GIANNOU STRUCTURAL MODEL (GSM)
Giannou Structural Model (GSM)
An evidence-based structural framework for the comparative analysis and classification of early childhood education systems.
What is the Giannou Structural Model?
The Giannou Structural Model (GSM) is a structural framework for the systematic description, comparison and classification of national early childhood education systems according to their institutional and pedagogical architecture.
The model does not rank countries as better or worse. It maps comparable structural characteristics and organises systems into six stable Structural Prototypes (T1–T6) and one distinct Transitional Structural Type (T7).
Why structural analysis?
Structural analysis enables different systems to be compared through common, clearly defined fields without conflating official institutional arrangements with everyday implementation. This reveals recurring patterns of organisation, regulation and pedagogical orientation.
EVIDENCE FOUNDATION
Official sources and documentation
GSM structural analysis is based on publicly available and verifiable official documentation. Sources are examined as evidence of the institutional and pedagogical arrangements of each national system.
Primary national sources
Primary evidence is drawn from competent national authorities and official regulatory or pedagogical documents.
- Curriculum frameworks
- Legislation and ministerial decisions
- Official curricula and teacher guidance
- National policy and regulatory frameworks
International documentation
International institutional sources are used as supplementary evidence for cross-checking, comparative context and system documentation.
- OECD
- UNESCO
- Eurydice
- European Commission
STRUCTURAL FOUNDATION
The 18 Structural Fields
Each national system is analysed through eighteen predefined Structural Fields. They are the primary input variables of the GSM and provide a common analytical language for systematically mapping institutional, administrative, pedagogical and organisational characteristics.
The fields are organised into five Structural Domains solely for conceptual organisation and presentation. Structural Domains are not evaluated and are not the same as the five Structural Axes.
A. Governance
Institutional organisation, administrative structure, teacher autonomy and oversight mechanisms.
Governance Model
Describes the degree of centralisation or decentralisation in the administration of the official early childhood education system.
Teacher Autonomy
Captures the degree of institutionally established pedagogical autonomy granted to early childhood educators.
Inspection
Captures the degree of institutional inspection and external evaluation of early childhood education settings.
Quality Assurance
Captures the existence, organisation and maturity of institutional quality-assurance mechanisms.
B. Curriculum
Philosophy, structure and principal pedagogical objectives of the official curriculum framework.
Curriculum Type
Describes the dominant pedagogical orientation of the official early childhood curriculum framework.
School Readiness
Captures the degree to which school readiness is an official objective of the curriculum framework.
Learning Outcomes
Captures the degree to which the official curriculum framework clearly specifies expected learning outcomes.
Formal Instruction
Captures the emphasis placed by the official curriculum on structured, teacher-directed instruction.
C. Pedagogy
Core pedagogical principles and officially adopted approaches to learning.
Free Play
Captures the importance assigned to free play as a central mechanism of learning and development.
Guided Play
Captures the degree to which guided play is incorporated as an official pedagogical strategy.
Child Participation
Captures the degree to which the official curriculum recognises the child as an active participant in learning.
Inquiry Learning
Captures the degree to which inquiry learning constitutes an official pedagogical approach.
D. Inclusion & Wellbeing
Institutional integration of inclusion, family engagement and child wellbeing.
Inclusion
Captures the degree to which inclusive education is a foundational principle of the official curriculum framework.
Special Educational Needs Support
Captures the degree to which the official system provides organised support mechanisms for children with special educational needs.
Family Engagement
Captures the degree to which cooperation between families and educational settings is an institutional component.
Wellbeing
Captures the degree to which child wellbeing is a central priority of the official curriculum framework.
E. Transition & Continuity
Institutional linkage between early childhood and primary education.
Transition to Primary Education
Captures the degree to which the official system provides organised transition procedures into primary education.
Curriculum Continuity
Captures the degree of continuity and alignment between early childhood and primary education.
How does the GSM work?
Classification follows a stable, auditable and reproducible pathway from official documentation to final Structural Type assignment.
STRUCTURAL SYNTHESIS
How the Five Structural Axes are Derived
The Five Structural Axes are neither primary variables nor manually assigned dimensions. They are produced through the official Giannou Structural Model (GSM) methodology by systematically processing the eighteen Structural Fields.
This process includes successive stages of normalisation, weighting and structural synthesis, resulting in the Structural Profile of each national early childhood education system.
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Official documentation Evidence extraction
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18 Structural Fields Normalisation
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Weighting Structural synthesis
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5 Structural Axes Structural Profile
The Axes Forming the Structural Profile
Schoolification
Play Orientation
Institutional Regulation
Academic Orientation
Social Inclusion & Wellbeing
The Five Structural Axes
The Five Structural Axes form the analytical core of the Giannou Structural Model (GSM). They result from the systematic synthesis of the eighteen Structural Fields and represent the principal Structural Dimensions that characterise national early childhood education systems.
