Assessment Process Quality Of Early Childhood Students In Public And Private Schools Of Bannu Division

734 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) Assessment Process Quality Of Early Childhood Students In Public And Private Schools Of Bannu Division https://currentsign journal.com/index. php/JCS/index Dr. Asif Ali Khan Prof. Dr. Safdar Rehman Ghazi Vol. 3 No. 4 (2025) 735 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) Assessment Process Quality Of Early Childhood Students In Public And Private Schools Of Bannu Division Education is the basic right of every citizen and this basic right needs a strong base which is possible due to ECE. The researcher employed a descriptive survey design to investigate the Early Childhood Education (ECE) assessment practices in the public and private schools in Bannu Division. The population of the study was comprised of all Nursery/Kachi/Prep/Pakki classes in both public primary and private schools of Bannu Division. A stratified sample of 360 ECE classes (285 public and 75 private) was selected. in compliance with Gill et al. (2010) was followed to select the sample of the study. The data was gathered using a five-point rating system and the validated and reliable Learning Environment Observational Checklist having Cronbach's alpha = 0.73. The researcher made in-person school visits and observed assessment processes conducted at ECE level. Descriptive statistics like mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that public and private schools applied the assessment methods unevenly and partially. The upkeep of individual student portfolios was mainly disregarded, and teachers showed little interest in interacting with parents or creating developmental checklists. All things considered, the school's evaluation procedure was haphazard and inconsistent. Teachers need training, regular parent-teacher communication, and student portfolios to ensure effective and systematic assessment of children's development. Keywords: ECE Quality, Assessment Process Public and Private Schools, Bannu, KP INTRODUCTION Over the past ten years, early childhood education in KP has drawn more policy attention as provincial governments and development partners have come to recognize its vital role in fostering lifelong learning, equity, and foundational learning. ECE prepares kids for successful transitions into primary school by laying the foundation for their cognitive, emotional, social, and moral development. KP has introduced ECE classrooms, teacher training modules, and kidfriendly learning spaces as part of its major efforts to incorporate ECE into its educational system in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework for ECCE (2017) and the National Education Policy (2017). The quality of ECE still differs greatly between public and private schools, though, particularly in the areas of pedagogy, assessment, and learning environments, in spite of these policy improvements (UNICEF Pakistan, 2023; Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2022).). Dr. Asif Ali Khan Elementary & Secondary Education Department Pakistan Email: [email protected] Prof. Dr. Safdar Rehman Ghazi IER UST Bannu Email: [email protected] Abstract 736 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) An essential part of early education quality assurance is the assessment procedure. It assists educators in comprehending the developmental stages of every child and adjusting their teaching methods accordingly. Theoretically, ECE assessments ought to be ongoing, formative, and incorporated into lesson plans. It should focus on observation, documentation, and holistic child development rather than on summative testing or rote memorization. Yet, in KP’s ECE classrooms, assessment practices often fail to align with these standards. Meanwhile, private schools often employ checklists or standardized paper-pencil tests that emphasize literacy and numeracy outcomes rather than socio-emotional and physical development (Shah & Rauf, 2022; Malik et al., 2023). Although it is growing quickly, the private sector's contribution to KP's ECE offerings paints a different picture. Some urban private schools, especially those in Peshawar, Mardan, and Abbottabad, have trained teachers on staff, keep class sizes small, and monitor students' progress using organized evaluation methods. However, many low-cost private schools, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, have under qualified staff and little regulation. Even at the preprimary level, these schools frequently employ formal testing, which runs counter to the ideas of play-based learning. These differences between high-end and low-cost private schools exacerbate the province-wide quality gap in assessment procedures (Rahman, 2024; Khan & Akhtar, 2022). The absence of standardized instruments and regular monitoring systems for assessing ECE assessment procedures presents another difficulty. Even though the KP government and aid organizations like UNICEF and UNESCO have created frameworks for tracking children's progress and Early Learning Development Standards (ELDS), few schools actually use them. Teachers say that their workload and lack of support make it difficult to use observation-based tools. Consequently, one of the weakest aspects of ECE implementation in KP is still assessment (UNICEF Pakistan, 2023; Rafiq et al., 2024). In addition to lowering classroom quality, a lack of cogent assessment systems also makes it more difficult to accurately report early learning indicators at the provincial and federal levels. Parental involvement, classroom management, and teacher motivation are all strongly correlated with assessment quality. Early childhood educators in many KP public schools struggle with administrative duties and packed classrooms, which leaves little time for ongoing child observation. Private schools, on the other hand, are more adaptable but frequently put parental