Children’s learning and development data in early childhood education

An exploration of analysis methods underpinned by the principles of Te Whāriki and standards for educational assessment.

For this study, researchers used Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) data to test person-centred early childhood learning and development analysis methods. Five learning and development profiles were identified, each presenting a holistic pattern across multiple learning and development domains. The research illustrates how person-centred analysis aligns with curriculum frameworks in early childhood, can generate valuable information for informing teaching practice, and can guide policy investment away from specific programmes (focused on single domain areas) towards more nuanced support across domain areas.