Abstract

SILVA, Juliana Bezzon da  and  SOUZA, Tatiana Noronha de. Analysis of the use of a scale to evaluate the quality of daycare centers. Est. Aval. Educ. [online]. 2011, vol.22, n.48, pp.137-158. ISSN 0103-6831.

In the last decades, the discussion about quality has gained strength and space in public policies and educational institutions. Thus, in order to contribute to the studies on quality evaluation in early childhood education, this study aims to analyze the use of Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale - ITERS, a North American index for the evaluation of daycare center environments, in a Brazilian translated version. Through peer-scale independent and individual applications, six groups of children (6-27 months) from five daycare centers were observed. The results point to important issues that have to be considered in the use of ITERS-R in Brazil. It was observed that the numerical result of the scale by itself does not facilitate the characterization of the classes according to their pedagogical models and that it is important to consider the details of each indicator and the process of use of the instrument. The study points, therefore, to the need for a dialogue between the scale, its use and the context evaluated, which will enable the discussion needed to understand the evaluation and the potential targets for improving quality.

Keywords : Early Childhood Education; Evaluation; Daycare Centers; Teaching Quality.

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