satisfaction through observable academic results above developmental evaluation. These dynamics show that assessment quality is not just a technical problem but also reflects teacher capacity and institutional culture, which are very different in KP's public and private ECE systems (Hussain & Ahmad, 2023; Malik et al., 2023). In order to determine how assessment is carried out, what difficulties teachers encounter, and how assessment practices affect the overall quality of ECE, it is imperative to compare the assessment procedures used by public and private ECE schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Education planners and legislators can improve teacher preparation programs, create contextual assessment instruments, and guarantee fair quality standards in both sectors by having a better understanding of these dynamics. A comparative approach like this will help KP's diverse educational landscape develop a culture of holistic, child-centered education, improve early learning outcomes, and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4.2 (UNESCO, 2024). 737 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) Problem Statement Even though the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has made great strides in increasing access to early childhood education, public and private ECE schools continue to differ greatly in the caliber of their assessment procedures. There are several structural obstacles to the adoption of ECE assessment frameworks in the public sector. Inadequate classroom supervision, big class sizes, poor materials, and inadequate teacher preparation all lead to inconsistent and occasionally erroneous assessments of kids' learning. Although more than 8,000 ECE classrooms have been set up in government schools, the majority of the teachers were transferred from primary grades and received little to no professional training in formative assessment and child observation, according to the KP Education Sector Plan (2020–2025). Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate and contrast the quality of the assessment procedure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's public and private Early Childhood Education classrooms, with an emphasis on the Bannu Division. It seeks to determine the kinds of assessment techniques employed, the level of teacher readiness, and the difficulties in putting developmentally appropriate assessment procedures into practice. The research's conclusions will provide evidence-based suggestions for raising assessment literacy, training teachers, and implementing policies, all of which will raise the standard of early childhood education in the province's public and private sectors (Rafiq et al., 2024; UNICEF Pakistan, 2013). Objectives of the study The following were the objectives of the study To assess the assessment process conducted for ECE in public schools of Bannu division. To evaluate the assessment process conducted for ECE in private schools of Bannu division. To provide recommendations regarding assessment process conducted for ECE in public and private schools of Bannu division. Research Questions What kind of assessment process is followed for the measurement of the progress of ECE in public schools of Bannu Division? What kind of assessment process is followed for the measurement of progress of ECE private schools of Bannu Division? Significance of the study The present study would be important because it would shed light on the assessment procedures used in public and private early childhood education (ECE) institutions. The study would draw attention to any gaps or inconsistencies that currently exist and have an impact on the quality of early learning by determining the extent to which assessment procedures are used. The results would advance our knowledge of how well educators assess and record kids' developmental progress. The study's findings would also help teachers, administrators, and policymakers improve assessment practices to raise the standard of ECE as a whole. It would highlight the necessity of professional development, organized documentation, and improved parent-teacher cooperation in 738 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) order to guarantee that early assessment procedures successfully promote kids' overall growth and preparedness for formal education. Delimitations of the study The study was restricted to public and private schools children who study in Play/Nursery/KG classes at the age of 3-5 at primary school level. The study was also restricted to the learning environment (assessment Process) REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This part of the study deals with the review of related literature which provides a comprehensive examination of previous studies and theoretical perspectives relevant to the present study. A primary focus of Pakistan's education reform agenda is quality in early childhood education (ECE), particularly in light of Sustainable Development Goal 4.2, which calls for all children to have access to high-quality early learning opportunities. To encourage early learning and playbased pedagogies, the Pakistani government and its provincial education departments, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), have started a number of initiatives. The quality aspect of assessment procedures is still not well understood, though. Access and infrastructure are only two aspects of ECE quality; other elements include pedagogical procedures, teacher proficiency, and child assessment techniques that record developmental milestones in the cognitive, social, and emotional domains (UNICEF Pakistan, 2023; UNESCO, 2024). Malik, et al. (2023) state that effective assessment, according, is essential to high-quality early learning because it enables teachers to track student progress, modify their lessons, and spot learning needs in early years. ECE assessment procedures are very different from