An Introduction to Assessment and Evaluation in ECEC Context

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Assessing and Evaluating Early Childhood Education Systems

Abstract

The quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) is linked with societal values, understanding of curricula, and future goals. In the hands of motivated and qualified practitioners and stakeholders, the methods and practices of the evaluation could thrive, sustain, and secure a better future. In this book, we explore and define the assessment and evaluation in the context of ECEC to provide systematic information and an overview of practices, policies, and research for ensuring and develo** the quality of education. In this chapter, we identify the voices of the stakeholders of ECEC, create an understanding of what and why assessment and evaluation are taking place, form a critical discourse, and describe the assessment processes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
EUR 29.95
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
EUR 106.99
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
EUR 139.09
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
EUR 139.09
Price includes VAT (Germany)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free ship** worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainscow, M. (2020). Inclusion and equity in education: Making sense of global challenges. Prospects, 49(3), 123–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aitchison, C. (2010). Good mothers go school shop**. In The good mother: Contemporary motherhoods in Australia (p. 89).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ainscow, M. (2016). Diversity and equity: A global education challenge. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 51(2), 143–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, J. (2005). Curriculum issues in national policy-making. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 13(2), 5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bodrova, E. (2008). Make-believe play versus academic skills: A Vygotskian approach to today’s dilemma of early childhood education. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 16(3), 357–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourn, D. (Ed.). (2020). The Bloomsbury handbook of global education and learning. Bloomsbury Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brownlee, J. (2009). Context, pedagogy and participatory learning. In D. Berthelsen, J. Brownlee, & E. Johansson (Eds.), Participatory learning in the early years: Research and pedagogy (pp. 203–208). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chepkonga, M. C. (2017). Influence of learning facilities on provision of quality education in early childhood development centres in Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research, 5(6), 15–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. (2005). Ways of seeing: Using the mosaic approach to listen to young children’s perspectives. In A. Clark, A. Kjørholt, & P. Moss (Eds.), Beyond listening: Children’s perspectives on early childhood services (pp. 29–49). Policy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Planning educational research. Research methods in education. Routledge Editors.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corcoran, R. P., & O’Flaherty, J. (2018). Factors that predict pre-service teachers’ teaching performance. Journal of Education for Teaching, 44(2), 175–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Correia, N., Camilo, C., Aguiar, C., & Amaro, F. (2019). Children’s right to participate in early childhood education settings: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 100, 76–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., & Pence, A. R. (1999). Beyond quality in early childhood education and care: Postmodern perspectives. Taylor & Francis Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, J. T. (2009). The questions of curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 41(3), 343–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dohn, N. B. (2007). Knowledge and skills for PISA—Assessing the assessment. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 41(1), 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Strategic Framework for Education and Training 2020. (2016). https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/education/policy/strategic-framework/

  • European Commission. (2014). Proposal for key principles of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care. Report of the Working Group on Early Childhood Education and Care under the Auspices of the European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/archive/documents/ececquality-framework_en.pd

  • Garvis, S., Harju-Luukkainen, H., & Yngvesson, T. (2019). Towards a test driven early childhood education: Alternative practices to testing children. In G. Barton & S. Garvis (Eds.), Compassion and empathy in educational contexts (pp. 61–77). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harju-Luukkainen, H., McElvany, N., & Stang, J. (Eds.). (2020). Monitoring student achievement in the 21st century: European policy perspectives and assessment strategies. Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda, M., & Echazarra, A. (2020). International student assessment: Aims, approaches and challenges. In H. Harju-Luukkainen, N. McElvany, & J. Stang (Eds.), Monitoring student achievement in the 21st century: European policy perspectives and assessment strategies (pp. 9–20). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, P. B. (Ed.). (2011). Cultures of curriculum. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kangas, J., & Harju-Luukkainen, H. (2021). What is the future of ECE teacher profession? Teacher’s agency in Finland through the lenses of policy documents. The Morning Watch: Educational and Social Analysis, 47(1), 48–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kangas, J., & Lastikka, A-L. (2019). Children’s initiatives in the finnish early childhood education context. In S. Garvis, H. Harju-Luukkainen, S. Sheridan, & P. Williams (Eds.), Nordic families, children and early childhood education (pp. 15–36). (Studies in Childhood and Youth). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16866-7_2

