Children’s lived experiences of assessment in early childhood education

Children’s participation in assessment practices in Early Childhood Education (ECE) has immense significance. A child’s participation has been acknowledged by the UN Act Article 12 as the right to participate as a contemporary member of the ECE academic setting. This study strived to understand the real face of ECE assessment practices in public and private educational settings in Islamabad. For an in-depth understanding of ECE assessment practices, a qualitative research approach was employed, which enabled the interpretation of the lived experiences of teachers through a phenomenological lens. The participants consisted of six teachers, three from public schools and three from private schools in Islamabad. In-depth, structured, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in their respective schools. After transcription and revised coding exercises, themes and sub-themes were generated and interpreted. Audit trials were conducted twice to verify the authenticity of the themes and transcriptions. Teachers described the lack of practicality in children’s participation in assessment practices. The overall findings of the study emphasize the need for revision of ECE assessment practices in both public and private participating schools, aligning them with global ECE practices that prioritize the child’s participation and authority in decision-making, as well as the teacher’s role in assessment practices. All six teachers highly recommend awareness and training on ECE assessment practices for all stakeholders.