primary or secondary school testing methods. With an emphasis on the "whole child," it is intended to be formative, ongoing, and observation-based. However, assessment is limited to assessing academic skills or memorization in many Pakistani classrooms. Shah and Rauf (2022) discovered that rather than using developmental profiles or structured observation, the majority of KP public school ECE teachers employ checklist formats or casual oral questioning. Hussain and Ahmad (2023) found that a lack of assessment literacy training during pre-service and in-service training was a major factor in the fact that many teachers did not comprehend child-centered assessment. These results highlight a significant discrepancy between the goals of policies and the realities of the classroom, where educators frequently lack the abilities to convert curriculum frameworks into efficient assessment procedures. The quality debate is made more difficult by the differences between public and private ECE assessment systems. The Elementary and Secondary Education Department's teacher training is a major component of KP's public ECE classrooms, which are governed by government frameworks. On the other hand, assessment methods in private schools vary widely, from rotebased testing in low-cost private schools to excellent developmental observation in prestigious preschools. According to Rahman (2024), private schools in urban areas like Peshawar and Abbottabad typically use daily progress reports and parental feedback mechanisms to assess students' learning, but private schools in rural areas still use paper-pencil testing, even for 739 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) students as young as four or five. This discrepancy implies that the freedom and flexibility of the private sector can encourage creativity, but it also leads to irregularities and a lack of uniformity in the evaluation of young students. Another important factor that determines the quality of ECE is teacher assessment literacy. The ability of a teacher to plan, carry out, analyze, and apply assessment results to improve learning is known as assessment literacy. The majority of ECE teachers in KP were initially hired for primary school and received little instruction in early learning assessment methods, according to studies conducted by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2022). These educators frequently confuse assessment with grading or ranking because they lack adequate understanding of developmental indicators. Malik et al. (2023), teachers hardly ever used the results of observation checklists to modify their teaching methods. This demonstrates that in addition to teaching teachers how to use assessment tools, professional development programs should also help them develop their ability to analyze and act upon the information gathered from regular classroom interactions. The assessment process in ECE classrooms is greatly influenced by institutional and structural factors in addition to teacher capacity. Rafiq et al. (2024) identify that the implementation of continuous assessment is hampered by large class sizes, a lack of monitoring systems, a lack of instructional aids, and a lack of parental involvement. In KP, public schools frequently have packed classrooms that make one-on-one observation challenging. On the other hand, childcentered assessment works better in private schools with smaller class sizes. However, low-cost schools' limited funding leads to subpar learning environments and less time for formative assessment by teachers. This disparity shows how closely the general learning environment and the availability of resources relate to the quality of assessment. Furthermore, a strong framework for evaluating the caliber of ECE implementation has not yet been established by KP's policy and monitoring systems. Despite offering a clear set of indicators for child development, the Early Learning Development Standards (ELDS), which were created with UNICEF's assistance, have not yet been widely incorporated into classroom instruction. According to teachers, supervisors hardly ever assess the quality of assessments during classroom visits, and documentation requirements are onerous (UNICEF Pakistan, 2023). Weak connections between assessment results and school improvement plans are also noted in government reports (Government of KP, 2022). Accountability and consistency in early learning outcomes could be improved by strengthening this monitoring chain by coordinating classroom assessments with provincial and district reporting systems. The significance of creating contextually appropriate assessment instruments that take into account children's varied developmental paths is highlighted by comparative studies conducted in Pakistan and other South Asian contexts. Local cultural norms, linguistic diversity, and socioeconomic realities might not be reflected in imported or standardized assessment models (UNESCO, 2024). In addition to ensuring that all children, regardless of school type, receive equitable and developmentally appropriate learning experiences, such research would help create a thorough understanding of how assessment contributes to the quality of early childhood education. 