국제비교를 위한 유아발달평가 기초연구

Abstract

Assessment of young children has traditionally been one of underresearched areas because of a strong advocacy on individual difference of development in the early years as well as of concerns on negative aspects of early screening and labeling. As most of advanced countries have achieved universal ECEC services, they come to focus on enhancing quality of services, which, in turn, directs their attention to the linkage between quality and child development and learning outcomes. Utilizing results of international assessment on young children became an important agenda across countries in monitoring holistic development of children, identifying effects of, and informing ECEC policies.

In this context, the study reviewed currently available assessment tools, such as EDI (Early Development Instrument), iPIPS (International Performance Indicators for Primary School), EAP-ECDS (Asia Pacific-Early Childhood Development Scales), MELQO (Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes) and analyzed major findings of studies with these tools.

A group of domestic and international experts provided their views on developing international assessment tools and strategies for international studies on assessing young children. A total of 45 domestic experts also participated in two rounds of in-depth survey.

The study concluded that there can be four different purposes of international assessment on children including assessing child's overall developmental, child outcomes of certain policies, for early intervention, and for international cooperation with developing countries. In accordance of purposes of international assessment, varied are target groups, assessment domains and sub-domains, methods and procedures, timing, validation of tools, and utilization of assessment results. Some issues are discussed in assessing young children across countries, such as cultural contexts and languages. Further studies need to be conducted to develop and validate assessment tools both in regional and global contexts, reflecting upon keyvalues and abilities required for children in the present and the future.