📄 Research Article
PPIAAJ Vol. 13, No. 2 (2025)
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN’S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN GHANA
Mensah Kwame Daniel Owusu
Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Educational Studies, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
Public Policy and International Affairs Academic Journal,
Vol. 13, No. 2 (2025),
pp. 22-38 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19845897
Open Access
Peer Reviewed
Research Article
Abstract
There is global recognition of the critical importance of early childhood development and the foundational role of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in shaping children’s lifelong learning trajectories. Early childhood represents a period of heightened neuroplasticity during which young learners are particularly responsive to environmental stimuli. Within this sensitive developmental phase, active involvement—defined in this study as children’s sustained attention, interest, and interaction with instructional materials and classroom activities—emerges as a key determinant of meaningful learning. The classroom environment plays a central role in fostering such engagement by providing the physical and psychosocial conditions necessary for concentrated participation. A comprehensive view of the classroom space encompasses structural and design elements such as lighting, ventilation, colour, furniture arrangement, and instructional resources, as well as the quality of teacher–learner interactions. Empirical evidence suggests that even subtle variations in these environmental features can significantly influence children’s motivation, attention span, and capacity for self-regulation. Drawing on contemporary literature, this study examines how environmental conditions within early childhood classrooms shape learners’ active involvement and underscores the need for developmentally appropriate, stimulating, and supportive learning spaces that enhance holistic development.
Keywords:
["Early Childhood Education","Classroom Environment","Active Involvement","Learner Engagement","Neuroplasticity"]
📑 How to Cite This Article
APA 7th Edition:
Mensah Kwame Daniel Owusu (2025). EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN’S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN GHANA. Public Policy and International Affairs Academic Journal, 13(2), 22-38. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19845897
Mensah Kwame Daniel Owusu (2025). EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN’S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN GHANA. Public Policy and International Affairs Academic Journal, 13(2), 22-38. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19845897
Vancouver Style:
Mensah Kwame Daniel Owusu. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN’S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN GHANA. Pub. Policy Int. Aff. Acad. J.. 2025;13(2):22-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19845897
Mensah Kwame Daniel Owusu. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN’S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN GHANA. Pub. Policy Int. Aff. Acad. J.. 2025;13(2):22-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19845897
🔗 Other Articles in This Issue