Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model: a holistic evaluation of the health-promoting capacity of early childhood institutions in Turkey

ÖZYILDIRIM G., Şencanlı F. N.

Early Years, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/09575146.2026.2631002
  • Dergi Adı: Early Years
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Psycinfo
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: and administrators, early childhood institutions, health-promoting schools, Whole School Whole Community Whole Child (WSCC) model
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Early childhood education (ECE) is a critical stage for encouraging healthy development. Given young children’s dependence on adults, it is imperative that educators and caregivers ensure the health-promoting capacity of educational activities and settings in early childhood institutions. In this context, school administrators bear primary responsibility for establishing and maintaining the physical and pedagogical conditions necessary to support children’s healthy development. This single case-embedded study provides a holistic evaluation of educational activities in three types of ECE institutions across three central districts of Antalya, following the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model. Data from interviews with 16 administrators from distinct institutions and their school strategic plans were analysed through content analysis. Findings indicated a strong emphasis on curriculum-based activities (Physical Education, Physical Activity, Nutrition), with limited attention to Community Involvement and Employee Wellness. Independent Preschools also demonstrated stronger alignment with WSCC standards compared to Preschool Classrooms and Practice Preschool Classrooms, indicating the need for a whole-school health committee with ECE-trained members to integrate ECE-specific health priorities into strategic planning.