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66 – CHAPTER 7: MONITORING QUALITY IN PEDAGOGYPedagogy can have varying and contrasting definitions. In this report, pedagogy is defined as“that set of instructional techniques and strategies which enable learning to take place and provideopportunities for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and dispositions within a particularsocial and material context” (Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2002). In reality, this is not a universaldefinition, and pedagogy can encompass many different aspects, usually defined and shaped at thesetting level or by ECEC practitioners, and rarely at the policy level.Quality also has different conceptual forms, as noted in the literature, such as structural,orientational, and process quality, as discussed in Chapter 3. Process quality is key in terms ofpedagogy because it describes the pedagogical interactions between ECEC practitioners andchildren. Structural quality also indirectly affects process quality, as the number of children inclass or teachers’ qualifications can influence the practitioner’s interaction with children.Definitions of, and perspectives on, quality in pedagogySheridan (2001) posits that two dominant perspectives govern discussions of quality: relativeand objective quality. The pedagogical perspective stems from a combination of the two. Anexplanation of these perspectives and their impact on the interpretation of the term quality areoutlined below, as are the most prevalent perspectives in the countries case study.Relative perspectiveThe relative approach considers quality as a relative and dynamic concept that can only beunderstood in a relative context – for example in a particular situation, a particular period of time,and in a specific social and cultural context (Sheridan, 2001). As Sheridan further explains, “someresearchers believe that high or low quality in early childhood education is a subjective,contextual and cultural experience and not an objective reality, as definitions of quality mustevolve over time”. An ecological systems theory framework often forms the basis for a relativeapproach to quality, where the micro-systems (family), meso-systems (ECEC settings) and macrosystems(economic and social policies) of cultures and societies influence and affect children’sdevelopment (Sheridan, 2001). To understand how children can learn and develop mosteffectively, these aspects must all be considered. As a result, relative “definitions of quality reflectthe values and beliefs, needs and agendas, influence and empowerment of various ‘stakeholder’groups having an interest in these ECEC services” (Moss and Pence, 1994). Because the relativeperspective is based on societal, political and philosophical perspectives, it can be regarded as ademocratic-societal perspective of quality.Objective perspectiveThe objective approach, by contrast, holds that quality can be commonly characterised anddefined. Arriving at a definition for quality must involve a common understanding of what thisentails, as well as of how the aspects of quality are associated with pedagogical processes in earlychildhood education (Sheridan, 2001). Such an understanding of quality can be achieved throughresearch on theories of learning and their application in ECEC settings, as well as theoretical andpractical knowledge of the characteristics of a high-quality environment for children’s learningand development (ibid.). This knowledge can subsequently contribute to learning goals andstrategies, which can also be evaluated. With its focus on the educational system, the objectiveapproach can be seen as an educational perspective of quality. Quality, in the objective sense, canbe evaluated by measuring a programme’s content, methods and effectiveness, and thus its abilityto provide children with the opportunity to learn and develop in line with its overarching goals(ibid.).EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE PEDAGOGY REVIEW: ENGLAND © OECD 2015