An Appraisal of the CLASS Instrument as an Observational Measurement Tool for Evaluation of Student and Teacher Interactions in Western Australian Classrooms

Oct 15, 2026

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The National Quality Framework is used across Australia to drive quality improvement in early childhood settings. In Western Australia, the National Quality Standard is also applied in schools to strengthen classroom quality for up to Year two (seven to eight years), despite concerns that the standard is too broad and emphasizes structural, quantifiable features. Using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS™), the study examined its effectiveness for Pre-primary (five-year-old) classrooms via a mixed-method approach combining statistical ratings with interviews. Findings show CLASS provides useful Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation descriptions, while Instructional Support scores were inconsistent with other quality indicators and did not represent instructional quality in some classrooms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages21

Reading Time53 min

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Introduction

Notions of Quality in Childhood

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 47 Issue 6 | Article 6 | | --- | --- | | 2022
An Appraisal of the CLASS Instrument as an Observational Measurement Tool for Evaluation of Student and Teacher Interactions in Western Australian Classrooms
Gillian Kirk
Edith Cowan University
Marianne J. Knaus
Edith Cowan University
Shane Rogers
Edith Cowan University
Follow this and additional works at: [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte)
Part of the Early Childhood Education Commons | | Recommended Citation Kirk, G., Knaus, M. J., & Rogers, S. (2022) . An Appraisal of the CLASS Instrument as an Observational Measurement Tool for Evaluation of Student and Teacher Interactions in Western Australian Classrooms. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 47(6) . [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n6.6](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n6.6) [This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[ ](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss6/6](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss6/6) An Appraisal of the CLASS Instrument as an Observational Measurement Tool for Evaluation of Student and Teacher Interactions in Western Australian Classrooms Gillian Kirk Marianne Knaus Shane Rogers Edith Cowan University Abstract: The National Quality Framework is used across Australia to drive quality improvement in early childhood settings. Unique to Western Australia, the National Quality Standard is also used in schools to improve quality in classrooms up to Year two (seven to eight years). However, the literature suggests the National Quality Standard is too broad with an emphasis on quantifiable program features (structural quality). As the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS™) instrument was designed to measure classroom interactions (process quality), the purpose of this current study was to examine its efficacy in Pre-primary (five-year-old) classrooms. A mixed-method research approach was employed to appraise the CLASS instrument as an observational measurement tool for evaluation of quality student and teacher interactions in schools. The quantitative methods involved a statistical analysis ofthe CLASS instrument ratings and observations and interviews provided a qualitative perspective. Study conclusions suggest that while CLASS offered useful descriptions ofquality in Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation, the Instructional Support scores were not consistent with other indicators of quality, and this score was not representative of the instructional quality in some classrooms. Keywords: CLASS, student and teacher interactions, child and teacher interactions, National Quality Standard, quality, early childhood, pedagogical approaches Introduction There is consensus in the literature on the importance of quality early childhood education. In addition to economic return, the positive academic and life trajectories for individuals are well established (Heckman, 2011). In Australia, quality is measured by the National Quality Framework (NQF) (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2016). The National Quality Standard (NQS) is a regulatory tool and is one part of the NQF designed to drive continuous improvement in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programs outside the schooling sector (Siraj et al., 2019) . The Western Australian Education Minister gained permission to use a modified version of the NQS in schools from Kindergarten (four-year-old programs) to Year 2 (xx xx) . Hence, the NQS is used to set a benchmark and quality improvement in Pre-primary (five-year-old) classrooms, which is the year group examined in this current study. At present, Western Australia (WA) is the only context to implement the NQS in schools. In 2008, the Council of Australian Governments signed a National Partnership agre

FAQs

What was the purpose of evaluating the CLASS instrument in this study?

To examine how effective the CLASS instrument is as an observational measurement tool for evaluating student and teacher interactions in Western Australian classrooms.

What research approach was used?

A mixed-method approach was used, combining quantitative statistical analysis of CLASS ratings and observations with qualitative interviews.

What did the study conclude about the CLASS dimensions?

CLASS offered useful descriptions of Emotional Support and Classroom Organisation, but Instructional Support scores were inconsistent with other quality indicators and were not representative of instructional quality in some classrooms.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Franzy