Journal of Childhood Development
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): Journal of Childhood Development

Reconceptualizing Service Quality in Early Childhood Education: Integrating Developmental and Service Management Perspectives

Yanti Nurhayati (Universitas Islam Negeri Kiai Haji Achmad Siddiq Jember, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Jul 2026

Abstract

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) service quality has become a global policy priority, yet existing research remains theoretically fragmented across developmental psychology, service management, and education policy perspectives. Drawing on 799 Scopus-indexed records, of which 589 studies published between 2019 and 2025 met PRISMA 2020 eligibility criteria, this study offers one of the most comprehensive syntheses of the field to date. It aims to consolidate this fragmented body of knowledge and propose an integrative conceptual framework for evaluating ECEC service quality. Using a hybrid review design combining bibliometric analysis and PRISMA-guided systematic literature review, the study identified eight core dimensions of ECEC service quality and revealed a field with stable annual output through 2023 followed by a sharp expansion in 2024, remaining theoretically fragmented, dominated by developmental perspectives, concentrated in high-income countries, and marked by limited integration between developmental and stakeholder-oriented approaches. Building on these findings, the study proposes the Integrated Early Childhood Education Service Quality Framework (IECESQF), which integrates system, structural, process, and stakeholder quality within a culturally adaptable conceptual model, advances five theoretical propositions for future empirical research, and offers practical implications for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to move ECEC quality assurance beyond single-discipline standards toward integrated, culturally responsive practice.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jcd

Publisher

Subject

Description

Journal of Childhood Devlopment includes prenatal and birth development, physical, cognitive, psychosocial, moral and religious values, physical motor development, social emotional development, language development, artistic and creative development, assessment of early childhood development, ...