三、研究设计
我国学前儿童数量规模巨大,入园率越来越高,托幼机构教育质量对于儿童发展的重要性以及国家人力资源建设的战略价值日益凸显。但无论是有效的教育质量评价工具还是实证性的教育质量评价研究都相对匮乏,远不能满足我国学前教育理论研究以及决策和实践的需求。在此背景下,自2010年起我们组建了一个跨学科的国际化研究团队,致力于对我国社会背景下托幼机构教育质量评价的一系列相关问题进行探索性研究。
(一)研究目的
本研究拟在多维整合观视野下,基于大规模的实证调查和观察测量,对我国托幼机构教育质量的评价观念、评价工具以及教育质量现状与问题进行探究;研发《中国托幼机构教育质量评价量表》,并进行效度验证;运用这一工具,对我国的幼儿园教育质量进行全面、客观的评价,分析现状和存在的问题;在实证研究的基础上,对我国幼儿园教育质量的提升和质量保障体系的建构等实践和政策问题进行探讨。
(二)概念界定
本研究的核心概念为“多维整合观”与“托幼机构教育质量”。基于对国内外相关研究的文献考察和本研究的特定目的,研究者对这两个概念在本研究范围内的界定如下。
1.多维整合观
在托幼机构教育质量评价上,存在诸多不同的价值取向、利益主体与评价视角。就价值取向而言,需要考虑个体发展与社会发展、本国文化价值与国际共通核心价值、公平与效率等许多对立统一的教育质量观念之间的均衡;就利益主体而言,需要兼顾幼儿、家长、教师、举办者、政府、社区/社会等多方利益;就评价视角而言,存在自上而下、自下而上、内部视角、外部视角等多个维度。本研究认为,托幼机构教育质量的评价应整合多种价值取向、多元利益主体和多维视角,以满足幼儿合理需要、促进幼儿身心发展为核心,均衡多元主体间的利益关系,从而对托幼机构教育质量进行全面、系统、有效的评价,更好地发挥托幼机构教育质量评价的多元价值与功能。
2.托幼机构教育质量
托幼机构泛指为学龄前儿童提供保育和教育服务的机构。在我国,幼儿园是最主要的学前教育机构,主要为3~6岁学龄前儿童提供保育和教育服务。因此,如果不加特别说明,本研究中所提及的托幼机构主要是指幼儿园。本研究中,托幼机构教育质量主要是指托幼机构保育和教育过程满足幼儿的身心发展需求、支持幼儿学习和发展的特性与程度。本研究中对托幼机构教育质量的评价是以支持幼儿学习与发展关系最为密切的班级教育环境质量和班级保教过程质量的评价为核心,而不是对托幼机构整体结构性质量(如办园规模、经费、教师资质等条件性要素)以及儿童发展结果质量的评价。
除了幼儿以外,托幼机构教育的相关主体还包括教师、保育员、家长、园长等。托幼机构的教育服务也应适当满足这些相关主体的合理需求,为其发展提供必要的支持(比如支持教师和园长的专业发展,为家长提供育儿指导等)。从宽泛的意义上说,这些方面也应纳入托幼机构教育质量评价的范围。当然,必须指出的是,对幼儿需求的满足和学习的支持是托幼机构教育质量的核心,对相关主体的需求满足和发展支持也应当服从和服务于这个核心。
(三)研究内容
1.中国托幼机构教育质量观念的多维整合与建构
首先,编制调查问卷,对国内托幼机构教育相关主体(包括园长、教师、家长)的教育质量观念进行大规模调查研究;在此基础上,对不同主体的托幼机构教育质量观念的共性与差异进行梳理和整合。同时,选择国际知名的托幼机构评价工具进行本土化试用研究,探索其对我国学前教育情境的文化适宜性;在实证研究和跨文化比较分析的基础上,对适宜我国国情和文化的托幼机构教育质量观念进行多维整合与建构。
2.中国托幼机构教育质量评价工具的研发
综合借鉴多个国际权威的托幼机构教育质量评价工具,结合我国国情、文化和学前教育的实际情境,编制《中国托幼机构教育质量评价量表》;在不断试用和不同规模实地观察测量的基础上,对该量表的信度、效度各项指标进行检验,进而对量表的内容架构、评价指标、评价方式进行修订与优化,不断提升量表的测量学性能。
3.中国幼儿园教育质量评价研究
在全国范围内进行幼儿园班级抽样,从区域、城乡、园所等级、办园性质等分布结构的角度考虑幼儿园班级样本的代表性;运用所研制的《中国托幼机构教育质量评价量表》进行班级教育质量的观察测量,以客观地评价我国东、中、西部城乡幼儿园教育质量现状,分析存在的问题;在此基础上,为幼儿园教育实践者提出教育质量改进的具体建议,为决策者提出学前教育质量保障的政策建议。
(四)研究方法
1.文献研究法
对国内外托幼机构教育质量的概念、评价观念、评价工具、教育质量与儿童发展的相关理论研究与实证研究进行系统的文献梳理,为我国托幼机构教育质量评价观念的建构、评价工具的研发和教育质量评价等研究奠定基础,提供借鉴。
2.问卷调查法
本研究中问卷调查包括两个部分,涉及多个群体:第一,不同群体的托幼机构教育质量评价观念调查。对幼儿园园长、教师和家长群体进行托幼机构教育质量评价观念调查,通过比较研究,梳理不同群体质量评价观念的异同,探讨不同群体观念统整的可能框架。第二,专家型实践者对《中国托幼机构教育质量评价量表》第一版的内容效度评价调查。在全国范围内抽取一定数量的专家型实践者,针对内容框架、指标编制、评价方式、适宜性等方面进行问卷调查,以评价第一版量表的内容效度。
3.观察评价法
班级观察评价是本研究的核心方法,并在研究的多个阶段基于不同幼儿园班级观察评价中的目的加以应用。第一,美国的ECERS-R在我国的试用研究,目的是检验ECERS-R在我国的文化适宜性,为中国托幼机构教育质量评价工具的研制奠定基础。第二,在一定范围内进行幼儿园班级抽样,通过实地观察测量,对《中国托幼机构教育质量评价量表》的信效度各项指标进行分析,检验该量表的可靠性与有效性,基于试测的结果和证据,对量表进行修订和优化。第三,在全国范围内进行幼儿园班级抽样,运用经过信效度验证和修订完善后的《中国托幼机构教育质量评价量表》,通过班级观察对样本幼儿园的教育质量进行测量和评价,以反映我国东、中、西部城乡幼儿园教育质量现状,揭示存在的问题。
4.测验法
在样本班级随机选取一定数量的儿童,运用《CDCC中国儿童发展量表(3~6岁)》(张厚粲等,1992)在语言、认知、社会常识、动作技能等方面进行一对一的测试;通过班级质量评价结果与儿童发展评价结果的相关分析,检验质量评价量表的校标关联效度。
(五)研究过程
本研究始于2010年,2011年获得国家社科基金青年课题立项和资助。自研究开始以来,共经历了四个主要的研究阶段。每个阶段的起止时间和主要研究内容如图0-1所示。
图0-1 中国托幼机构教育质量评价研究过程
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