Assessment and Data Systems in Early Childhood Settings: Theory and Practice

Acknowledgements
Contents
Editors and Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I Introduction
1 Using Data Systems to Inform Early Childhood Practice
1.1 Introduction to This Volume
1.2 Why Do We Need to Think About Data Systems in Early Childhood?
1.3 The Importance of Differentiated Approaches to Assessment
1.4 A Cultural-Historical Framework for Assessment
1.5 Issues in Early years Assessment
1.6 Overview of the Volume
1.7 Data Systems in Early Childhood Practice
1.8 Different Approaches to Documentation
1.9 Children and Data Systems
1.10 Enhancing Teacher Practice Through Use of Data Systems
References
Part II Data Systems in Early Childhood Practice
2 Revisiting the Roles of Teachers as Assessors of Children’s Progress: Exploration of Assessment Practices, Trends, and Influences Over Time
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Purposes and Characteristics of Assessment in Early Childhood Education Settings
2.2.1 Formative, Summative, Ipsative, and Diagnostic Assessment
2.3 The Pendulum Swing Between Objective and Subjective Assessment Measures of Early Childhood Learning and Development
2.4 The History of Assessment in Early Childhood Education in New Zealand
2.4.1 1960s and 1970s: The Early Waves of Advocacy
2.4.2 1980s: Advocacy and Reform
2.4.3 1990s: A Period of Development—Curriculum, Assessment, and Evaluation
2.4.4 2000s Settling into a New Approach to Curriculum and Assessment
2.4.5 2010s A Decline in Investment
2.4.6 A New Era: Curriculum Refresh and Reinvestment in Early Learning
2.5 Moving Forward: Settling into Equilibrium
2.6 Conclusion
References
3 The Collection and Use of Assessment Information in Early Childhood Settings
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Context of This Study
3.3 My Own Study
3.4 How Teachers Gather Assessment Information
3.5 Family and Child Contributions to Assessment
3.6 Using Assessment Information to Plan for Children’s Learning
3.7 Timeframes to Complete Assessment Documentation
3.8 Implications for Practice
3.9 Conclusion
References
Part III Different Approaches to Documentation
4 Collective Imaginary Situation as a Site of Diagnostic Assessment: A Cultural-Historical Analysis of Children’s Emerging Science Motive Orientations in a Conceptual PlayWorld
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Assessing Children in Early Years—A Cultural-Historical Approach
4.3 Zone of Proximal Development
4.4 Social Situation of Development
4.5 Dialectical Relationship Between Every Day and Scientific Concepts
4.6 Conceptual PlayWorld: Educational Experiment as a Methodology for Assessment
4.7 Conceptual PlayWorld@homeLIVE: A Digital Educational Experiment
4.7.1 Phase 1: Understanding Children’s Social Situation of Development
4.7.2 Phase 2: Sharing Ways of Participating and Inhabiting a Conceptual PlayWorld
4.7.3 Phase 3: Bi-weekly Conceptual PlayWorld Sessions
4.7.4 Phase 4: Sharing Resources with the Families for Creating a Conceptual PlayWorld in the Home Setting
4.7.5 Phase 5: Creating Opportunities for family’s Participation
4.7.6 Phase 6: Making Conceptual Development Visible
4.7.7 Phase 7: Parent’s Forum to Share Their Experience
4.8 Conceptual PlayWorld@homeLIVE: Who, What and How
4.9 What Did We Learn?
4.9.1 Understanding Lexi’s Social Situation of Development
4.9.2 Understanding Lexi’s Maturing Psychological Functions and Interest
4.9.3 Lexi’s Participation in Collective Imaginary Situation of the Conceptual PlayWorld
4.9.4 Weaving Pedagogy and Assessment: Synthesis from a Cultural-Historical Perspective
4.10 Conclusion
References
5 E-portfolios to Capture and Share Moments of Learning
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Our Project
5.3 Illustrative Examples of Practice
5.3.1 Documenting, Sharing, and Emphasising Key Moments of Practice
5.3.2 Noticing, Showcasing, and Sharing Individual Learning Achievements
5.3.3 Identifying Extensions of Intentional Practices into Play Scenarios
5.4 Discussion
5.5 Conclusion
References
6 Tools and Time for Noticing in Early Childhood Pedagogy Outdoors
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Noticing: Intentionally Shifting Perceptions of What We See and How We Act
