Perceived Quality Educational Practice for Children at Risk of Social Exclusion and Its Relation to Teachers' Training

The benefits of high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as a prerequisite and opportunity for development, especially for children and families at risk of social exclusion, are widely recognized. High-quality educational practices for children at risk of social exclusion (RSE) should be flexible and aligned with their individual needs. This study uses a national stratified random sample of 1,142 Croatian preschool teachers to examine how they perceive the quality of educational practices regarding children at RSE. Preschool teachers perceive conditions and opportunities for quality education of children at RSE in ECEC by providing activities that promote diversity, building partnerships with parents, and children's development and learning. Perceived conditions and opportunities for children with RSE were related to teachers' formal education level: their master's degree and prior participation in training on developmentally appropriate practices for children with RSE. Only one-fifth of the teachers had recently participated in in-service training on children with RSE, indicating the need for high-quality teacher in-service training to acquire skills to support this group of children and their parents. Teacher in-service training can improve the perception of better conditions and opportunities for quality pedagogical practice that addresses the individual needs of each child at risk of social exclusion.