AN EXAMINATION ON THE IMPACT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ON THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Of The Study

The moment when conception has happened, a human embryo begins to develop into a baby. If there are no complications during pregnancy or the baby is delivered early, a full-term baby should be brought into the world after nine months of development within the mother's womb. According to Caplan & Caplan, (2020) a child is a distinct person starting from the moment of conception, complete with his or her own unique qualities. According to them, the nature of children is such that no two children, not even identical twins, are exactly the same or similar in everything. This is true despite the fact that they share the same genetic material. As a result, there are distinguishing characteristics that set each kid apart from the others. According to Nwagbara (2019), the complexity in children are the product of both natural causes and environmental influences. The phases of development that children go through may be broken down into the following categories: infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The early years of a child's life, roughly between the ages of two and six, are crucial to their development. The physical, mental, and psychological development of children see a significant boost during this time period, when they are also in a state of perpetual transition. They are in the midst of going through big transformations and making significant development steps, particularly in the area of the acquisition and development of new linguistic skills. Reading material for children should, according to this school of thought, be connected in some way to the children's own spoken language, as well as to the children's interests and experiences, in order to foster intellectual development. The shift in emphasis on the intellectual development of children is a really positive trend (Anyanwu, 2020). This is because the mind of a child is essentially "blank slate," waiting to be filled with experiences. Educators are aware of this fact, and as a consequence, they actively look for the kinds of stimuli that will lead to the most positive outcomes for the students. According to Webber (1970), it is necessary to acknowledge that there is a possibility of improving children's intellect as a direct consequence of the kinds of experiences that are made available to them. According to Aiyedun (2020), the experiences that children may get from reading tale books are the kind of things that can contribute to their intellectual development. According to him, tales are a great way to gain and develop reading, writing, and thinking abilities, particularly considering how much they engage the mind. Understanding human behavior is facilitated by the telling of stories. Even if there is just one tale, it may serve as the foundation for a more in-depth examination of additional activities. Children are given the chance to utilize terms that are known to them as a result of their family life via the use of selected experiences that are mirrored in tale books. Children are thus given the opportunity to expand their vocabulary in an acceptable manner. In addition to this, kids acquire the language of colors, forms, and textures, among other things, from an early age since the majority of their tale books are visual. Story books provide youngsters with opportunities to practice all four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—which are essential to the intellectual development of children. They not only teach youngsters new words, but also different meanings of words depending on the context in which they are spoken. This is something that may happen, particularly if the language used in the tales is not too simplistic.

Anyamelue (2021) asserts that it is essential to provide young children with the high-quality care, nutritious food, and stimulating activities that they need in order to have healthy growth and development. Additionally, there has been growing acknowledgment in Nigeria as well as elsewhere for the need of providing a comprehensive approach to the care of young children. This was a major point of emphasis throughout the CRC, and it was brought up again in the Dakar World Education Forum in the year 2000. During the discussion at the event, the objective of extending and enhancing early childcare and education programs that are comprehensive was reaffirmed. The fast growth of a child's brain is one of the most notable characteristics of early infancy. According to Godges (2020), "the most essential phase to brain development spike has been defined to be the final three months of prenatal life and the first two years following birth." This is due to the fact that at this time more than half of the adult brain's total weight is added. It has explosive development in the first few years of life, reaching around two thirds of its adult weight by the end of the first year, approximately seven point five percent of its adult weight by the age of two years, and ninety point five percent by the age of five. Therefore, a child's brain that is five years old has practically reached the degree of development seen in an adult brain. The kid does, however, need appropriate nourishment during this time because of the tremendous development that is occurring in the brain. This is due to the fact that inadequate nutrition before and after birth as well as throughout the first few years of life may have a detrimental effect on the development of the brain. This can result in neurological and behavioral disorders, which can then lead to learning disabilities if left untreated. There is evidence from scientific studies that suggest that the brain of an infant is made up of billions of neutrons that are just hanging around ready to be woven into the "intricate tapestry of the mind." The events that take place throughout childhood shape the neutrons that later get utilised to wire the circuits in the brain. According to Godges (2020), who makes the observation that "the experiences of childhood determine whether a child grows up to be intelligent or dull, fearful or self assured, articulate or tongue tied," Godges states that "the experiences of childhood determine whether a child grows up to be intelligent or dull." According to Munonye (2021), there is also scientific evidence on the need of proper stimulation throughout the early infancy era, which is required for the development of the child's cognitive abilities. There are distinct times over the course of a child's development in which the environment may have an effect on the way the brain is "wired" for certain functions such as language, music, physical activity, and even mathematics. It follows that the brain must be exposed to the proper stimuli at the right time in order for it to be able to carry out these duties; otherwise, it may be difficult for the brain to "re-wire" itself later in life. Because of this, the early infancy years are a time when a child's development need the greatest caution. The comparative degree of progress of kids in primary one, which broadens the range of feasible testing areas for these students in comparison to their junior counterparts, was a factor that played a role in the choice to utilize these students as test subjects.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

