Effects of Early Childhood Education on Students' Academic Achievement in Science at Elementary School Level

This study aimed to find the effects of Early Childhood Education (ECE) on students’ academic achievement in science at elementary school level in district Haripur. The study's objectives were: 1) to investigate the impacts of ECE on students’ academic achievements, 2) to compare the academic achievement of students who have attended ECE with those who have not attended ECE over the categories of male and female schools. All students at the elementary school level were considered as the population of the study. The study was delimited to grade 7th of the elementary school level. Ten (10) schools (five male and female schools each) were randomly selected as sample of the study. Four hundred (400) students (200 for ECE and Non ECE each) were randomly selected. Data were collected through academic achievement test having reliability coefficient 0.87. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software. ECE (Male) group was found superior to Non ECE (male and female groups); ECE (Female) group was found better than Non ECE (male and female groups). However, both the male and female of Non ECE groups were equal; and both the male and female of ECE groups were equal in their science academic achievement. Government may encourage ECE by providing pre-primary educational facilities (classrooms, instructional materials, and equipment) and by organizing in-service teachers’ trainings to enhance teaching skills and to make it more successful.