Preschool education and academic achievement: an empirical study of grade 1 and 2 pupils in public schools
Date
2004-10
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Abstract
The main interest of this study is to find out if preschool education positively affects the level of academic achievement of Grade 1 and 2 pupils in the public school. The paper has three objectives, namely:
1. To estimate the effects of preschool attendance on the level of academic achievement of the pupils in grades 1 and 2 in the public schools;
2. To investigate how different types of preschool training (day care, public kindergarten, or private preschool) contribute to academic achievement; and
3. To find out what socio-economic variables influence the level of academic achievement of pupils who attended preschool education.
To carry out the study, a survey was conducted among 120 grades 2 and 3 pupils of Legarda Elementary School in Sampaloc, Manila. The findings of the study are chronicled below.
1. Preschool education has a significantly positive influence on the child's later academic achievement, especially during the early years of primary education.
2. Compared with public kindergarten and day care centers, private preschools are the most effective in improving the level of academic achievement of the pupils, followed by public kindergarten.
3. Among the control variables that were found to be consistently significant are study hours and gender (being female). Father's education is significant only with grade 1 pupils.
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Keywords
Preschool education, Academic achievement, Public schools, Education, Grade 1, Grade 2