Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care
This paper presents and discusses the findings of a collaborative investigation into Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care. The project explored values and principles that underpin and guide evaluation in ECEC systems and practices in five Nordic countr...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20436106231179617 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20436106231179617 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/20436106231179617 |
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crsagepubl:10.1177/20436106231179617 2024-05-19T07:42:55+00:00 Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care Urban, Mathias Reikerås, Elin Eidsvåg, Gunnar Magnus Guevara, Jennifer Saebø, Janken Semmoloni, Carolina Nordisk Ministerråd 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20436106231179617 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20436106231179617 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/20436106231179617 en eng SAGE Publications https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Global Studies of Childhood volume 13, issue 3, page 200-216 ISSN 2043-6106 2043-6106 journal-article 2023 crsagepubl https://doi.org/10.1177/20436106231179617 2024-05-02T09:39:35Z This paper presents and discusses the findings of a collaborative investigation into Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care. The project explored values and principles that underpin and guide evaluation in ECEC systems and practices in five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The qualitative study combined documentary analysis with interviews with early childhood educators, academics and policy makers. The study was commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers in order to shed light on the values and principles that have guided the evaluation and assessment of the quality of early childhood education and care in the various Nordic countries, the ways in which evaluation and quality assessment has been developed in the Nordic countries and the parties responsible for carrying out the evaluation and assessment. Central to our exploration was whether a coherent Nordic approach exists and what characteristics distinguish it from other possible models of ECEC system evaluation. This question has gained relevance in global contexts of International Large-scale Standardised Assessments in ECEC, promoted most prominently the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Our findings confirm the existence of a Nordic approach, consisting of a shared and coherent understanding of the underpinning values, the purpose and the appropriate methodologies across several dimensions of comparison between countries as well as within countries. Shared values and principles include well-being, child-centredness, play, learning, professionalism and reducing inequalities. Shared purpose of evaluation is to provide relevant information to improve the quality of the ECEC system. In consequence, the focus is on evaluating settings and systems that enable children to thrive, rather than assessing individual children. Nonetheless, the Nordic model must be carefully interpreted in its specific contexts. Much responsibility is delegated to the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland SAGE Publications Global Studies of Childhood 13 3 200 216 |
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This paper presents and discusses the findings of a collaborative investigation into Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care. The project explored values and principles that underpin and guide evaluation in ECEC systems and practices in five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The qualitative study combined documentary analysis with interviews with early childhood educators, academics and policy makers. The study was commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers in order to shed light on the values and principles that have guided the evaluation and assessment of the quality of early childhood education and care in the various Nordic countries, the ways in which evaluation and quality assessment has been developed in the Nordic countries and the parties responsible for carrying out the evaluation and assessment. Central to our exploration was whether a coherent Nordic approach exists and what characteristics distinguish it from other possible models of ECEC system evaluation. This question has gained relevance in global contexts of International Large-scale Standardised Assessments in ECEC, promoted most prominently the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Our findings confirm the existence of a Nordic approach, consisting of a shared and coherent understanding of the underpinning values, the purpose and the appropriate methodologies across several dimensions of comparison between countries as well as within countries. Shared values and principles include well-being, child-centredness, play, learning, professionalism and reducing inequalities. Shared purpose of evaluation is to provide relevant information to improve the quality of the ECEC system. In consequence, the focus is on evaluating settings and systems that enable children to thrive, rather than assessing individual children. Nonetheless, the Nordic model must be carefully interpreted in its specific contexts. Much responsibility is delegated to the ... |
author2 |
Nordisk Ministerråd |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Urban, Mathias Reikerås, Elin Eidsvåg, Gunnar Magnus Guevara, Jennifer Saebø, Janken Semmoloni, Carolina |
spellingShingle |
Urban, Mathias Reikerås, Elin Eidsvåg, Gunnar Magnus Guevara, Jennifer Saebø, Janken Semmoloni, Carolina Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care |
author_facet |
Urban, Mathias Reikerås, Elin Eidsvåg, Gunnar Magnus Guevara, Jennifer Saebø, Janken Semmoloni, Carolina |
author_sort |
Urban, Mathias |
title |
Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care |
title_short |
Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care |
title_full |
Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care |
title_fullStr |
Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care |
title_full_unstemmed |
Nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care |
title_sort |
nordic approaches to evaluation and assessment in early childhood education and care |
publisher |
SAGE Publications |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20436106231179617 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20436106231179617 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/20436106231179617 |
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Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_source |
Global Studies of Childhood volume 13, issue 3, page 200-216 ISSN 2043-6106 2043-6106 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1177/20436106231179617 |
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Global Studies of Childhood |
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13 |
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3 |
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200 |
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216 |
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