Research Article
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Investigating Documentation and Assessment Practices of Early Childhood Teachers

Year 2024, Issue: 54, 1 - 10, 26.09.2024
https://doi.org/10.33418/education.1420678

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate early childhood teachers' experiences of documentation and assessment practices. The study was conducted with 15 early childhood teachers. Semi-structured interview protocol was used for the data of study, in which the phenomenological design was utilized with an exploratory nature. The participant teachers' observation and documentation processes and practices, planning through assessment, and sharing assessment data were the major themes of the findings of this study. It was found that there were important differences in teachers’ assessment practices. Teachers’ use of assessment in their daily routines provided important messages about their professional understanding of teaching and learning. Although observation was a key aspect of teachers’ practices, which they mostly conducted during free play times, teachers’ use of observation and assessment data indicated differences. The study concluded with a discussion on suggesting developing teachers’ documentation and assessment skills through effective professional learning.

References

  • Aras, S. (2019). Improving Early Childhood Teachers' Formative Assessment Practices: Transformative Role of Collaborative Action Research. International Journal of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, 9(2), 221-240.
  • Bennett, R. E. (2011). Formative assessment: A critical review. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 18(1), 5-25.
  • Black, P. J., & William, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74.
  • Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2005). Changing teaching through formative assessment: Research and practice. The King’s-Medway-Oxfordshire formative assessment project. In Formative assess¬ment improving learning in secondary classrooms (pp. 223–40). OECD.
  • Bowman, B., Donovan, S., & Burns, S. (Eds.) (2001). Eager to learn: Educating our pre-schoolers. Report of Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education National Research Council. National Academy Press.
  • Buldu, M. (2010). Making learning visible in kindergarten classrooms: Pedagogical documentation as a formative assessment technique. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 1439-1449.
  • Buldu, M., Şahin, F., & Yılmaz, A. (2018). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının gelişim ve öğrenmelerinin desteklenmesinde pedagojik dokümantasyonun katkısının öğretmen görüşlerine göre incelenmesi. Elementary Education Online, 17(3), 1443-1462.
  • Burgazlı-Osanmaz, M. S., & Akman, B. (2018). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin eğitim programları içerisinde kullandıkları planlardaki değerlendirme boyutlarının incelenmesi. 27. Uluslararası Eğitim Bilimleri Kongresi, 81-94.
  • Council of Chief State School Officers. (2018). Fundamental insights about formative assessment. Washington, DC: Author.
  • Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage.
  • Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative (p. 676). Prentice Hall.
  • Diffily, D. L. (1994). Early childhood educators' beliefs and practices about assessment. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. University of North Texas. Received https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277624/m1/1/?q=44
  • Dunn, K. E., Airola, D. T., Lo, W. J., & Garrison, M. (2013). Becoming data driven: The influence of teachers’ sense of efficacy on concerns related to data-driven decision making. The Journal of Experimental Education, 81(2), 222-241.
  • Dunphy, E. (2008). Supporting early learning and development through formative assessment. Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, Research paper. NCCA
  • Epstein, A.S., Schweinhart, L. J., DeBruin- Parecki, A., & Robin, K. B. (2004). A guide to developing a balanced approach. Preschool Policy Matters, 7. National Institute for Early Education Research. 20 Kasım 2018. http://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/7-1.pdf
  • Erdiller, Z., & Mcmullen, M. (2003). Turkish teachers' beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 25(25), 84-93. Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/hunefd/issue/7813/102571
  • Karaman, P., & Karaman, A. (2017). Öğretmen adaylarının biçimlendirici değerlendirme uygulamalarının incelenmesi: Eylem araştırması modeli. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 25(6), 2385-2400.
  • Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
  • McAfee, O. D., & Leong, D. J. (2004). Assessing and guiding young children's development and learning. Allyn & Bacon
  • Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (2nd Ed). John Wiley & Sons.
  • Moustakas, C. E. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage.
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2020). Professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/professional-standards-competencies.
  • Navarrete, A. (2015) Assessment in the early years: The perspectives and practices of early childhood educators. International Master of Early Childhood Education and Care. Dublin Institute of Technology.
  • Özkan-Yıldız, F., & Yılmaz, A. (2021). Parent-teacher communication and parental expectations in the assessment process in Turkish preschool settings. Education 3-13, 49(6), 761-775.
  • Patton, M. Q. (2014), Qualitative research & evaluation methods integrating theory and practice (4th Ed.). Sage.
  • Shepard, L. A., Kagan, S. L., & Wurtz, E. O. (1998). Principles and recommendations for early childhood assessments. National Education Goals Panel.
  • Stiggins, R. J., & Conklin, N. (1992). In teachers’ hands: Investigating the practice of classroom assessment. SUNY Press.
  • Stiggins, R. J., & DuFour, R. (2009). Maximizing the power of formative assessments. Phi Kappan Delta, 90(9), 640-644.
  • Trepanier-Street, M. L., McNair, S., & Donegan, M. M. (2001). Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15(2), 234-241.
  • Turupçu, A. (2014). Observation as an assessment tool in early childhood education: A phenomenological case study of teacher views and practices [Master’s thesis, Middle East Technical University-Ankara]. YÖK.
  • Van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive Pedagogy. Althouse Press.
  • Wininger, S. R., & Normani A. D. (2005). Teacher candidates’ exposure to formative assessment in educational psychology textbooks: A content analysis. Educatıonal Assessment, 10(1), 19-37.
  • Yan, Z., & Cheng, E. C. K. (2015). Primary teachers' attitudes, intentions and practices regarding formative assessment. Teaching and Teacher Education, 45, 128-136.
  • Yin, X., & Buck, G. A. (2019). Using a collaborative action research approach to negotiate an understanding of formative assessment in an era of accountability testing. Teaching and Teacher Education, 80, 27-38.
  • Yılmaz- Topuz, G., & Erbil-Kaya, Ö. M. (2016). Okulöncesi eğitim öğretmenlerinin çocukları tanıma ve değerlendirme amaçlı yapılan çalışmalara ilişkin görüşleri. Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International, 6(1), 27-62.