The majority of children in today's society do not have healthy cognitive development because they do not receive adequate early childhood education. This education is typically provided to children in two stages: first, by their parents, and then, by their teachers, who are also seen as surrogate parents in the classroom (Adebesin, 2020). The majority of students currently enrolled in primary one in the Nigerian school system did not attend pre-primary schools, which are the schools in which students are taught using methods that are fundamentally appropriate to the children's learn ability and comprehension in the early stage of life (Oyewale, 2020). Because of this oversight, the majority of children who are enrolled in primary schools are unable to comprehend the material that is being taught to them. This is owing to the fact that they began their early education from the leaf rather than the root (Oyewale, 2020).

Additionally, the majority of teachers who are employed to teach at the primary one schools do not apply the correct teaching methods that are comprehensible to the child. As a result, the majority of children do not have high academic achievement in the early stages of their primary school education. There has been a decline in academic performance nearly across the board in our school system as a direct result of the children's inadequate cognitive development. This is due to the fact that what a kid was unable to do during the early education stage of his or her educational life will be difficult for him or her to accomplish throughout the peak stage of his or her educational life. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect that early childhood education has on the intellectual growth of children who are enrolled in primary school.

1.3       Objective Of The Study

The general objective of the study is to examine the impact of early childhood education on the cognitive development of primary school pupils. The specific objectives includes the following:

i.          To examine if staff qualifications impact the cognitive development of primary school pupils.

ii.        To investigate whether quality guidelines and monitoring by local or central governments have an impact on early childhood education.

iii.      To  find out if working conditions for staff influences the cognitive development of primary school pupils.

iv.      To assess the problems related to early childhood education and how it affects the cognitive development of primary school pupils.

1.4       Research Questions

The following research questions was asked in this study thus:

i.          Does  staff qualifications impact the cognitive development of primary school pupils?

ii.        Does quality guidelines and monitoring by local or central governments have an impact on early childhood education?

iii.      Does working conditions for staff influences the cognitive development of primary school pupils?

iv.      What are the problems related to early childhood education and how it affects the cognitive development of primary school pupils?

1.5       Significance Of The Study

The study was a great benefit in the following ways:

With the recommendation of this study, teachers would be exposed to know how best to go about teaching or handling children at the lower level of the school system, the early childhood classes.

The study will be of benefit to teachers  as they would be exposed to the appropriate methods to be used in teaching language to the child in school, especially at the  nursery and primary school system.

The study will also be significant to parents as they would have a better insight on the essence of teaching the child to gain mastery of the language of his/her environment This study will expose them to the knowledge that they should be the first people to impart knowledge to the child, especially concerning children’s language development.

The study will be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6       Scope Of The Study

This study will examine if staff qualifications impact the cognitive development of primary school pupils. The study will also investigate whether quality guidelines and monitoring by local or central governments have an impact on early childhood education. The study will further find out if working conditions for staff influences the cognitive development of primary school pupils. Lastly, the study will assess the problems related to early childhood education and how it affects the cognitive development of primary school pupils. Hence this study will be delimited to Anambra state.

1.7       Limitation Of The Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8       Definition Of Terms

Early childhood education: known as nursery education, is a branch of education theory that relates to the teaching of children (formally and informally) from birth up to the age of eight

Cognitive development: the growth of a child's ability to think and reason

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