Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring System

The classroom social–emotional climate is critical to students’ wellbeing and learning ability. In practice and research, an assessment instrument with strong validity is invaluable, providing crucial information about the classroom’s social–emotional and learning climate. This allows for a more acc...

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Main Authors: Carina Wikman, Mara Westling Allodi, Noam Ringer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1485260/full
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author Carina Wikman
Mara Westling Allodi
Noam Ringer
author_facet Carina Wikman
Mara Westling Allodi
Noam Ringer
author_sort Carina Wikman
collection DOAJ
description The classroom social–emotional climate is critical to students’ wellbeing and learning ability. In practice and research, an assessment instrument with strong validity is invaluable, providing crucial information about the classroom’s social–emotional and learning climate. This allows for a more accurate appreciation of the quality of the learning environment. A valid instrument is helpful and essential in improving the classroom climate in practice and demonstrating intervention outcomes in research. The primary aim was to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT)—a newly developed classroom observation instrument based on a solid theoretical framework and previous empirical research. The concurrent validity testing involved examining pairwise and multivariate canonical correlations between scores from the EduCAT scales (stimulation, improvement, structure, relationship, and influence) and scores from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) administered concurrently in 30 kindergarten to third grade (K-3) classrooms in four schools in Sweden. The pairwise correlation results show that the scores of the two observation instruments have strong and moderate positive correlations, as hypothesized. The canonical correlation identifies which scales in EduCAT correlate more strongly to scales in CLASS®. The results indicate that the observations measured with EduCAT tap similar aspects of classroom climate quality to those measured with CLASS®, thereby confirming the new protocol’s concurrent validity and instilling confidence in its use.
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spelling doaj-art-3a1938b889104f5db8f7db2cdbe2d6412025-08-20T02:39:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2024-12-01910.3389/feduc.2024.14852601485260Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring SystemCarina WikmanMara Westling AllodiNoam RingerThe classroom social–emotional climate is critical to students’ wellbeing and learning ability. In practice and research, an assessment instrument with strong validity is invaluable, providing crucial information about the classroom’s social–emotional and learning climate. This allows for a more accurate appreciation of the quality of the learning environment. A valid instrument is helpful and essential in improving the classroom climate in practice and demonstrating intervention outcomes in research. The primary aim was to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT)—a newly developed classroom observation instrument based on a solid theoretical framework and previous empirical research. The concurrent validity testing involved examining pairwise and multivariate canonical correlations between scores from the EduCAT scales (stimulation, improvement, structure, relationship, and influence) and scores from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) administered concurrently in 30 kindergarten to third grade (K-3) classrooms in four schools in Sweden. The pairwise correlation results show that the scores of the two observation instruments have strong and moderate positive correlations, as hypothesized. The canonical correlation identifies which scales in EduCAT correlate more strongly to scales in CLASS®. The results indicate that the observations measured with EduCAT tap similar aspects of classroom climate quality to those measured with CLASS®, thereby confirming the new protocol’s concurrent validity and instilling confidence in its use.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1485260/fullsocial-emotional climateK-3 classroomsinteractionsassessmentEduCATCLASS
spellingShingle Carina Wikman
Mara Westling Allodi
Noam Ringer
Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring System
Frontiers in Education
social-emotional climate
K-3 classrooms
interactions
assessment
EduCAT
CLASS
title Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring System
title_full Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring System
title_fullStr Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring System
title_full_unstemmed Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring System
title_short Classroom observations in elementary schools with Educational Climate Assessment Tool (EduCAT): the concurrent validity with Classroom Assessment Scoring System
title_sort classroom observations in elementary schools with educational climate assessment tool educat the concurrent validity with classroom assessment scoring system
topic social-emotional climate
K-3 classrooms
interactions
assessment
EduCAT
CLASS
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1485260/full
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AT marawestlingallodi classroomobservationsinelementaryschoolswitheducationalclimateassessmenttooleducattheconcurrentvaliditywithclassroomassessmentscoringsystem
AT noamringer classroomobservationsinelementaryschoolswitheducationalclimateassessmenttooleducattheconcurrentvaliditywithclassroomassessmentscoringsystem