The Anatomy of the Implementation Gap: A Qualitative Analysis of Classroom Practice Patterns in Early Childhood Education Under Systemic Constraint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The persistence of a significant "knowing-doing gap" in Early Childhood Education (ECE)—where teachers demonstrate strong theoretical knowledge but fail to implement child-centered practices—is a critical challenge in resource-constrained settings. This paper reports on the qualitative findings from an investigation into the classroom practices of ECE-trained teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, utilizing classroom observations to assess the application of skills (Kirkpatrick Level 3: Behavior). Employing a qualitative, interpretive approach, 48 ECE classroom environments were observed, revealing eight distinct implementation patterns. These patterns highlight that implementation failure is primarily structural, not cognitive. Observed practice ranged from total Pedagogical Subversion (e.g., ECE classrooms co-opted for multi-grade teaching and reducing instruction to survival/crowd control) to Constrained Implementation (where teacher efforts were limited by chronic material scarcity and unmanageably large class sizes). The most frequently observed patterns confirmed that the lack of essential resources and infrastructure directly forces teachers to abandon play-based, hands-on pedagogies in favor of passive, rote-learning methods. This analysis, framed by implementation science and Sociocultural Theory, provides a detailed map of how systemic barriers override professional capacity, underscoring the urgent necessity of integrated policy reforms focused on structural prerequisites (e.g., class size limits, resource replenishment) to enable teachers to translate training into effective practice.