**2. Methods**

This chapter is based on review of literature on the topics above that was available between September 2021 and February 2022 when the chapter was written.

*Perspective Chapter: Pedagogical Approaches and Access to Education among Early Childhood… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104921*

We conducted literature review on the subject focusing on the sub-Saharan African context. We retrieved and included peer-reviewed and gray literature that reported on any of the areas listed above.

#### **2.1 Literature search**

Literature search was guided by the three research questions. Search terms were generated and used in the search across different databases including PUBMED, and Google scholar, and Google search for gray literature including reports, blogs, webinars etc. Key search terms included (COVID-19 OR SARS-VIRUS) AND (disabilities OR "special needs" OR "vulnerable populations") AND (education OR learning OR schooling OR "pedagogical approaches") AND ("early childhood" OR children) AND (Africa OR "sub-Saharan Africa" OR Africa OR "developing countries") AND (barriers OR challenges) AND (access OR opportunities OR support). After the search was completed, the articles were compiled and screened for relevance and eligibility using the titles, abstracts, and/or on full texts. The selected articles were summarized in a table describing the type of literature, source, focus/objectives, geographical representation, and key findings.

#### **2.2 Data extraction and synthesis**

Full texts of the eligible articles were reviewed by the three reviewers working independently and focusing on our questions of interest, collaborating evidence from the diverse contexts within the continent, and key lessons for policy and practice but also identifying the important evidence gaps for future research, and any emerging perspectives related to our objectives. Based on this extraction approach, a narrative synthesis was used to describe and discuss the information as organized under the different headings below.