6.3 Assessment Processes in Early Childhood Education
6.4 Teachers or Safety Supervisors in Outdoor Playspaces?
6.5 Stories from Research: Noticing and Focusing Tools for Sociodramatic Play
6.6 Stories from Research: Using Attentional Tools in Physically Active Outdoor Play Pedagogy
6.7 Seeing Beyond the Familiar Through Seeing Differently
6.8 Implications for Assessment Practice: Slowing Down to ‘Sit Beside’ and Take Time to Notice
Appendix 6.1
Appendix 6.2
References
7 Documentation as a Tool for Changing Practices in Early Childhood Education
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Theoretical Background
7.2.1 Changing Views on Children, Learning and Assessment
7.3 Assessment in the Light of Contemporary Views
7.4 Documentation in Early Childhood Education
7.5 Challenges and Benefits of Documentation
7.6 Research Questions
7.7 Methodology
7.8 Participants
7.9 Method
7.9.1 Choosing the Subject
7.9.2 Planning the Process
7.9.3 Implementing Practices and Generating Data
7.9.4 Reflecting on the Process
7.9.5 Introducing New Practices
7.10 Data Analysis
7.11 Findings and Discussion
7.12 Contrasting Views on children’s Learning and Assessment
7.13 Children’s Views Becoming More Visible
7.14 The Professional Development of Educators
7.15 Extending Collaboration with Families
7.16 Involving Children in Documentation
7.17 Reflection and Narrative Modes of Assessment
7.18 The Role of Technology in Documentation
7.19 Benefits and Challenges of Participating in Collaborative Action Research
7.20 Conclusion
References
Part IV Children and Data Systems
8 Using Data Collection to Better Understand Students in Early Primary Physical Education
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Primary Physical Education
8.3 Participant Observation
8.3.1 Llewyn
8.3.2 Adele
8.3.3 Lessons Learned
8.4 Video Recording
8.4.1 Adele
8.4.2 Llewyn
8.4.3 Lessons Learned
8.5 Map Drawing
8.5.1 Llewyn
8.5.2 Adele
8.5.3 Lessons Learned
8.6 Photo Elicitation
8.6.1 Llewyn
8.6.2 Adele
8.6.3 Lessons Learned
8.7 Meeting the Needs of Students
References
9 Assessing Young Children’s Emotional Well-Being: Enacting a Strength-Based Approach in Early Childhood Education
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Autobiographical Case Study
9.3 Emotional Well-Being in Early Childhood
9.3.1 The Experience of Vulnerability
9.3.2 Secure Attachments
9.3.3 Internal Working Models
9.3.4 Relationship-Focused Practice
9.3.5 Emotional Availability
9.4 Assessing Emotional Well-Being in Early Childhood
9.5 An Illustration from Research
9.5.1 Development of the Observational Descriptors and Assessment Scales
9.5.2 Research Findings
9.6 Embracing Vulnerability–A Strength-Based Approach
References
10 Children’s Self-assessment Plans to Inform Teaching and Provide Summative Data
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Learning Artefacts for Summative Assessment Purposes
10.3 The Role of Self-assessment in Fostering children’s Ability as Co-owners of the Learning Process
10.4 Purpose of the Study and School Context
10.5 Method
10.5.1 Overview of Study Design and Procedure: Planning Template
10.6 Findings and Discussion
10.6.1 Fostering Children’s Ability as Co-owners of Their Learning Process
10.6.2 Artefacts of Self-assessment as Summative Assessment Data: Implications for Teacher Practice
10.7 Limitations and Conclusion
References
11 Child-Voiced Assessment for Understanding Children’s Learning and Transforming Pedagogic Practices
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Importance of Engaging with children’s Voices to Assess Learning and Engagement
11.3 Dialogic Encounters with Young Children
11.4 Understanding Children’s Learning and Engagement Through Dialogic Encounters
11.4.1 The Children’s Voices Project
11.4.2 The Preschool Literacy in Fiji Project
11.5 Using Child-Voiced Assessment to Transform Pedagogic Practices
11.5.1 The Aboriginal Reading Project
11.5.2 Transforming Practices in the Children’s Voices Project
11.6 Key Messages for Educators
References
12 Listening to Children’s Personal Reflections for Understanding Their Learning Journey
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Assessment in Early Childhood Education and Care
12.2.1 Authentic Assessment
12.3 The Australian Education Policy Agenda—Successful Learners
12.4 The Context for the Case Study
12.4.1 The School
12.4.2 The Teachers, Children and Parents and Researcher
12.4.3 Taking Part in the Study
12.4.4 Interviews as Conversations—Enabling Children’s Voice
12.4.5 Visual Methodologies-Photos to Elicit Children’s Voices
12.5 Ethical Considerations
12.6 What Did the Children Say?
12.7 What Did We Learn?
12.8 Conclusion
References
Part V Enhancing Teacher Practice
13 Data, Knowledge, Action: The Uses of Data Systems as Auxiliary Tools to Aid Teachers’ Thinking About Children’s Curriculum Experiences and Teacher Practices
13.1 Introduction
13.2 The New Zealand Early Childhood Education Context
13.3 Data-Informed Teaching
13.3.1 The Data, Knowledge, Action Programme of Research
13.4 The Impact of Tool Use on Teachers’ Thinking and Practice
13.4.1 Increased Confidence in Using Data Tools and Working with Data
13.4.2 Strengthening Understanding of Children’s Curriculum Experiences
13.4.3 Teachers’ Reflections on and Enhanced Pedagogical Practices
13.5 Discussion and Implications
References
14 Developing Teacher-Researchers Capacity to Support the Use of New Data Systems
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Teacher Engagement in Research
14.2.1 Partnerships Between Teachers and Researchers
14.3 The TLIF Project: Multiple Layers of Teachers’ Engagement with Research
14.4 The Journey of the Teacher-Researchers
14.4.1 Initial Feelings
14.4.2 Training and Support
14.4.3 Shifting Perspectives
14.4.4 Fostering Pedagogical Leadership
14.4.5 Navigating Roles and Relationships
14.4.6 Challenges Along the Journey
14.4.7 Sustained Changes in Practice
14.5 Conclusion
References
15 Looking Towards the Future Use of Assessment and Data Systems in Early Years Settings
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Effective Assessment Practice
15.3 Assessment and Data Systems
15.4 Fit for Purpose and Appropriate Use of Assessment
15.5 Empowering Children Through Assessment
15.6 The Purpose of Assessment in Early Learning Settings
15.7 Domain Lenses
15.8 Conditions that Support Assessment
15.9 Summary and Conclusion
References