Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education (YCCECE) hosted a research seminar titled “Development and early validation of an assessment tool for educators’ use of language-support strategies” on 13 March 2026. The seminar featured Professor Kathy Sylva, Honorary Research Fellow and Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Oxford, as the keynote speaker. She previously served on the inaugural Board of Governors of YCCECE.

Professor Sylva detailed the development of LangQuest-EY, a 29-item self-report tool created through a rigorous three-stage process: a rapid literature review on effective strategies to support language, a Delphi expert panel with educators and researchers, and a field trial involving 79 educators. The field trial confirmed the tool's reliability and revealed key insights: total LangQuest scores showed positive associations with educators’ years of experience and leadership roles, and a negative association with centre size.

She also outlined future directions for the tool, which include a larger-scale validity study and further development to support educator self-reflection and professional growth.

During the interactive Q&A session, Professor Sylva addressed practical questions on assessment tool refinement, cultural adaptation strategies (e.g., for Chinese contexts), and the interpretation of complex findings such as the correlation between scores and teachers’ qualifications.

The seminar provided YCCECE academics and students with valuable insights into instrument development, validation, and cross-cultural application, further enriching the College’s research environment in early childhood language education.