Assessing Quality Quickly: Validation of the Responsive Interactions for Learning-Educator (RIFL-Ed.) Measure

Research Findings: In this study, we tested whether it is possible to reliably evaluate the quality of interactions between early childhood educators and children using a thin-slice coding approach. Ninety-seven early childhood educators were videotaped for two five-minute intervals: one mealtime observation and one standardized activity. Videos were scored using the shortened and revised 15-item Responsive Interactions for Learning - Educator (RIFL-Ed.) measure, an open-access measure that takes less than ten minutes to administer and score. The RIFL-Ed. demonstrated good psychometric properties when used for mealtime observations and scores were associated with the Emotional and Behavioural Support (b = 0.19, p = .02) - and to some extent the Engaged Support for Learning (b = 0.15, p = 0.07) - domains of the widely used Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS): Toddler Version. Less than half of the variance in scores was shared across educators in the same classrooms. Practice or Policy: If these preliminary results can be confirmed in larger studies, the RIFL-Ed.-an open-access measure for which fast and free online training is available- can be used to affordably scale-up targeted quality assessment and improvement efforts in early childhood education and care settings, efforts which have been shown to positively impact children's developmental outcomes.

Automated summary

The study investigated the reliability of evaluating interactions between early childhood educators and children using a thin-slice coding approach. Findings indicated that the RIFL-Ed. measure demonstrated good psychometric properties and was associated with certain domains of the CLASS: Toddler Version. Less than half of the variance in scores was shared across educators in the same classrooms.