Examining conceptions of assessment among a social media-based sample of early childhood professionals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Education professionals’ conceptions of assessment can influence how they enact assessment with children. In this study, we explored the factor structure of a previously validated survey instrument, Brown’s Conceptions of Assessment Questionnaire (COA-III), when administered to a social-media-based sample of 241 U.S. early childhood professionals. We then used these results to examine participants’ conceptions and how these conceptions relate to one another. In common with prior research, the exploratory factor analysis yielded a 3-factor model of the participants’ conceptions of the purposes of assessment: assessment improves educational outcomes, assessment is irrelevant, and assessment as an accountability measure. Thus, the COA-III offers promise to educational researchers, policymakers, and professional preparation programs seeking to understand what early childhood professionals think and believe about the purpose of assessment. Further analyses—namely evidence of conflicting assessment beliefs—confirmed some of the complexities of assessing young children; such findings hold important implications for assessment-related training, policy, and practice.