The Effectiveness of a Formative Play-Based Mathematics Assessment in Supporting the Early Childhood Intentional Pedagogue

Abstract

Recent research suggests there is a lacking presence of assessment and its role in informing intentional teaching in the practice of play-based pedagogy. Formative assessment can be effectively embedded in pedagogy when practitioners are geared with practical tools that can be implemented within naturalistic settings. In recent times, there has been growing recognition of the importance of mathematics learning in early childhood education as foundational for later learning. This newly developed assessment – the Numeracy and Mathematics Block-Based Assessment (NUMBBA) – aims to embed formative assessment practice within multiple pedagogies for play and learning. The results from the qualitative component of a larger mixed-methods study examined how this validated tool was used by 16 early childhood educators. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed shifts in educators’ knowledge of mathematics, perceptions of children’s abilities, attitudes towards mathematics and assessment, and approaches to intentional mathematical pedagogy and practice