The Challenges of Using Data Effectively Within Early Childhood Care and Education Centers in Trinidad and Tobago: A Multisite Case Study

• In Event: 14.028 - Educational Change: Examining Policies and Practices in the Caribbean and Africa

Abstract

The Early Childhood Care and Education provision in Trinidad and Tobago has been recently expanded and practices standardized in order to provide a more equitable, high-quality service. However, no monitoring system has been implemented to evaluate the quality of the provision. This qualitative study therefore sought to bridge this gap by investigating the Data Driven Decision Making practices of ECCE educators. Teachers were found to collect multiple sources of data which they used to evaluate their practice and student learning. The Ministry of Education allocated time for collaborative work, provided data collection instruments and training. However, many teachers reported that DDDM practice was restricted by limited resources, variability in training and additional duties which reduced the time for data use.

Authors

• Sabeerah Abdul-Majied, The University of the West Indies - St. Augustine

• Rhoda Misty Mohammed, Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago

• Jerome De Lisle, University of the West Indies