Assessing Integrated Quality Management Implementation in Early Childhood Education Institutions: A Quantitative Survey from Indonesia
Abstract
This study aims to assess the level of implementation of Integrated Quality Management (IQM) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) institutions and to identify strengths and variations across different institutional dimensions. The study employed a descriptive quantitative survey design. Data were collected from 100 accredited ECE institutions in Semarang City, Indonesia, using a structured questionnaire consisting of 20 items covering seven IQM dimensions. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics to examine mean scores, variation, performance categories, and rankings for each dimension. The results indicate that the overall level of IQM implementation falls within the “good” category (M = 3.15; SD = 0.29). The learning process dimension shows the highest level of implementation, while quality culture has the lowest mean score and the highest variation. Most institutions are categorized as “Good” and “Very Good,” indicating relatively homogeneous quality management practices among accredited institutions, although variations remain in organizational culture and support systems. These findings suggest that while pedagogical quality has been well managed, strengthening quality culture remains a key challenge. Enhancing leadership capacity, internal quality assurance systems, and continuous improvement mechanisms are essential to improving IQM implementation in ECE. This study provides comprehensive empirical evidence on IQM implementation in ECE within a developing country context and contributes to the global discourse on quality assurance and educational management.
References
Anders, Y., Grosse, C., Rossbach, H. G., Ebert, S., & Weinert, S. (2020). Preschool and child development: The influence of early childhood education quality. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.03.001
Cadima, J., Nata, G., & Peixoto, C. (2022). Professional practices and institutional quality in early childhood education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 109, 103542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103542
Cloney, D., Cleveland, G., Hattie, J., & Tayler, C. (2020). Variations in early childhood education quality: A global review. Educational Research Review, 30, 100306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100306
Douglass, A. (2021). Leadership for quality improvement in early childhood education. Journal of Educational Administration, 59(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-02-2020-0027
Fujisawa, K. K., Fukai, T., & Nakamuro, M. (2023). Quality of early childhood education and care in accredited nursery centers. PLOS ONE, 18(2), e0281635. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281635
García, E., & Weiss, E. (2021). Quality assurance and equity in early childhood education. Educational Policy, 35(3), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904820906026
García, L., Parra, L., Jimenez, J. M., Lloret, J., & Lorenz, P. (2020). IoT-based smart irrigation systems: An overview on the recent trends on sensors and iot systems for irrigation in precision agriculture. Sensors (Switzerland), 20(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/s20041042
Hallinger, P., & Kovačević, J. (2021). Science mapping the knowledge base in educational leadership and management: A longitudinal bibliometric analysis, 1960 to 2018. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(1), 5–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143219859002
Kaga, Y., Bennett, J., & Moss, P. (2021). Governance and quality assurance in early childhood education systems. Global Studies of Childhood, 11(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/20436106211021055
Karila, K., & Alasuutari, M. (2021). Quality discourse in early childhood education management. Journal of Education Policy, 36(3), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2020.1714614
Lazzari, A., & Vandenbroeck, M. (2020). Early childhood education and care systems and continuous quality improvement. Early Years, 40(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2018.1525701
McDoniel, M. E., Townley-Flores, C., Sulik, M. J., & Obradović, J. (2022). Widely used measures of classroom quality are largely unrelated to preschool skill development. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 59, 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.12.005
Melhuish, E., Ereky-Stevens, K., Petrogiannis, K., Ariescu, A., Penderi, E., Rentzou, K., & Broekhuizen, M. (2021). A review of research on quality in early childhood education and care. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 15(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40723-021-00084-9
Montie, J. E., Xiang, Z., & Schweinhart, L. J. (2020). Preschool experience and quality indicators. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.02.002
Nusche, D., & Miron, G. (2021). School quality frameworks and governance mechanisms. Educational Research Review, 33, 100392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100392
OCCD. (2022). Education Policy Perspectives.
