engleski

Children's hundred languages lost in transition – Methodological shortcomings of assessment of school readiness

This paper explores the prevailing methodology of assessment of children prior to starting school (aka, school readiness) in Croatia and its connection to ECEC teachers' professional identity. In light of the socio-constructivist theory, present assessment methodology is being seen unsuitable at the least. The overall need for datafication of children (Roberts-Holmes, 2015), binary construction of children readiness (Vandenbroeck, De Stercke & Gobeyn, 2013) and stigmatizing strategies in the educational system (Petriwskyj & Grieshaber, 2011) makes it difficult to construct a comprehensive understanding of children, an image of children as capable learners since birth and as agents of their own development. Theoretical research on assessment of children in Croatia indicated that the school pedagogue is the main facilitator of the assessment practice. Somolanji Tokić (2018) showed that ECEC teachers during the preschool year tend to adjust their image of a child, and consequently their practice, toward the expectations put on by the CSE system and the assessment process. Quantitative data will be acquired by using questionnaires on the sample of 210 school pedagogues. Initial analysis will be presented (descriptive). Questionnaires will be collected on-line taking into account GDPR regulations and anonymity. Collected data will be presented en masse. Data on the methodology used by school pedagogues will give clearer perspective on how and why the ECEC teachers negotiate their professional identity and lose their professional stand to school readiness paradigm. If we want a change of the dominant transition practice, we need to empower the ECEC teachers and address the problem of their professional identity.

transition to school, assessment methodology, school pedagogue, ECEC teachers’ professional identity, quantitative data

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