Teachers' practices mediate the association between teachers' ideas and children's perceived participation in early childhood education

Participation is a fundamental right of all children. Its promotion is considered a key investment in children's well-being, crucial to support high-quality early childhood education (ECE). In this study we aimed to investigate if ECE teachers' ideas on children's participation were associated with children's perceived participation, analysing the mediating role of teachers' practices and dimensions of process quality. Participants in this quantitative study were 336 children (163 boys) aged between 44 and 84 months, and 58 ECE teachers (all female) aged between 26 and 60 years old, from 24 randomly selected ECE centres in the Lisbon metropolitan area. Using multilevel modelling, given the hierarchical structure of data, we found that ECE teachers' ideas about participation do influence children's perceived participation, through teachers' perceived practices. Further, ECE teachers' perceived participation practices were associated with children's perceived participation, through observed participation practices and observed process quality. This study suggests the interdependence of the subjective and objective properties of ECE classrooms, and how both should inform our understanding of the conditions needed to promote children's participation.