Okul Öncesi Öğretmenlerinin Dokümantasyon ve Değerlendirme Uygulamalarının İncelenmesi

Year 2024, Issue: 54, 1 - 10, 26.09.2024
https://doi.org/10.33418/education.1420678

Abstract

Bu çalışma, okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin dokümantasyon ve değerlendirme uygulamalarına ilişkin deneyimlerini araştırmayı amaçlamıştır. Araştırmaya 15 okul öncesi öğretmeni katılmıştır. Fenomenolojik desenin kullanıldığı bu çalışmanın verilerini yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler oluşturmuş ve keşifsel bir süreç izlenmiştir. Katılımcı öğretmenlerin gözlem ve dokümantasyon süreçleri ve uygulamaları, planlama ve değerlendirme ve değerlendirme verisinin paylaşımı bu çalışmanın bulgularının ana temalarını oluşturmuştur. Öğretmenlerin değerlendirme uygulamalarında önemli farklılıkların olduğu görülmüştür. Öğretmenlerin günlük uygulamalarında değerlendirmeyi kullanmaları, öğretme ve öğrenme anlayışları hakkında önemli bilgiler vermektedir. Gözlem, öğretmenlerin çoğunlukla serbest oyun zamanlarında uygulamalarının önemli bir boyutu olsa da, öğretmenlerin gözlem ve değerlendirme verilerini kullanma durumları farklılıklara işaret etmektedir. Bu çalışma ile etkili mesleki gelişim yoluyla öğretmenlerin dokümantasyon ve değerlendirme becerilerinin geliştirilmesine ihtiyaç duyulduğu çıkarımına ulaşılmıştır.

