Quality evaluations with Environment Rating Scales-3 in Denmark and Sweden

The aim with this symposium is to highlight ongoing research about a Nordic view of quality evaluations. Researchers from Denmark and Sweden will present findings from their use of the Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS-3) in studies on quality in Nordic preschools. Similarities and differences about preschool quality will be discussed, grounded in empirical examples of what characterises high and low quality in the Nordic preschool context. The presentations will also discuss cultural adaptations for the scale, and the future of quality evaluation in the Nordic region, to consider in what way using the ECERS-3 instruments affects the understanding of quality, and how graphical representations can be used to analyse data from the observations with the scales. The outcomes of the research presented in this symposium, can contribute to an international understanding about quality in early childhood education, improvements in pedagogical practice and development of the preschool teacher education programs.