Engaging educators in the co-design, feasibility, and implementation quality of early years interventions: The one programme

Giving practitioners a voice is essential in developing intervention programmes that are adapted to educator and child needs. We aimed to do so by involving educators in the co-design of an intervention supporting early mathematical and executive development, to maximise feasibility and implementation quality. N = 100 educators, N = 24 Early Years Centres (EYCs), and N = 16 education science experts took part. Educators expressed a need for feasible professional development coupled with practical activity suggestions (Phase I). A scientist/educator expert panel developed the intervention (Phase II), further refined via educator input (Phase III) to overcome implementation barriers (e.g., diverse children needs). In Phase IV, mixed methods revealed successful solutions (e.g., differentiation guidance), and additional barriers (e.g., diverse staff demands). We demonstrate the value of an iterative co-design process for complex educator-led interventions, to produce programmes addressing specific needs of educators and children, whilst retaining key theoretical principles.