Pedagogical beliefs, practices and assessment in pre-primary education: alignments and disconnects in Ethiopian preschools

This convergent mixed-methods study examines preschool practitioners' pedagogical and assessment beliefs and their implementation in pre-primary educational settings in Ethiopia. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires administered to 35 teachers and 35 leaders and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Concurrently, qualitative data from classroom observations were analyzed thematically. Findings indicate that practitioners generally hold positive beliefs regarding fundamental pedagogical principles. However, the convergence of quantitative and qualitative data reveals a notable disconnect between these beliefs and actual classroom practices, highlighting substantial challenges in implementing developmentally appropriate pedagogical and assessment approaches. Despite these practical limitations, independent samples t-tests showed no statistically significant differences in the overall perceptions of teachers and leaders. The study concludes that both systemic and contextual factors hinder the translation of beliefs into practice. To bridge this belief-practice gap, the study recommends targeted professional development, improved resource allocation, reform of pre-service curriculum, and the effective implementation of policies.