  • Kangas, J., Venninen, T., & Ojala, M. (2016). Educators' perceptions of facilitating children's participation in early childhood education. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 41(2), 85–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kangas, J., Harju-Luukkainen, H., Brotherus, A., Kuusisto, A., & Gearon, L. (2019). Playing to learn in Finland: Early childhood curricular and operational context. In S. Garvis & S. Phillipson (Eds.), Policification of early childhood education and care: Early childhood education in the 21st century volume III (pp. 71–85) (Evolving Families). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lager, K. (2019). Systematic quality work in a Swedish context. In S. Garvis, H. Harju-Luukkainen, S. Sheridan, & P. Williams (Eds.), Nordic families, children and early childhood education (pp. 173–192). Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipponen, L., Kumpulainen, K., & Paananen, M. (2018). Children’s perspective to curriculum work: Meaningful moments in Finnish early childhood education. In M. Fleer & B. van Oers (Eds.), International handbook on early childhood education (pp. 1265–1277). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo, R., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., & Song, L. (2013). Chinese parents’ goals and practices in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28, 843–857.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan, C., Fleer, M., & Edwards, S. (2018). Early childhood curriculum: Planning, assessment and implementation. Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Moss, P., & Urban, M. (2020). The organisation for economic co-operation and development’s international early learning and child well-being study: The scores are in! Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 21(2), 165–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pence, A. (2016). Baby PISA: Dangers that can arise when foundations shift. Journal of Childhood Studies, 54–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid, J. L., Kagan, S. L., & Scott-Little, C. (2019). New understandings of cultural diversity and the implications for early childhood policy, pedagogy, and practice. Early Child Development and Care, 189(6), 976–989.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salmi, M. (2006). Parental choice and the passion for equality in Finland. In A. L. Ellingsæter & A. Leira (Eds.), Politicising parenthood in Scandinavia: Gender relations in welfare states (pp. 145–170). Policy Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stipek, D. J., & Byler, P. (1997). Early childhood education teachers: Do they practice what they preach? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12(4), 305–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stahl, J. F., Schober, P. S., & Spiess, C. K. (2018). Parental socio-economic status and childcare quality: Early inequalities in educational opportunity? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 44, 304–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tobin, J., Arzubiaga, A. E., & Adair, J. K. (2013). Children crossing borders: Immigrant parent and teacher perspectives on preschool. Russell Sage Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ukkonen-Mikkola, T., & Fonsén, E. (2018). Researching Finnish early childhood teachers’ pedagogical work using Layder’s research map. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 43(4), 48–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (1989). United Nation’s Convention of the Rights of the Child.

    Google Scholar 

  • Urban, M. (2017). We need meaningful, systemic evaluation, not a preschool PISA. Global Education Review, 4(2).

    Google Scholar 

  • Vallberg-Roth, A. C. (2014). Nordic comparative analysis of guidelines for quality and content in early childhood education. Journal of Nordic Research in Early Childhood Educational Research, 8(1), 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vlasov, J., Salminen, J., Repo, L., Karila, K., Kinnunen, S., Mattila, V., Nukarinen, T., Parrila, S., & Sulonen H. (2019). Guidelines and recommendations for evaluating the quality of early childhood education and care. Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC). Publications 5, 2019. https://karvi.fi/en/publication/varhaiskasvatuksen-laadun-arvioinnin-perusteet-ja-suositukset-2/.

  • Wood, E., & Hedges, H. (2016). Curriculum in early childhood education: Critical questions about content, coherence, and control. The Curriculum Journal, 27(3), 387–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonna Kangas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Garvis, S., Kangas, J., Harju-Luukkainen, H. (2022). An Introduction to Assessment and Evaluation in ECEC Context. In: Garvis, S., Harju-Luukkainen, H., Kangas, J. (eds) Assessing and Evaluating Early Childhood Education Systems. Early Childhood Research and Education: An Inter-theoretical Focus, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99910-0_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99910-0_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-99909-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-99910-0

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Navigation