OECD. (2020). Building a high-quality early childhood education system. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/047b11b7-en
OECD. (2021a). Children & Young People’s Mental Health in the Digital Age. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2018/10/children-and-young-people-s-mental-health-in-the-digital-age_4f68631a/488b25e0-en.pdf
OECD. (2021b). Quality beyond regulations in early childhood education and care. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/af38f2f0-en
Peralta, M., Fujimoto-Gómez, C., & Sánchez-López, M. (2022). Institutional quality management in early childhood education. International Journal of Educational Management, 36(6), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-01-2022-0034
Pianta, R. C., Downer, J. T., & Hamre, B. K. (2020). Quality in early education classrooms: Definitions and systems. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51, 122–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.09.004
Rademacher, A., Bäker, N., von Düring, U., Hiltunen, V., & Goagoses, N. (2025). The effects of early childhood education and care quality on academic competences in early primary school: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 40(4), 110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-025-01005-w
Raikes, A., Koziol, N., Davis, D., & Burton, A. (2020). Measuring quality of preprimary education in sub-Saharan Africa: Evaluation of the Measuring Early Learning Environments scale. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 320–5334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.06.001
Rogers, M., Dolidze, K., Mus-Rasmussen, A., Dovigo, F., & Doan, L. (2026). Early childhood educators’ understandings of quality in five countries: similarities and differences to policy. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 34(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2025.2484241
Siraj, I., Kingston, D., & Melhuish, E. (2022). Assessing quality in early childhood education. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 60, 205–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.12.005
Slot, P. L., Cadima, J., Salminen, J., Pastori, G., & Lerkkanen, M. K. (2020). Multiple case study analysis of quality in early childhood education. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 320–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.06.001
Steed, E. A., & Leech, N. (2021). Quality measurement and improvement in early childhood settings. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 19(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X20969887
Torres, A., & López, M. (2020). Quality management models in education. Quality Assurance in Education, 28(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-02-2020-0021
Urban, M., Vandenbroeck, M., Lazzari, A., Laere, K. Van, & Peeters, J. (2021). Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care Final report Authors. Retrieved http://ec.europa.eu/education/more-information/doc/2011/core_en.pdf
Urban, M., Vandenbroeck, M., Van Laere, K., Lazzari, A., & Peeters, J. (2021). Competence requirements and quality assurance in ECEC systems. European Journal of Education, 56(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12423
Verkuyten, M., & Killen, M. (2021). Tolerance, Dissenting Beliefs, and Cultural Diversity. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12399
von Suchodoletz, A., Fäsche, A., Gunzenhauser, C., & Hamre, B. K. (2020). A meta-analysis of classroom quality and child outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 32(2), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09506-0
von Suchodoletz, A., Lee, D. S., Henry, J., Tamang, S., Premachandra, B., & Yoshikawa, H. (2023). Early childhood education and care quality and associations with child outcomes: A meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 18(5), e0285985. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285985
Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Burchinal, M., Espinosa, L., Gormley, W., & Zaslow, M. (2020). Investing in quality early childhood education. The Future of Children, 30(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2020.0001
Cadima, J., Nata, G., & Peixoto, C. (2022). Professional practices and institutional quality in early childhood education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 109, 103542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103542
Cloney, D., Cleveland, G., Hattie, J., & Tayler, C. (2020). Variations in early childhood education quality: A global review. Educational Research Review, 30, 100306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100306
Douglass, A. (2021). Leadership for quality improvement in early childhood education. Journal of Educational Administration, 59(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-02-2020-0027
Fujisawa, K. K., Fukai, T., & Nakamuro, M. (2023). Quality of early childhood education and care in accredited nursery centers. PLOS ONE, 18(2), e0281635. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281635
García, E., & Weiss, E. (2021). Quality assurance and equity in early childhood education. Educational Policy, 35(3), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904820906026
García, L., Parra, L., Jimenez, J. M., Lloret, J., & Lorenz, P. (2020). IoT-based smart irrigation systems: An overview on the recent trends on sensors and iot systems for irrigation in precision agriculture. Sensors (Switzerland), 20(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/s20041042
Hallinger, P., & Kovačević, J. (2021). Science mapping the knowledge base in educational leadership and management: A longitudinal bibliometric analysis, 1960 to 2018. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(1), 5–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143219859002
Kaga, Y., Bennett, J., & Moss, P. (2021). Governance and quality assurance in early childhood education systems. Global Studies of Childhood, 11(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/20436106211021055
Karila, K., & Alasuutari, M. (2021). Quality discourse in early childhood education management. Journal of Education Policy, 36(3), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2020.1714614
Lazzari, A., & Vandenbroeck, M. (2020). Early childhood education and care systems and continuous quality improvement. Early Years, 40(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2018.1525701
McDoniel, M. E., Townley-Flores, C., Sulik, M. J., & Obradović, J. (2022). Widely used measures of classroom quality are largely unrelated to preschool skill development. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 59, 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.12.005
Melhuish, E., Ereky-Stevens, K., Petrogiannis, K., Ariescu, A., Penderi, E., Rentzou, K., & Broekhuizen, M. (2021). A review of research on quality in early childhood education and care. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 15(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40723-021-00084-9
Montie, J. E., Xiang, Z., & Schweinhart, L. J. (2020). Preschool experience and quality indicators. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.02.002
Nusche, D., & Miron, G. (2021). School quality frameworks and governance mechanisms. Educational Research Review, 33, 100392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100392
OCCD. (2022). Education Policy Perspectives.
