“Most useful to see these things that you don’t usually see”: Assessing learning and wellbeing of children with multicultural background

Abstract

This article describes a collaborative action research project carried out in one preschool in a neighboring municipality of Reykjavík, as part of more extensive collaborative research conducted in five preschools. The aim of this study was to support participating preschool teachers and assistant teachers, in developing a method to assess children’s learning and wellbeing. The participants in this study decided to use Learning Stories as a method and focused their documenting on a group of children with multicultural background. They chose this focus since the numbers of preschool children with multicultural background are increasing and the teachers found it challenging to assess their learning and wellbeing. Therefore, they needed new methods to understand children with multicultural background in order to be able to meet their needs and support their learning. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on monitoring and documenting the process of change that took place throughout the action research. The participants were interviewed in the beginning and at the end of the project, to obtain their views on assessment of learning and wellbeing, as well as on assessment methods, and on play and learning in the preschool. Moreover, the participants were asked about their opinions on assessment in multicultural preschool settings. The participants also kept diaries during the action research process.

The findings of the study can be divided into three categories. Firstly, the findings show how the learning stories developed during the action research process. Secondly, it was clear that the project influenced the preschool teachers’ and assistant teachers’ views on children with multicultural background. Thirdly, the findings show that the teachers’ ideas on the assessment of learning and wellbeing in general, changed through participation in the action research.

The study shows that learning stories can be a useful method to assess children’s learning and wellbeing in a multicultural setting. In addition to reading into children’s oral expression, the teachers learned to interpret children’s different modes of communication, such as gestures and facial expressions. In this way the documentation helped the participants to listen to children’s perspectives and to note their strengths and interests.

In the beginning of this study the teachers considered factors relating to children’s development, knowledge and behavior as being the most important features to assess. At the end of the study, however, the teachers’ attitudes had changed and they found it more important to assess aspects relating to children’s wellbeing.

Participating in the study was found to have a significantly stronger impact on the assistant teachers than on the preschool teachers, especially in relation to their views towards assessment. The main reason for this could be that the preschool teachers had a pre-existing knowledge of assessment whereas the assistants did not.

Concerning the research process, it was clear that the participating teachers found it important to have solid support while working on the project. Staff turnover during the process had a negative effect on its development. Another impediment was lack of time for trying out new methods for assessment.

The study suggests the need for further research in the field of assessments in preschool settings. The authors highlight the importance of looking closely at how the working day is scheduled in Icelandic preschools. It is important for preschool teachers and other staff members to have time to reflect on their practice and discuss it among themselves. This should be part of the daily preschool routine. The findings of this study support the importance of the preschool principals’ role in projects such as this. The principals should give teachers time and opportunities for reflection which leads to professional development and improvement of practice. Finally, the research supports findings from earlier studies which show that action research is an effective approach when working on professional development and practice improvements.