Assessment plays a significant role in contemporary life, permeating all aspects of society. Peter Dahler-Larsen (2012) charactetizes this ubiquity by describing modern society as an ”evaluation society”. This increasing prominence of assessment is evident across various policy domains, including education. Within the field of education, this trend is exemplified by the rise of standardized assessments, which are widely regarded as key indicators of educational effectiveness and quality (Camphuijsen, Møller & Skedsmo, 2021; Verger, Parcerisa & Fontdevila, 2019). The growing emphasis on assessment also extends to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) influencing both national and global policies and affecting the experiences of individual children and educators (Siippainen & Pitkänen, 2024).

In Finnish ECEC assessment has traditionally emphasized play rather than children’s educational performance and formal assessment (Karila, 2012). However, recent studies have identified the increasingly prominent role of learning-oriented assessment in Finnish ECEC (Keski-Panula & Niemelä, 2022; Siippainen, Toivonen & Paakkari, 2023). While the emergence of learning-oriented assessment has been acknowledged, its underlying drivers have not been thoroughly examined. To be able to understand the changes the earlier research (e.g. Paananen, Länsmans & Räikkönen, 2025; Paananen & Siippainen, 2025) has identified in the assessment of Finnish ECEC, this study integrates the fields of childhood studies and policy research.

From a policy research perspective, this study will first focus on the Multiple Streams approach (MSA). MSA primarily seeks to identify the conditions that allow a policy idea, such as the use of child assessment, to emerge at the right moment, however, over the past two decades, this approach has been modified and applied in a variety of contexts (Moulton & Silverwood, 2018; Santos & Kauko, 2022). The policy-making process consists of three streams: problems, policies and politics, and when these three streams converge, a policy window opens allowing for change (Moulton & Silverwood, 2018). This study aims to understand how the three streams (problems, politics and policies) of MSA have converged to create a policy window for changes in assessment policies and practices within Finnish ECEC.

The second part of this study employs the doppelganger approach, a methodological tool for understanding assessment and datause in educational contexts (Pierlejewski, 2024). Earlier research points out that data production is often prioritized over other teaching responsibilities, reshaping professional priorities and contributing to the emergence of data-driven subjectivities among both children and educators (Pierlejewski, 2024). It alters pedagogy by shifting attention from engaging with children to collecting data (Bradbury, 2021). This approach considers child assessment practices as technologies of power that alter subjectivity and change pedagogy. It directs the focus on ”data doubles”, the images of children produced in data, and their performative force, the way in which these partial images of children change ECEC practices.

The first research question is based on multiple streams approach with three sub-questions. The second and third questions are informed by doppelganger approach. The research questions are as follows:

1. Which factors influence the adoption of learning-oriented assessment practices?

1A What kinds of constructions of challenges or deficiencies have been used for justifying the need for learning-oriented assessment?

1B What kinds of epistemic authorities shape the development of learning-oriented assessment practices?

1C How have political dynamics and institutional agendas influenced the adoption of learning-oriented assessment policies?

2. What kinds of “data doubles” emerge in current local child assessment practices in early childhood education?

3. To what extend and how does the “data double” function as a technology of power that shapes subjectivity and transforms pedagogy?

This doctoral research employs a multiple case study approach to examine assessment policy in ECEC, focusing on five cases. Data for the dissertation will be collected through interviews, document analysis and ethnographic observation. The dissertation will consist of three sub-studies. The first sub-study addresses the first research question. Data for this sub-study will comprise interviews from early childhood education teachers and municipal officials from five different municipalities. The municipalities are selected from a large-scale national survey conducted by VADA-project in 2021, which mapped assessment practices in Finnish ECEC. Ethnographic methods will be employed to answer second and third research questions. Ethnography allows the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of the social, cultural or organizational context in which a phenomenon occurs (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2018). Ethnographic observation data will be connected during field visits to kindergartens located in municipalities where learning-oriented assessment practices are implemented. Preparations for the fieldwork focus on both practical arrangements and ethical considerations. This study adheres to ethical guidelines of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK, 2023) as well as European principles of good scientific practice, which include reliability, honesty, respect and responsibility. I am committed to following these principles at all stages of research. A fundamental ethical principle guiding this research is the obligation to avoid causing harm to participants at any stage of the process (Simons, 2009). Given the ethnographic approach, I will continuously reflect critically on my role as a researcher and integrate my observations into an interpretative analysis within a clear and consistent framework (Simons, 2009; Cohen et al., 2018).

Based on this study, we can better understand how changes in assessment policy happen. We will better understand which factors influence the adoption of new policies and practices. Throughout the research process, this case in ECEC offers valuable insights to assessment research within the broader field of education.

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