Interventions and Standardised Quality Assurance Programmes in Nordic Early Childhood Education and Care: A Scoping Review

In this scoping review, we explored research on the use of intervention and standardised quality assurance programmes in Nordic early childhood education and care (ECEC) from 2010 to 2025. By examining peer-reviewed articles, we aimed to map the characteristics of research on the use of such programmes, focusing on their purposes, findings, implications, knowledge gaps, limitations, and directions for future research. We systematically searched eight educational databases, and after a comprehensive screening process that included hand searches, we identified 69 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed a significant increase in studies on intervention programmes in ECEC, particularly between 2021 and 2023. Most of the studies employed quantitative methods, including quasi-experimental and randomised controlled trials. The studies consistently advocated implementing intervention programmes in ECEC as part of a preventive early strategy. Rooted in Anglo-American traditions of evidence-based intervention and effectiveness research, these developments contrast with key features of the traditional Nordic model and may indicate an ongoing ideological shift in Nordic ECEC. However, such developments should also be understood considering broader international trends towards intervention- and outcome-oriented research. This study highlights the need for further qualitative research exploring how such programmes shape pedagogical practices, professional autonomy, and children’s participation in Nordic ECEC.