740 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This portion deals with the process of research methods including population, sample, and data collection instruments, technique, and data analysis Research Design The researcher used a descriptive survey design to investigate quality of ECE in context of assessment process in public and private schools of Bannu Division. Population of the Study The population of the study was comprised of all Nursery/Kachi/Prep/Pakki classes in both public primary and private schools of Bannu Division. From each school, it was likely that one ECE class, (Nursery/Kachi,/Prep/Pakki level, was selected. The districts encompassed by Bannu Division include Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and North Waziristan. The following table illustrates district-wise public and private schools offering Nursery/Kachi/Prep/Pakki level education. Table 1 shows district-wise population: Table 3.1 Districts No. of Public Schools No. of Private Schools Total Bannu 1186 368 1554 Lakki Marwat 808 260 1068 North Waziristan 804 103 907 Total 2798 731 3529 Source; (DMO Office: Bannu, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan) Sample The study's sample was comprised of 360 classes from Nursery/Kachi/Prep/Pakki levels within both public and private schools in Bannu Division. A stratified sampling method was employed to select the schools. Specifically, a sample of 285 schools was drawn from the public primary sector, while 75 schools were selected from the private sector. The researcher utilized the methodology outlined by Gill et al. (2010) as a reference for determining the appropriate sample size, Table No. 2 Districts Sample of Public Schools Sample of Private Schools Total Bannu 121 37 158 Lakki Marwat 82 27 109 North Waziristan 82 11 93 Total 285 75 360 741 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) Data Collection Tool The Learning Environment Observational Checklist was developed to tackle the primary research question.1 “What kind of assessment process of ECE is available in public schools of Bannu Division?” consisted of nine statements. and “What kind of assessment process is followed for the measurement of progress of ECE in private schools of Bannu Division?” To address To address this the tool was developed. LEOC was consisted of scales such as (1) N=Not at all, (2) V= Very little, (3) SW = Somewhat (4) TS=To some extent (5) TG= To great extent. Pilot Testing of the Tool First of all, it was necessary to check the validity and confirm the reliability of the tool Learning Environment Observational Checklist before starting data collection Validity of Tool Before the deployment of the research instruments, the validity of the LEOC, was checked. This validation process was conducted in accordance with the guidelines suggested by pertinent experts in the discipline. So six statements were found irrelevant and removed, three statements were refined and then finalized. Reliability of Tool LEOC: For the purpose of reliability, LEOC was administered to 30 selected schools, The researcher conducted visits to schools and met the children of Playgroup/ Nursery/Kachi/Prep/Pakki classes and observed the available environment by asking certain questions where needed and marked the relevant columns. The alpha value for LEOC was determined to be 0.73. Data Collection Procedure Data were gathered through field surveys utilizing self-developed instrument (LEOC). The selected public and private schools were visited. Keeping in view the objectives of the research tool LEOC’ concerning assessment process, the researcher visited the ECE classrooms and observed assessment process of children studying in ECE classrooms. In order to judge well, the researcher also asked certain questions stated in the LEOC and marked () in the relevant columns. Consideration of Research Ethics The researcher utilized a facilitation letter from the supervisor duly signed by him . The supervisor addressed the concerned schools’ heads to cooperate with the researcher by providing relevant data regarding the Quality of ECE in Bannu Division. The researcher also developed a consent form, duly signed by the teacher who was involved in the data collection process. After this process, the researcher assured the respondents that the data would be collected merely for research purposes and the researcher did not intend to violate the school’s discipline. The researcher tried to show politeness and observed research ethics. 742 Journal for Current Sign Online ISSN (3006-1504) Print ISSN (3006-1490) Data Analysis Descriptive statistics, including the mean and standard deviation, were employed to analyze the research questions, For this purpose, the research tool, Learning Environment Observational Checklist with five-point Likert scale (“not at all” denoted by 1 and “to great extent” denoted by 5), developed by WM Vagias (2006) was adopted. The following table better illustrate weight, scale and mean range Table No. 3 Scale and Range Used for LEOC Weight Scale Mean Range 1 N=Not at all 1.00 to 1.50 2 V= Very little 1.51 to 2.50 3 SW = Some What 2.51 to 350 4 TS= To some extent 3.51 to 4.50 5 TG=To great extent 4.51 to 5.00 J. L. Pimentel, (2010) ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA This part focuses on the analysis, tabulation, and interpretation of the collected data. The analyzed data was systematically tabulated and interpreted in accordance with the study's objectives. Research Question 1: What kind of assessment process is followed for the measurement of progress of ECE in public schools of Bannu Division? Table 4: Rank Order of Assessment Process S.NO Statements M SD 1 The teachers meet parents in school to discuss the child’s progress in class or send the progress report home. 2.89 1.08 2 Checklists of Children’s Progress are prepared. 2.78 1.15 3 Teachers maintain each child’s artwork, literacy, and numeracy-related worksheets in their individual folders. 2.39 0.89 Overall 2.69 0.59 The above table shows mean score (M=2.89) with standard deviation (SD=1.08) of in regarding discuss a child's progress in class or to send home a progress report, teachers meet with parents in the classroom, denotes that this statement falls in the category/range (2.51-3.50) “Somewhat”. Similarly, the second highest mean score (M=2.78) with standard deviation (SD=1.15) of the statement “Checklists of Children’s Progress are prepared” indicates that this statement falls in the category/range (2.51-3.50) “Somewhat”. The lowest mean score (M=2.39) with standard deviation (SD=0.89) of the statement “Teachers maintain each child’s artwork, literacy, and