幼儿教育的教学质量：来自保加利亚、罗马尼亚、北马其顿和科索沃的证据（英）2026

No. 26 |March2026 Quality of Teaching in EarlyChildhood Education: Evidencefrom Bulgaria, Romania,North Macedonia and Kosovo Ciro Avitabile, Ella Humphry, and Laura Reznikova © 2026International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NWWashington DC 20433Telephone: 202-473-1000Email: AskEd@worldbank.orgInternet:www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations,and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board ofExecutive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work anddoes not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability withrespect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. Theboundaries, colors, denominations, links/footnotes and other information shown in this work do not imply anyjudgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement oracceptance of such boundaries. The citation of works authored by others does not mean the World Bankendorses the views expressed by those authors or the content of their works. Nothing herein shall constitute or be construed or considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privilegesand immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of itsknowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as fullattribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications,The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail:pubrights@worldbank.org. Cover design: Marianne Siblini Quality of Teaching in Early Childhood Education:Evidence from Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia and Kosovo Ciro Avitabile,cavitabile@worldbank.org; Ella Humphry,ehumphry@worldbank.org;Laura Reznikova,lreznikova@worldbank.org March 2026 Abstract High quality early childhood education (ECE) yields well established developmentalbenefits, especially for vulnerable children. These gains depend on strong process quality,which includes effectiveteaching practices. This brief presents new, preliminary evidenceon ECE teaching quality in Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia based onclassroom observations conducted using the TEACH ECE and MELQO tools.Results showthat teachers are generally more skilled at creating supportive learning environments thanat fostering skills such as critical thinking and socioemotional developmentamongchildren. Teaching quality tends to be lower in rural compared to urban areas, and highestamong most experienced teachers. While these findings offer initial guidance for policy,measuring ECE teaching quality at scale remains essential for developing comprehensive,system-wide improvements. JEL codes: I20, I21, I25, I29 Key words:Early Childhood Education, Teaching Quality, Quality Measurement Table of contents Executive summary................................................................................................2The importance of ECE...........................................................................................3ECE in Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and North Macedonia – balancing access and quality...6ECE quality – and why it matters...............................................................................9The role of teachers in quality ECE..........................................................................10ECE teaching quality –new evidence for Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and North Macedonia........................................................................................................................10References.........................................................................................................18 Executive summary •Quality Early Childhood Education(ECE)1 offers wide-ranging and well-documentedbenefits for the development of children—especially the mostvulnerable.•Quality ECE contributes to theWorld Bank’s Jobs Agendasince skills developedduring the early years are thefoundationsfor skills acquisitionat later stages, thusimproving a broad set oflabor market outcomes.•High process quality,which includeseffective teaching practices,is essentialtorealizing ECE'ssignificant benefits.•This brief analyzes ECE teaching quality in Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and NorthMacedonia, leveragingnovel data frompilot classroom observations conductedbetween 2022-2024 usingTEACH ECE and MELQO measurement toolsthat havebeen (co-)developed by the World Bank.•Key findings re