A Bioecological Systems Approach to Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for the Education and Care of Young Children

Abstract

Drawing on examples from research and practice, this chapter will explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) from a multisystem perspective of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological framework. The chapter will discuss key factors that influence children’s early education and care as well as consider how the physical and social environments have changed in response to the crisis. Changes to the relationships in the ‘mesosystem’ (i.e., the early childhood settings and the home environment) are also explored. Physical distancing measures implemented to minimise the spread of the virus resulted in disruption to the connections between ECEC practitioners and parents and between the home and school environments. ECEC is also influenced by wider factors, often beyond the control of educators, practitioners, children and families within the ‘exosystem’, such as the availability of government grants to adapt settings for increased hygiene practices and support for unemployed educators. Furthermore, there are cultural factors within the ‘macrosystem’ that have led to significant variations in how ECEC settings were affected internationally by the COVID-19 crisis. This chapter will highlight how the socio-historical context (‘chronosystem’) and the sense of ‘time’ in various guises impact ECEC, while also considering the developmental stages of young children. New empirical evidence relating to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on young children is emerging every day, and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems approach provides a strong theoretical framework in which to consolidate these findings, reflect on their implications, and consider recommendations for the future.