III. Classroom Qualities and Interactions: Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)

Background

The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Pre-K (Pianta et al., 2008) is commonly used to measure three domains of teacher–child interactional quality in preschool classrooms, i.e., Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support. CLASS is theoretically grounded in the Teaching through Interactions framework, which posit that these three domains provide the key mechanisms through which children learn and develop cognitive, language, social-emotional, and self-regulatory skills (Pianta & Hamre, 2009). In the past decade, there has been debates about the factor structure of CLASS across different cultural contexts and in different educational settings. This study contributes to this debate by investigating the factor structure of the CLASS in Singapore, with a focus on comparing two educational settings: preschool classrooms serving predominantly typically developing children and early intervention classrooms serving exclusively children who require early intervention support.

Abstract

The Pre-K Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is commonly used to measure three domains of teacher–child interactional quality in preschool classrooms (Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support). However, there is considerable debate regarding the validity of its three-domain factor structure and the applicability of CLASS across different countries and educational settings. This study contributes to this debate with an investigation of the factor structure of the CLASS in Singapore, comparing the factor structure for preschool classrooms serving typically developing children (n = 184) and early intervention classrooms serving children who require early intervention support (n = 182). Bifactor measurement models were used to explore the dimensionality of the CLASS in these settings. A best-fitting bifactor model with one general (Responsive Teaching) and two specific factors (Proactive Management and Routines, Cognitive Facilitation) was a good fit for the overall data. Comparison of preschool and early intervention classrooms indicated partial metric invariance, suggesting that while the factor structure was equivalent across the different settings, the loadings on some dimensions differed between preschool and early intervention classrooms. Future research could examine how different aspects of interactions in different settings contribute to children’s learning.

Scales and Subscales

The bifactor model of the CLASS has one general (Responsive Teaching) and two specific factors (Proactive Management and Routines, Cognitive Facilitation).

References

Hamre, B. K., Hatfield, B., Pianta, R. C., & Jamil, F. (2014). Evidence for general and domain-specific elements of teacher-child interactions: Associations with preschool children’s development. Child Development, 85(3), 1257–1274. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12184

Pianta, R. C., & Hamre, B. K. (2009). Conceptualization, measurement, and improvement of classroom processes: Standardized observation can leverage capacity. Educational Researcher, 38(2), 109-119. https://doi.org/10. 3102/ 00131 89X09332374

Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B. K. (2008). Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) manual, Pre-K. Baltimore,    MD: Paul H. Brookes

Citation

Ng, E.L., Bull, R., Bautista, A., & Poon, K. (2021). A bifactor model of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System in preschool and early intervention classrooms in                Singapore. International Journal of Early Childhood, 53, 197-218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-021-00292-w