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- Andersson, Mona, 1939-
(författare)
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The early childhood environment rating scale (ECERS) as a tool in evaluating and improving quality in preschools
- 1999
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Author and title: Andersson Mona: The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) as a Tool in Evaluating and Improving Quality in Preschools. Key words: Preschool, preschool classroom, environmental quality, consciousness, process quality, self evaluation, standardization, validity, reliability, quasi-experiment.This is an empirical study exploring the use of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) for the evaluation of environmental quality in preschools.A standardization of the ECERS to Swedish preschools has been carried out. The procedures and findings of this standardization include several tests performed to ensure that the Swedish version of the ECERS would be both valid and reliable.The main hypothesis in this study is that the ECERS can be used to improve environmental quality. This hypothesis was tested in a quasi-experiment. Three separate samples in different preschools were chosen: a Control group, an Information group and an Intervention group. These three groups were evaluated by an independent evaluator before and after the study. The Control group received no information about the ECERS. The Information group as well as the Intervention group received information about the possibility of using the ECERS as a means for the staff to improve quality. In addition, the Intervention group was allowed extra resources such as two hours a month for discussions concerning the results of individual evaluations made by the staff in each classroom.The findings showed an improvement in environmental quality, in the Information group from a mean value of 3.8 to 4.6. In the Intervention group the improvement was even more substantial, from 3.2 to 4.7 whereas the Control group showed a small improvement of 4.1 to 4.3. A statistical sign test of significance was carried out. The changes in the Control group were not significant, while the changes in the Information as well as the Intervention groups were found to be significant at the 95 percent level. It seems as if the hypothesis, that the use of the ECERS could improve environmental quality in preschools, is verified.In supplementary questionnaires and interviews, it was documented that preschool teachers could make better use of their potential competence as they became more conscious of it through the use of the ECERS.
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| 2. |
- Bergling, Barbro, 1936-
(författare)
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A Facet Model of the Logical Operational Structures of Piaget's Theory : Guttman's Facet Design applied to Piaget's Theory
- 1998
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis explored whether the complex structure of Piaget's theory of operational thinking could be synthesized into a facet model by means of facet design. The aims were: (1) to deduce from detailed conceptual analyses of 12 of Piaget's classical experiments the essential parts of the operational structures (Study I); (2) to explore the internal structure of his constructs in terms of a mapping sentence (Study II); (3) to study the hierarchical structure of the interrelationships between the constructs (Study III); and (4) to apply the facet model in the development of test items (Study II and IV).Guttmanís facet design was used in three theoretical studies. Based on Piaget's reports a differentiated classification facet model was elaborated in the form of a mapping sentence consisting of two content facets, Conceptual Instrumentalities and Cognitive Strategies. They were deduced representing the operational systems and the corresponding reasoning strategies. Elements, characterizing these systems of each stage for each facet, were deduced. A hierarchical facet model was elaborated demonstrating the successive acquisition of the operational systems. The structuples, i.e. combinations of elements taken one from each facet, formed the conceptual basis of item construction. In the empirical part of this work 22 items in multiple-choice format, carrying information in each response option, were given to 4 samples of Swedish students. Fifteen items for Grades 3 and 4, and 18 items for Grades 7 and 8 showed acceptable fit to the measurement model, the partial credit model. The overall mean-square fit statistics were in accordance with the model expectations. It was concluded that facet design is a valuable tool for developing a definitional framework of precise clarifications of the complexity of the structures of Piaget's theory. The use of structuples opens up new conceptual possibilities in item construction allowing all response options to carry information about the hypothetical reasoning strategies behind the child's choice of response alternative.
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