Applicability of the Classroom AssessmentScoring System in Chinese preschools based on psychometric evidence

CITATION

Hu, B., Fan, X., Gu, C., and Yang, N. (2016). Applicability of the Classroom AssessmentScoring System in Chinese preschools based on psychometric evidence. Early Education and Development, 27(5), 714–734

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ABSTRACT
Research Findings: This study examined the applicability of the Classroom
Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Pre-K (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008)
and its underpinning framework of teaching through interactions in typical
Chinese kindergarten classrooms. A sample of 180 kindergarten classrooms
in China was selected, and the CLASS was used to rate the classroom
teaching interactions. Multiple analytical approaches were applied to examine
how the CLASS functioned in the Chinese cultural and social context,
including score pattern comparisons with samples from the United States
and some international contexts, measurement reliability analysis for different
measurement error sources (e.g., interrater reliability and stability across
time), and confirmatory factor analysis for several competing models. The
findings from these different analyses indicated that the CLASS exhibited
the same or very similar structures as in the U.S. sample, and the ratings of
the CLASS showed other desirable psychometric characteristics. Practice or
Policy: The evidence from the multiple analytical approaches provide strong
support for the applicability of the CLASS in the Chinese context. The
findings also reveal a critical need for Chinese teachers to improve the
quality of instructional support in order to promote children’s optimal
development. Limitations are noted, and future research directions are
discussed.


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