Abstract:
It is widely recognized that innovation in early childhood education plays a vital role in socio- economic development. Looking at the changes that have taken place in different parts of the world over the past 50 years, it is clear that the driving force for improvements came from gains in knowledge and technologies, and the transformation of value systems through education. Education plays a crucial role in development but there is need to find the type of education that can bring about the changes needed for sustainable development. The important thing is the quality of education, and it is necessary for students to learn what truly matters. In order to steer society towards sustainable development, there is need to ensure that the values and skills required for sustainability are integrated into the various levels of education. For these reasons, the roles and responsibility of higher education institutions cannot be overestimated. This paper therefore discussed three major roles of innovation in early childhood education in terms of achieving sustainable development. Questionnaires were used to collect data from teachers whereas interview schedules were used to gather data from headteachers. Piloting of research instruments was conducted once amongst 5 teachers to establish validity and reliability was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha Method. Target population comprised of 27 headteachers and 123 early childhood teachers from whom a sample of 10 headteachers and 40 early childhood teachers was selected. Data analysis began by identifying common themes. Frequency counts of the responses were then obtained to generate information about the respondents and to illustrate the general trend of findings on the various variables that were under investigation. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically whereas quantitative data was analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages in Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS Version 21). The findings of the study were presented using tables. The study established that innovation for high- quality early childhood education depends on qualified teachers, and early childhood education incorporates institutions that train those teachers. The study recommends that innovation in early childhood education centers should be critically questioned as to the extent to which they are contributing to sustainable development goals, and it examines how early childhood education centers can be reformed in order to meet the needs of participatory and sustainable development.
