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

Nurul Nadia Abd Aziz, Zaidatul Nadiah Abu Yazid, Azeni Abu Bakar, Jolin Norshyme Hashim, Fairuez Ramli and Mohd Amar Aziz
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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

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 1, 2615-2625

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.

Date: 2025
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