical practices, the quality of learning environments and parental involvement in education in preparing children for the transition to primary education. The study highlights the role of the interaction between individual child characteristics and family and institutional factors in school readiness, offering important implications for the development of policies and practices in preschool education.
Keywords: preschool education; educational methodology; pedagogical approach; Reggio Emilia approach; school readiness, comparative study.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the implementation of early childhood education methodologies and the level of children's school readiness in preparatory classes, by comparatively analyzing differences between institutions applying various pedagogical approaches, with a focus on the Reggio Emilia approach.
Methodology: The study employed a quasi-experimental design with measurements at the beginning and at the end of the academic year, integrated within a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were used to analyze changes over time and differences between groups, while qualitative data provided a deeper understanding of the study variables. The sample included 535 children from 18 preparatory classes in public preschool institutions in Tirana, along with their parents (N = 535) and 36 teachers. Nine of the classes implemented the Reggio Emilia approach. Data were collected using instruments assessing children's development, the quality of the learning environment, pedagogical practices, and parental involvement.
Results: The findings indicated a significant progress of children across all developmental domains from the beginning to the end of the preparatory year, with more pronounced effects in language development and cognition. Comparative analyzes between children in Reggio and non-Reggio classes revealed significant differences between groups in socio-economic development and in the domain of approaches to learning. The quality of the learning environment, child-centered practices and parental involvement was found to be good and relatively comparable across groups, with advantages for Reggio classes in specific indicators. Demographic, pedagogical and institutional factors explained a substantial proportion of the variance in school readiness, with the strongest predictive role attributed to pedagogical practices.
Conclusions: The results suggest that the Reggio Emilia approach contributes to specific dimensions of development. The findings highlight the importance of the quality of contemporary pedagogical practices, the educational environment and parental involvement in preparing children for the transition to primary education. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the role of the interaction between individual child characteristics, institutional and family factors in shaping school readiness, offering important implications for the development of policies and practices in early childhood education.
Keywords: early childhood education; educational methodologies; pedagogical approaches; Reggio Emilia; school readiness; comparative study.