References

  • Aras, S. (2019). Improving Early Childhood Teachers' Formative Assessment Practices: Transformative Role of Collaborative Action Research. International Journal of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, 9(2), 221-240.
  • Bennett, R. E. (2011). Formative assessment: A critical review. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 18(1), 5-25.
  • Black, P. J., & William, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74.
  • Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2005). Changing teaching through formative assessment: Research and practice. The King’s-Medway-Oxfordshire formative assessment project. In Formative assess¬ment improving learning in secondary classrooms (pp. 223–40). OECD.
  • Bowman, B., Donovan, S., & Burns, S. (Eds.) (2001). Eager to learn: Educating our pre-schoolers. Report of Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education National Research Council. National Academy Press.
  • Buldu, M. (2010). Making learning visible in kindergarten classrooms: Pedagogical documentation as a formative assessment technique. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 1439-1449.
  • Buldu, M., Şahin, F., & Yılmaz, A. (2018). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının gelişim ve öğrenmelerinin desteklenmesinde pedagojik dokümantasyonun katkısının öğretmen görüşlerine göre incelenmesi. Elementary Education Online, 17(3), 1443-1462.
  • Burgazlı-Osanmaz, M. S., & Akman, B. (2018). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin eğitim programları içerisinde kullandıkları planlardaki değerlendirme boyutlarının incelenmesi. 27. Uluslararası Eğitim Bilimleri Kongresi, 81-94.
  • Council of Chief State School Officers. (2018). Fundamental insights about formative assessment. Washington, DC: Author.
  • Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage.
  • Creswell, J. W. (2002). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative (p. 676). Prentice Hall.
  • Diffily, D. L. (1994). Early childhood educators' beliefs and practices about assessment. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. University of North Texas. Received https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277624/m1/1/?q=44
  • Dunn, K. E., Airola, D. T., Lo, W. J., & Garrison, M. (2013). Becoming data driven: The influence of teachers’ sense of efficacy on concerns related to data-driven decision making. The Journal of Experimental Education, 81(2), 222-241.
  • Dunphy, E. (2008). Supporting early learning and development through formative assessment. Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, Research paper. NCCA
  • Epstein, A.S., Schweinhart, L. J., DeBruin- Parecki, A., & Robin, K. B. (2004). A guide to developing a balanced approach. Preschool Policy Matters, 7. National Institute for Early Education Research. 20 Kasım 2018. http://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/7-1.pdf
  • Erdiller, Z., & Mcmullen, M. (2003). Turkish teachers' beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 25(25), 84-93. Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/hunefd/issue/7813/102571
  • Karaman, P., & Karaman, A. (2017). Öğretmen adaylarının biçimlendirici değerlendirme uygulamalarının incelenmesi: Eylem araştırması modeli. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 25(6), 2385-2400.
  • Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
  • McAfee, O. D., & Leong, D. J. (2004). Assessing and guiding young children's development and learning. Allyn & Bacon
  • Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (2nd Ed). John Wiley & Sons.
  • Moustakas, C. E. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage.
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2020). Professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/professional-standards-competencies.
  • Navarrete, A. (2015) Assessment in the early years: The perspectives and practices of early childhood educators. International Master of Early Childhood Education and Care. Dublin Institute of Technology.
  • Özkan-Yıldız, F., & Yılmaz, A. (2021). Parent-teacher communication and parental expectations in the assessment process in Turkish preschool settings. Education 3-13, 49(6), 761-775.
  • Patton, M. Q. (2014), Qualitative research & evaluation methods integrating theory and practice (4th Ed.). Sage.
  • Shepard, L. A., Kagan, S. L., & Wurtz, E. O. (1998). Principles and recommendations for early childhood assessments. National Education Goals Panel.
  • Stiggins, R. J., & Conklin, N. (1992). In teachers’ hands: Investigating the practice of classroom assessment. SUNY Press.
  • Stiggins, R. J., & DuFour, R. (2009). Maximizing the power of formative assessments. Phi Kappan Delta, 90(9), 640-644.
  • Trepanier-Street, M. L., McNair, S., & Donegan, M. M. (2001). Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15(2), 234-241.
  • Turupçu, A. (2014). Observation as an assessment tool in early childhood education: A phenomenological case study of teacher views and practices [Master’s thesis, Middle East Technical University-Ankara]. YÖK.
  • Van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive Pedagogy. Althouse Press.
  • Wininger, S. R., & Normani A. D. (2005). Teacher candidates’ exposure to formative assessment in educational psychology textbooks: A content analysis. Educatıonal Assessment, 10(1), 19-37.
  • Yan, Z., & Cheng, E. C. K. (2015). Primary teachers' attitudes, intentions and practices regarding formative assessment. Teaching and Teacher Education, 45, 128-136.
  • Yin, X., & Buck, G. A. (2019). Using a collaborative action research approach to negotiate an understanding of formative assessment in an era of accountability testing. Teaching and Teacher Education, 80, 27-38.
  • Yılmaz- Topuz, G., & Erbil-Kaya, Ö. M. (2016). Okulöncesi eğitim öğretmenlerinin çocukları tanıma ve değerlendirme amaçlı yapılan çalışmalara ilişkin görüşleri. Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International, 6(1), 27-62.
There are 35 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Early Childhood Education
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Aslı Elden 0000-0002-2122-1350

Selda Aras 0000-0001-7285-0336

Early Pub Date September 26, 2024
Publication Date September 26, 2024
Submission Date November 16, 2022
Published in Issue Year 2024 Issue: 54

Cite

APA Elden, A., & Aras, S. (2024). Investigating Documentation and Assessment Practices of Early Childhood Teachers. Educational Academic Research(54), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.33418/education.1420678

Content of this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License
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