Assessment Techniques for Prospective Early Childhood Education Teachers: A Comparative Investigational Study in Greece and Cyprus

Abstract

Assessment within preschool education comprises a multi-dimensional, intricate perpetual and dynamic process which calls for the necessity of utilizing appropriate, innovative, effective and alternative techniques since it comes about as beneficial to all entities involved into the educational process, providing a distinct and conspicuous picture of all the true dimensions of learning, functioning at the same time as a feedback on the purpose of all improvements and modifications needed, to come in existence. The goal of the current investigational approach is to scrutinize on the assessment techniques that are implemented by prospective educationalists regarding preschool education during their internship not only in Greece but in Cyprus as well. More particularly, a comparative study between the two groups was sought after, in order for their aspects on the issue under debate but also the type of techniques which are selected, along with the frequency of their implementation, to be established. As a research tool the structured self-report questionnaire was used, constituting of close-ended questions as well some explanatory open-ended ones. The research data do accentuate the necessity for assessment towards learning within preschool education and favor the screening of children’s development as the basic actualization of assessment. Furthermore, the positive attitude and awareness of future instructors on alternative assessment techniques was demonstrated, along with the acknowledgement of their effectiveness into Kindergarten albeit their final limited actual implementation. Despite the restrictions on the research, the findings do comprise a trigger for further investigation on the subject, in order for proposals and hypotheses which regard University Curricula in Early Childhood Education faculties on the enhancement of practical implementation of alternative assessment techniques into preschool education, to be posed.