The Quality Assurance of Early Childhood Education in Preschools in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: Integrating the CIPO and PDCA Frameworks
Keywords:
CIPO model; Early childhood education; Educational management; PDCA cycle; Quality assuranceAbstract
Quality assurance (QA) in early childhood education has become a major priority in Vietnam’s educational reform, particularly in disadvantaged regions such as the Mekong Delta, where limitations in resources, managerial capacity, and community support continue to affect preschool quality. This study examines QA management in preschools by integrating the CIPO framework (Context–Input–Process–Output) with the PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Act) continuous improvement cycle. It explores how contextual conditions, educational resources, management processes, and educational outcomes interact to influence QA effectiveness in early childhood education institutions. A quantitative survey design was employed using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. The final valid sample included 1,130 respondents, comprising 788 preschool managers and teachers and 342 parents from urban and rural areas across the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Data were collected to evaluate perceptions of QA implementation in relation to input management, process management, output quality, and contextual support factors. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software. The findings reveal a significant “quality paradox” in preschool QA management. Output management, particularly child developmental outcomes, parental satisfaction, and trust in preschool services, received more positive evaluations than other dimensions. In contrast, process management was rated lowest, especially in the planning, monitoring, and feedback stages of the PDCA cycle, indicating limited effectiveness of continuous improvement mechanisms. The study highlights the need to strengthen PDCA-based managerial competencies, develop evidence-based monitoring systems, enhance stakeholder collaboration, and align educational financing with quality priorities to improve preschool quality in resource-constrained contexts.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.7.15
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