ABSTRACT
When it comes to measurement and evaluation, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Measurement may have a purpose that goes beyond data gathering and has applications that benefit a population. The benefits and pitfalls of measurement, particularly as it applies to children, are considered in this chapter. Firstly, adult coping constructs are introduced as it is considered important that adults, be they teachers or parents, be familiar with coping language and consider their own coping prior to working with children in their charge. However, a growing body of research suggests that coping in young children does not align with the common adult taxonomies of problem-focused versus emotion-focused coping or active versus passive coping. This chapter will outline a body of research which has identified age-appropriate use of children’s coping language and the development and validation of the Children’s Coping Scale – Revised (CCS-R) to measure the coping construct in pre-school populations. Practical implications from the CCS-R study’s findings are discussed for educators and parents to consider as tools to inform practice.
