Back to search

FINNUT-Forskning og innovasjon i utdanningssektoren

Early educational experiences as a foundation for academic success (MoBaEarlyEd)

Alternative title: Betydningen av tidlige erfaringer i barnehage og skole for senere utvikling og utdanning

Awarded: NOK 11.8 mill.

Low education is associated with high mortality and several adverse health outcomes. Attempts to support optimal educational success for children may therefore have immense public health benefits. In Norway, 97 percent of children aged 3-5 years attend full-time kindergarten, also labelled Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Attendance in higher-quality ECEC is associated with beneficial academic outcomes such as test scores, but persistency of effects is still highly debated. Knowledge on conditions under which effects are sustained and for whom is pressing. Historical and social experiences in ECEC and school affect children’s well-being, school engagement and performance. Yet, studies are lacking on how experiences such as the Covid-19 pandemic or being bullied might play a role in mediating the association between ECEC quality, school transition, academic outcomes and mental health. We aim to deliver actionable knowledge on how we can ensure optimal early educational and social experiences relevant to how children function considering changing societal contexts. We will investigate how the quality of educational experiences (e.g., teacher-child relationship) and bullying may influence developmental trajectories and a range of academic outcomes such as term grades and test scores. Further, we aim to explore to what extent characteristics of the children, i.e. the genetic liability, sex, socioeconomic background (SES), low birth weight and preterm birth, might alter the impact of early educational experiences. By utilizing the world’s largest longitudinal cohort study with registry linkage to academic achievements, MoBaEarlyEd will provide ground-breaking evidence on how children’s early educational experiences predict later development and academic success. By doing so we will move the field forward by identifying levers for potential interventions and preventive measures to promote optimal child development and academic outcomes.

Low education is associated with high mortality and several adverse health outcomes. Attempts to support optimal educational success for children may therefore have immense public health benefits. In Norway, 97 percent of children aged 3-5 years attend full-time kindergarten, also labelled Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Attendance in higher-quality ECEC is associated with beneficial academic outcomes such as test scores, but persistency of effects is still highly debated. Knowledge on conditions under which effects are sustained and for whom is pressing. Historical and social experiences in ECEC and school affect children’s well-being, school engagement and performance. Yet, studies are lacking on how experiences such as the Covid-19 pandemic or being bullied might play a role in mediating the association between ECEC quality, school transition and academic outcomes. We aim to deliver actionable knowledge on how we can ensure optimal early educational and social experiences relevant to how children function considering changing societal contexts. We will investigate how the quality of educational experiences (e.g., teacher-child relationship) and bullying may influence developmental trajectories and a range of academic outcomes such as term grades and test scores. Further, we aim to explore to what extent characteristics of the children, i.e. the genetic liability, sex, socioeconomic background (SES), low birth weight and preterm birth, might alter the impact of early educational experiences. By utilizing the world’s largest longitudinal cohort study with registry linkage to academic achievements, MoBaEarlyEd will provide ground-breaking evidence on how children’s early educational experiences predict later development and academic success. By doing so we will move the field forward by identifying levers for potential interventions and preventive measures to promote optimal child development and academic outcomes.

Funding scheme:

FINNUT-Forskning og innovasjon i utdanningssektoren