An indicatorbased monitoring of structural quality in the German early childhood education and care system (ERiK)

Based on the current research situation in general survey research, the team is continuously working on the conceptual and technical development of the survey designs, the survey methods and procedures with the aim of generating meaningful samples for six different populations in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). For this purpose, different ERiK surveys are conducted with providers and directors of child day care facilities, youth welfare offices, family day-care workers, pedagogical staff and children. It is important to take into account the respective characteristics of the researched group in the survey, data processing and interpretation and to develop survey-specific weighting strategies. The survey and sampling strategies are closely coordinated with the DJI KiBS project in order to gain further valuable insights by linking the data.

For the implementation of the study, (partially) automated processes are created by the team, which allow, for example, the data storage of the online questionnaires to be technically checked. Furthermore, the team works out technical details of the study design and implementation (such as questionnaire development and field control), as well as the technical side of the specification of the field control (such as questionnaire programming and testing) and supports communication with the survey institutes. In the course of coordinating the various studies, the team develops procedures that make reporting, including preparation, implementation, evaluation and processing of the studies in the monitoring project more efficient. This includes, for example, standards and (semi-) automated routines for generating tables and graphics for the research report.

Another core task of the team is the conceptual and technical development of a data management concept in consultation with the commissioned survey institute. This contains procedures and standards for all steps of the various surveys, such as linkability, creation and implementation of data cleansing and preparation as well as standardized nomenclatures for data documentation (ID concept, label concept). In addition, the team - in continuous consultation with the Research Data Centre at the DJI - provides a basic structure for data storage, evaluation, anonymization and documentation in ERiK, and checks the data quality at regular intervals during the field periods.

Following on from the field periods, the team manages the data preparation for the ERiK project. To this end, the various data sets for the different surveyed populations are harmonized, checked for plausibility and errors are corrected.

A further area of work of the small team includes the initiation and implementation of research projects to test methodological innovations as well as the publication and presentation of the empirical substantive and methodological results of the various surveys of the ERiK project through publications in (international) journals and presentation of the results at scientific conferences.

The team also supports the project staff with regard to quantitative research methods. This includes the selection of suitable statistical analyses, data processing techniques and the interpretation of results. The aim is to create a solid basis for evidence-based findings with ERiK survey data.