ERIC Number: EJ723888
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 16
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0885-2006
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Measurement of Quality in Preschool Child Care Classrooms: An Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised
Cassidy, Deborah J.; Hestenes, Linda L.; Hegde, Archana; Hestenes, Stephen; Mims, Sharon
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, v20 n3 p345-360 2005
The purpose of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) with a large sample (1313 classrooms). We explored both the seven subscales and the possibility of fewer distinct aspects of quality being measured by the scale. The large sample size allowed both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to be performed. The results showed two distinct factors, Activities/Materials (nine items) and Language/Interaction (seven items), which accounted for 69% of the variance. High internal consistency scores, a moderate correlation between the factor-based scales, and a strong correlation between the combined factor-based scales and the overall ECERS-R score suggested these were distinct factors that could serve as a proxy for the larger scale. Structural aspects of quality and teacher education were examined in relation to the new factor-based scales and the overall score. Implications for practitioners and future research suggestions are provided.
Descriptors: Psychometrics, Factor Analysis, Factor Structure, Preschool Children, Early Childhood Education, Rating Scales, Evaluation Methods, Measurement Techniques, Educational Environment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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