Enhancement of Quality in Early Childhood Education : Using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- Extension (ECERS-E) and Revised (ECRES-R) as Formative Assessment Tools for Professional Development - An Experience from Hong Kong

Abstract

The current study examined the reliability and applicability of the Chinese translated versions of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale –Revised (ECERS-R) and Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale –Extension (ECERS-E) as formative tools for use by local practitioners to perform selfevaluations on the various aspects of the educational environments being provided to pre-school children in their own settings with the goal of helping to facilitate changes that may help to enhance the quality of educational experiences for young children. Five registered kindergartens were recruited and received trainings in the administration of the said tools by the PECERA-HK (ECERS) professional team. Three assessment trials were administered in three different phases. For each trial, teacher representatives from each kindergarten completed the assessment using the said tools together with the trainers. Discussions were also held with the trainers on their observations. Internal reliability for the tools was found to be quite robust. Qualitative findings also suggested that the ECERS-R and ECERS-E can serve to assist practitioners in identifying the respective strengths and weaknesses in the educational environment they were providing to children and in setting clear directions for making corresponding improvements.