Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

An Analysis of Instruments that Measure the Quality of Mathematics Teaching in Early Childhood

  • Published:
Early Childhood Education Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The evaluation of teaching quality in mathematics has become increasingly important following research reports indicating that preschoolers are developmentally able to engage in mathematic thought and that child performance in mathematics at this level is a strong predictor of later school achievement. As attention turns to early mathematics education, so too does the focus on teaching quality. This paper reviews nine instruments designed to measure mathematics teaching quality—their theoretical bases, foci, and psychometrics—and examines their appropriateness for administration in early childhood settings. Three of the nine measures are identified as having highly desirable characteristics, with one of them specifically designed for early childhood administration. The measures, our review process, and our recommendations for practice are presented. As school divisions and teacher educators examine teaching quality, they will be better able to support their teachers’ practice, and better able to reap the benefits in improved child outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Brannon, E. M., & Van de Walle, G. A. (2001). The development of ordinal numerical competence in young children. Cognitive Psychology, 43(1), 53–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, F. A., & Ramey, C. T. (1994). Effects of early intervention on intellectual and academic achievement: A follow-up study of children from low-income families. Child Development, 65(2), 684–698. doi:10.2307/1131410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. (CSMC). The collopy observation coding protocol. Retrieved 20th August, 2007, from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/instrumentView.php?fvID=7&fvAction=View.

  • Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. (CSMC). Curriculum implementation classroom observation protocol. Retrieved 20th August, 2007, from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/instrumentView.php?fvID=61&fvAction=View.

  • Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. (CSMC). Inside the classroom observation and analytic protocol. Retrieved 20th August, 2007 from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/instrumentView.php?fvID=30&fvAction=View.

  • Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. (CSMC). Reformed teaching observation protocol. Retrieved 20th August, 2007, from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/instrumentView.php?fvID=14&fvAction=View.

  • Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. (CSMC). The schoen observation protocol. Retrieved 20th August, 2007, from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/instrumentView.php?fvID=41&fvAction=View.

  • Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. (CSMC). Science and Mathematics Program Improvement (SAMPI) Lesson Observation System. Retrieved 20th August, 2007, from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/instrumentView.php?fvID=39&fvAction=View.

  • Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. (CSMC). The six category coding of instructional time. Retrieved 20th August, 2007, from http://www.mathcurriculumcenter.org/instrumentView.php?fvID=20&fvAction=View.

  • Clements, D. H. (2007). Curriculum research towards a framework for “researched-based curricula”. Journal of Research in Mathematics Education, 78(1), 35–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2008). Experimental evaluation of the effects of a research-based preschool mathematics curriculum. American Educational Research Journal, 45(2), 443–494. doi:10.3102/0002831207312908.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clifford, D., Peisner-Feinberg, E., Culkin, M., Howes, C., & Kagan, S. L. (1998). Quality child care: Quality care does mean better child outcomes. NCEDL Spotlights, No. 2. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, National Center for Early Development & Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., et al. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428–1446. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.1428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, M. T., Domitrovich, C., & Bumbarger, B. (2001). The prevention of mental disorders in school-aged children: Current state of the field. Prevention & Treatment, 4(1).

  • Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2007). Learning opportunities in preschool and early elementary classrooms. In R. Pianta, M. Cox & K. Snow (Eds.), School readiness and the transition to kindergarten in the era of accountability (pp. 49–84). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harms, T., Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (1998). The early childhood environmental rating scale—revised edition. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horizon Research, Inc. (2000). Validity and reliability information for the LSC classroom observation protocol. Retrieved 1st October, 2007, from http://www.horizon-research.com/LSC/news/cop_validity_2000.pdf.

  • Learning Mathematics for Teaching. (2006). A coding rubric for measuring the quality of mathematics in instruction (Technical Report LMT1.06). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, School of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: NCTM.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2006). Curriculum focal points. Reston, VA: NCTM.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peisner-Feinberg, E. S., Burchinal, M. R., Clifford, R. M., Culkin, M. L., Howes, C., Kagan, S. L., et al. (1999). The children of the cost, quality, and outcomes study go to school: Technical Report. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, FPG Child Development Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peisner-Feinberg, E. S., Burchinal, M. R., Clifford, R. M., Culkin, M. L., Howes, C., Kagan, S. L., et al. (2001). The relation of pre-school child-care quality to children’s cognitive and social developmental trajectories through second grade. Child Development, 72(5), 1534–1553. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piburn, M., Sawada, D., Falconer, K., Turley, J., Benford, R., & Bloom, I. (2000). Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). http://physicsed.buffalostate.edu/pubs/RTOP/RTOP_ref_man_IN003.pdf.

  • Pianta, R. C. (2006). Teacher-child relationships and early literacy. In D. Dickinson & S. Newman (Eds.), Handbook of early literacy research (Vol. 2, pp. 149–162). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2008). The classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., & Maughan, B. (2002). School effectiveness findings, 1979–2002. Journal of School Psychology, 40(6), 451–475. doi:10.1016/S0022-4405(02)00124-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarama, J., & Clements, D. H. (2007). Manual for Classroom Observation (COEMET)—Version 3. Unpublished version.

  • Weiss, I. R., Pasley, J. D., Smith, P. S., Banilower, E. R., & Heck, D. J. (2003). Looking inside the classroom: A study of K-12 mathematics and science education in the United States. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research.

  • Western Michigan University—Science and Mathematics Program Improvement (SAMPI) Observing mathematics and science lesson in Michigan classrooms: An assessment of classroom practice. Retrieved 20th August 2007, from http://www.wmich.edu/sampi/index.htm.

Download references

Acknowledgment

The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305B040049 to the University of Virginia. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the U.S. Department of Education.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning MyTeachingPartner—Math & Science, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400878, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4878, USA

    Carolyn R. Kilday & Mable B. Kinzie

Authors
  1. Carolyn R. Kilday
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mable B. Kinzie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolyn R. Kilday.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kilday, C.R., Kinzie, M.B. An Analysis of Instruments that Measure the Quality of Mathematics Teaching in Early Childhood. Early Childhood Educ J 36, 365–372 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-008-0286-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-008-0286-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation