Flere barn på blokka: Rapport fra et forsknings- og utviklingsprosjekt om vurdering av barns trivsel og utvikling i barnehagen

The overall purpose is to examine how kindergarten teachers (barnehagelærere) and leaders (styrere) work on assessing the well-being of children and all-round development in kindergarten (barnehage). Among other things, the study investigates how kindergarten teachers and leaders document and assess children's well-being and development, on what criteria the assessment is built, and what characterises processes and working methods in the assessment work.

The authors identify three overall categories that illustrate the participants' experiences of work on assessing children's well-being and all-round development.

1. Resistance.
   The study shows that several teachers express resistance towards documentation and measurement of children's well-being, because they find it challenging and because it is not always possible to see whether a child is thriving. This resistance is also linked to the use of assessment forms and charting tools, because they find it difficult to categorise well-being. Both owners and leaders express that there is a lack of alternatives to the use of charting tools. Ethical factors also play a significant role in the kindergarten teachers' resistance. The ethical reasons include concerns as to whether it is right to assess individual children, and whether assessments can lead to a narrow and one-sided view of the child. In both kindergartens, assessing was associated with judging the children as well as a fear of being wrong and thereby stigmatising the children in a manner that could have negative consequences for the child later in life. The kindergarten teachers were particularly concerned about this when information about individual children was to be passed on to schools or other bodies. Overall, the kindergarten teachers and leaders showed general respect for the children and scepticism to too much registration and documentation.
   
   
2. Language, concepts and reasons.
   The authors found that kindergarten teachers and leaders used many different concepts when they talked about assessing children's well-being and development, especially at the beginning of the project. The concept of assessment was linked to evaluation, reflection, observation, charting tools, documentation and to development of their educational work. Overall, the concept of assessment was linked to determining whether something is good or bad, but several of the participants also expressed uncertainty about the meaning of the concept. The participants also had many associations with the concept of well-being, such as confidence, joy, recognition, humour and friendship. Children who thrive were described as active and happy children. The concept of development was associated with descriptions of the children's progress and coping skills and to stage theories which assess children against universal standards. In general, the kindergarten teachers talked much more about assessing children's well-being than about children's development. However, one group of participants stated that it was easier to assess development than well-being, as there are more clear signs of children's development, such as children's motor development, language development and social development. Signs of well-being were perceived as more person-dependent, as children are different.                 
   
   Later in the project, the understanding of the concepts of assessment, well-being and development, became more subtle for many of the participants.
   
   
3. Methods, initiatives and actions.
   The kindergarten teachers describe that they use a number of methods available to assess children's well-being and development, such as charting tools, forms, observations and criteria which they themselves have developed. The methods were used when necessary, for example in connection with concerns about a specific child and contact with bodies such as the educational-psychological service (PPR) (Pedagogisk-psykologisk tjeneste) and as preparation for parent consultations. The kindergarten teachers express that their assessment work was not very systematic and could therefore be random. The participants' scepticism to using ready-made forms was often addressed by the teachers changing and adapting the forms, so that the content was more compatible with what they believe was important. Later in the project, the kindergarten teachers stated that their assessment practice had become more systematic. For instance, they wrote down observations more often, which were discussed at meetings with colleagues. 

The study reports from a research and development project carried out in one municipal kindergarten and one private kindergarten (barnehager). The study includes 25 kindergarten teachers (barnehagelærere) and three leaders (styrere) who participated in four dialogue seminars over a period of 18 months. At the seminars, they were presented with research on relevant topics and were able to discuss key theories and concepts linked to assessment of children's well-being and development. During the project, the participants also participated in many network groups, in which they reflected on various cases and exchanged experience with their assessment practice. In addition, the data material consists of three rounds of group interviews with the kindergarten teachers and leaders involved. The owners of the kindergartens (eiere) were interviewed once. The authors also conducted content analysis of what the Framework Plan for Kindergartens and the annual plans of the kindergartens write about assessment.

Eik, L. T., & Steinnes, G. S. (2017). Flere barn på blokka: Rapport fra et forsknings- og utviklingsprosjekt om vurdering av barns trivsel og utvikling i barnehagen. Høgskolen i Sørøst-Norge. Skriftserien nr. 18, 2017.