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Malaysian Quality Childcare Unveiled Through Fuzzy Delphi: What Do Parents Want?

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  • Nurul Nadia Abd Aziz

    (Faculty of Business and Management, University Teknologi MARA Pahang Raub Campus, Raub, Malaysia)

  • Zaidatul Nadiah Abu Yazid

    (Faculty of Business and Management, University Teknologi MARA Pahang Raub Campus, Raub, Malaysia)

  • Azeni Abu Bakar

    (Faculty of Business and Management, University Teknologi MARA Pahang Raub Campus, Raub, Malaysia)

  • Jolin Norshyme Hashim

    (Faculty of Business and Management, University Teknologi MARA Pahang Raub Campus, Raub, Malaysia)

  • Fairuez Ramli

    (Social Welfare Department, Raub, Pahang)

  • Mohd Amar Aziz

    (Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, University Teknologi MARA Pahang Raub Campus, Raub, Malaysia)

Abstract

This study employed a Fuzzy Delphi approach to examine parental expectations of childcare quality in Malaysia, addressing the gap between international quality frameworks and local cultural contexts. Eleven experts evaluated ten quality dimensions using a five-point fuzzy scale. The findings revealed strong consensus (97% average) across all quality indicators, with educational and developmental activities emerging as the highest priority (defuzzification: 0.800), followed by staff qualifications and parent-staff communication (both 0.782). The study identified three key quality dimensions: educational content delivery, professional competence, and communication frameworks. All items achieved acceptance status, indicating robust agreement on quality indicators. The findings suggest that Malaysian parents prioritize both structural and process quality elements, challenging assumptions about Asian parents’ exclusive focus on academic outcomes. The study contributes to the development of culturally responsive quality assessment frameworks and provides evidence-based recommendations for policy makers and practitioners. The results highlight the need for comprehensive quality improvement initiatives that balance educational content with nurturing care while maintaining cultural sensitivity. These findings have significant implications for quality standard development, professional training programs, and policy formulation in Malaysian early childhood education and care settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Nurul Nadia Abd Aziz & Zaidatul Nadiah Abu Yazid & Azeni Abu Bakar & Jolin Norshyme Hashim & Fairuez Ramli & Mohd Amar Aziz, 2025. "Malaysian Quality Childcare Unveiled Through Fuzzy Delphi: What Do Parents Want?," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(1), pages 2615-2625, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:i:1:p:2615-2625
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Erica L. Kenney & Rebecca S. Mozaffarian & Wendy Ji & Kyla Tucker & Mary Kathryn Poole & Julia DeAngelo & Zinzi D. Bailey & Angie L. Cradock & Rebekka M. Lee & Natasha Frost, 2022. "Moving from Policy to Practice for Early Childhood Obesity Prevention: A Nationwide Evaluation of State Implementation Strategies in Childcare," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Michal Perlman & Olesya Falenchuk & Brooke Fletcher & Evelyn McMullen & Joseph Beyene & Prakesh S Shah, 2016. "A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of a Measure of Staff/Child Interaction Quality (the Classroom Assessment Scoring System) in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings and Child Outcomes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-33, December.
    3. Shoshanah Inwood & Emily Stengel, 2020. "Working households: Challenges in balancing young children and the farm enterprise," Community Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(5), pages 499-517, October.
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