Making Sense of Accountability Across Different Institutional Environments: The Case of Early Childhood Education

• In Event: Early Childhood Education Policy

Abstract

The literature attempts to explain the relationship between accountability pressures and classroom practice. Seemingly, it acknowledges the complexities of this relationship based on findings that classroom practice is impacted by the severity of pressures or the intricacies of how teachers make sense of these pressures. However, the literature disregards how accountability interacts with diverse institutional environments and how teachers make sense of this interaction to impact classroom practice. We conducted a qualitative study in early childhood classrooms to explore these complexities. Findings reveal that educators’ sense-making in different institutional environments generates different interpretations and classroom practices despite similar school readiness pressures. The study has implications for theory and policy about the impact of accountability beyond high-stakes settings.

Authors

• Noa Rom, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Ori Eyal, Hebrew University