Together, the five axes form each country’s Structural Profile and provide the basis for Structural Analysis and final classification into one of the six stable Structural Prototypes (T1–T6) or, where the official transitional conditions are met, the Transitional Structural Type T7.
Structural Profile
Select a Structural Axis or interact with the chart.
The radar chart visualises the Structural Profile produced by the five Structural Axes. Each axis represents a distinct Structural Dimension of the education system and contributes to the overall Structural Analysis.
- Schoolification
- 3.4 / 5
- Play Orientation
- 3.6 / 5
- Institutional Regulation
- 3.4 / 5
- Academic Orientation
- 3.4 / 5
- Social Inclusion & Wellbeing
- 3.6 / 5
Mean: Average across the 104 national systems analysed.
Scale: 1 = Very low · 5 = Very high
Scientific Note
The Structural Axes are not independent evaluation indicators. They are interpreted exclusively as part of the overall Structural Profile, in accordance with the methodology of the Giannou Structural Model (GSM).
STRUCTURAL CLASSIFICATION
From Structural Profile to Final Structural Type
The Structural Typology Resolver is the final computational mechanism of the GSM. It uses only previously validated data and does not recalculate or modify the Structural Fields, the five Structural Axes or the validated Structural Profile.
The Resolver diagnostically calculates Structural Similarity against all stable Structural Prototypes T1–T6 and then applies the official eligibility, Structural Coherence, assignability and borderline-resolution rules. T7 is evaluated only when a stable Structural Type cannot be finalised and the official transitional conditions of the GSM are satisfied.
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Input validation
Checks completeness, validity, validation status and version compatibility of the official input data.
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Structural Similarity
Diagnostic calculation of Structural Similarity between the Structural Profile and all stable T1–T6 Structural Prototypes.
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Eligibility and Structural Coherence
Applies the official eligibility and Structural Coherence rules to all stable Prototypes and constructs the set of assignable candidates.
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Ranking and Borderline Resolution
Ranks assignable Prototypes and, where required, applies the predefined Borderline Resolution rules.
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Final assignment
Assigns the final stable Structural Type or, only where the official transitional conditions are satisfied, evaluates and assigns T7.
Structural Typology (T1–T7)
Structural Typology (T1–T7)
The GSM includes six stable Structural Prototypes (T1–T6) and one distinct Transitional Structural Type (T7). The types describe different structural forms of early childhood education systems and do not constitute a qualitative ranking.
School-Oriented and Academic Structural Type
Describes systems in which preparation for primary education, clearly defined learning outcomes and organised instruction are dominant structural principles of the official educational framework.
Structured Curriculum and Institutional Coherence Structural Type
Describes systems in which the defining structural feature is a coherent, institutionally organised and formally regulated curriculum framework combined with a high degree of institutional coherence.
Balanced Integrative Structural Type
Describes systems in which different pedagogical, learning, institutional and social logics coexist at a high level and operate as a coherent whole.
Developmental Play-Based Structural Type
Describes systems in which the holistic development of the child is the principal structural purpose and play functions as the main mechanism for organising learning.
Welfare-Oriented Structural Type
Describes systems in which early childhood education forms part of an integrated public policy for Early Childhood Development, with strong emphasis on welfare and wellbeing.
Multi-level Flexible Structural Type
Describes systems in which institutional coherence is achieved through multi-level, decentralised or mixed governance, high pedagogical autonomy and flexible implementation of the official curriculum.
Transitional Structural Type
Describes systems undergoing an active and documented structural transition that satisfy the official conditions of the GSM and the Official Transition Registry. It is neither a stable numerical Reference Prototype nor a qualitative category.
MODEL VALIDATION
Validation and Reproducibility
Final validation of GSM v2.1.0 confirms that classification is deterministic and reproducible, with no failures in classification, threshold, axis, similarity, confidence or integrity checks.
- Version
- GSM v2.1.0
- Status
- LOCKED
- Validation
- PASS
- National systems
- 104
Validation checks
- Failures
- 0
- Unclassified systems
- 0
- Threshold check failures
- 0
- Axis check failures
- 0
- Similarity check failures
- 0
- Confidence check failures
- 0
- Integrity check failures
- 0
Application within the tool
The model functions as a comparative analytical map. Users can examine the Structural Profiles of different countries, identify divergences and analyse pedagogical and institutional trends.
Limitations
The analysis is based on institutional and official documents and may not fully reflect everyday practice. The model does not provide qualitative evaluation or ranking of systems.