Validity Evidence for an ECE Classroom Observation Tool

A lack of studies examining the quality of early childhood education (ECE) classrooms and use of teaching practices across low- and middle-income countries limits what we know about the extent to which effective ECE teachers in different contexts use similar teaching practices. This limitation is, in part, due to the lack of standardized early childhood education (ECE) classroom observation tools with technically sound psychometric properties available for low- and middle-income contexts. In response to this global gap, the objective of this study was to explore reliability and validity evidence for the constructs measured by a classroom observation tool across contexts worldwide. Data from five low- and middle-income countries located in four world regions was used to conduct this validation study. Results showed that the tool meets adequate levels of reliability as captured by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and item-total correlations are all positive and above 0.40. In terms of validity, multiple theory-driven confirmatory factor analysis models were estimated and compared; consistent with the theoretical framework behind the development of the tool, model fit favored a three-factor model solution that uses parcels as observed variables. Results are discussed in terms of the policy implications for monitoring ECE teaching quality worldwide, and next steps for the validity research agenda on this classroom observation tool are proposed.