ERIC Number: EJ1455790
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-9289
EISSN: EISSN-1556-6935
Validating Self-Assessment Measures for Quality of Center-Based Childcare: A Meta-Analysis
Early Education and Development, v36 n1 p165-185 2025
Research Findings: A growing number of stakeholders in early childhood education (ECE) rely on self-assessment to assess and improve the quality of ECE. In this systematic review, we investigated the reliability and validity of self-assessment in ECE, summarizing findings from 27 publications. We meta-analytically synthesized findings from 25 publications for 1,882 groups and 79,163 children aged 0-72 months in center-based childcare. Most studies reported high internal consistency, but one study reported a lower consistency. Inter-rater reliability was generally high. A three-level meta-analysis (k = 13, ES = 45) revealed a positive association between self-assessment ratings and ratings with validated measures of ECE quality (r = 0.38), indicating a moderate convergent validity. Studies with lower methodological quality and published "peer reviewed" studies reported somewhat higher correlations between self-assessment ratings and ratings with validated measures. The meta-analytic correlation remained significant after removal of studies with lower methodological quality (r = 0.33) or studies from the "grey" literature (r = 0.44). A second meta-analysis (k = 16, ES = 71) with a focus on the predictive validity of self-assessment ratings showed a small significant association between self-assessed ECE quality and child outcomes (r = 0.09); there were no significant moderators. Practice or Policy: Despite empirical evidence for the validity of self-assessment, further studies are needed to investigate potential bias in self-assessment. Future studies should further explore the validity and reliability of self-assessment measures in ECE, including countries outside the United States.
Descriptors: Stakeholders, Early Childhood Education, Child Care Centers, Journal Articles, Educational Quality, Educational Assessment, Outcomes of Education, Self Evaluation (Groups), Reliability, Validity, Child Development, Foreign Countries
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States; Canada; China; Greece; Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A