The ambivalence of assessment — Language assessment of minority-language children in early childhood education and care

Abstract

Language development in early childhood education and care (ECEC) has received increased policy attention in the past 20 years. Yet, few empirical studies have explored language assessment from the standpoint of ECEC teachers. Transnational organizations, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), have increased their influence over national ECEC curriculums, stressing early intervention/readiness-for-school approaches to assist vulnerable groups in society. In contrast, the Nordic social pedagogy field perceives early intervention policies a threat to child-centered, playful approaches to learning. Based on interviews with 11 Danish and 11 Norwegian ECEC teachers in Copenhagen and Oslo municipalities, three main forms of ambivalence are identified: (1) ambivalence toward the 'ready-for-school' discourse, (2) ambivalence toward professional autonomy and discretion, and (3) ambivalence toward integration policy and the ideological code of 'the standard child.' The study recommends a more inclusive understanding of the implications of 'adequate language proficiency' and 'school readiness.'

Tensions of Difference in Integrating Refugee Children in Norwegian ECEC Centers

“…Recent studies have emphasized that ECEC centers have increasingly become key sites for integrating refugees in host societies (Bove & Sharmahd, 2020;Bregnbaek, 2021;Kimathi & Nilsen, 2021;Kuusisto & Garvis, 2020;Scholz, 2021;Vandekerckhove & Aarssen, 2020). ECEC centers can contribute to improving refugee children's general well-being and language development (Jahreie, 2021;Kulbrandstad, 2017;Norheim & Moser, 2020;Sønsthagen, 2020). Moreover, previous research has explored ECEC centers as spaces for children's individual development through civic integration, where they learn the norms, values, and skills deemed important during childhood and later in life (Abu El-Haj et al, 2018;Goodman, 2019).…”

Assessing children's psychosocial well-being: Norwegian early childhood education and care teachers’ challenges when completing a global screening tool

“…Some studies show that teachers in Nordic countries will conform to standardization, questioning their own professional knowledge (Bartholdsson, 2021), or put aside their professional discretion when using standardized tools (N Vik, 2019). Other studies reveal tensions and pedagogical dilemmas caused by assessment practices (Houmøller, 2018;Jahreie, 2021;Johansson, 2016). Assessments depend, however, on teachers' interpretations, and the outcome is largely the result of their discretionary judgements (Kimathi and Nilsen, 2021).…”