OECD. (2020). Building a high-quality early childhood education system. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/047b11b7-en
OECD. (2021a). Children & Young People’s Mental Health in the Digital Age. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2018/10/children-and-young-people-s-mental-health-in-the-digital-age_4f68631a/488b25e0-en.pdf
OECD. (2021b). Quality beyond regulations in early childhood education and care. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/af38f2f0-en
Peralta, M., Fujimoto-Gómez, C., & Sánchez-López, M. (2022). Institutional quality management in early childhood education. International Journal of Educational Management, 36(6), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-01-2022-0034
Pianta, R. C., Downer, J. T., & Hamre, B. K. (2020). Quality in early education classrooms: Definitions and systems. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51, 122–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.09.004
Rademacher, A., Bäker, N., von Düring, U., Hiltunen, V., & Goagoses, N. (2025). The effects of early childhood education and care quality on academic competences in early primary school: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 40(4), 110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-025-01005-w
Raikes, A., Koziol, N., Davis, D., & Burton, A. (2020). Measuring quality of preprimary education in sub-Saharan Africa: Evaluation of the Measuring Early Learning Environments scale. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 320–5334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.06.001
Rogers, M., Dolidze, K., Mus-Rasmussen, A., Dovigo, F., & Doan, L. (2026). Early childhood educators’ understandings of quality in five countries: similarities and differences to policy. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 34(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2025.2484241
Siraj, I., Kingston, D., & Melhuish, E. (2022). Assessing quality in early childhood education. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 60, 205–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.12.005
Slot, P. L., Cadima, J., Salminen, J., Pastori, G., & Lerkkanen, M. K. (2020). Multiple case study analysis of quality in early childhood education. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 53, 320–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.06.001
Steed, E. A., & Leech, N. (2021). Quality measurement and improvement in early childhood settings. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 19(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X20969887
Torres, A., & López, M. (2020). Quality management models in education. Quality Assurance in Education, 28(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-02-2020-0021
Urban, M., Vandenbroeck, M., Lazzari, A., Laere, K. Van, & Peeters, J. (2021). Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care Final report Authors. Retrieved http://ec.europa.eu/education/more-information/doc/2011/core_en.pdf
Urban, M., Vandenbroeck, M., Van Laere, K., Lazzari, A., & Peeters, J. (2021). Competence requirements and quality assurance in ECEC systems. European Journal of Education, 56(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12423
Verkuyten, M., & Killen, M. (2021). Tolerance, Dissenting Beliefs, and Cultural Diversity. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12399
von Suchodoletz, A., Fäsche, A., Gunzenhauser, C., & Hamre, B. K. (2020). A meta-analysis of classroom quality and child outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 32(2), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09506-0
von Suchodoletz, A., Lee, D. S., Henry, J., Tamang, S., Premachandra, B., & Yoshikawa, H. (2023). Early childhood education and care quality and associations with child outcomes: A meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 18(5), e0285985. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285985
Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Burchinal, M., Espinosa, L., Gormley, W., & Zaslow, M. (2020). Investing in quality early childhood education. The Future of Children, 30(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2020.0001
Authors
Hariyanti, D. P. D., Munawar, M., Ardiyanto, A., & Nursyahbani, C. (2026). Assessing Integrated Quality Management Implementation in Early Childhood Education Institutions: A Quantitative Survey from Indonesia. At- Ta’lim : Jurnal Pendidikan, 12(2), 190–202. https://doi.org/10.55210/attalim.v12i2.2494
Copyright (c) 2026 Dwi Prasetiyawati Diyah Hariyanti, Muniroh Munawar, Asep Ardiyanto, Coryza Nursyahbani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.