In this study, we examined the enactment of formative assessment by administrator-selected master teachers in large, urban, public school districts in three regions of the United States. Furthermore, this study also included an investigation of the perceptions and frequency of use for all teachers within the same districts to gather a snapshot of the state of use of formative assessment within those settings overall. Currently, the research base is limited regarding how effective teachers implement formative assessment strategies in their classrooms and how teachers in general perceive formative assessment. Thus, the purpose of this study was to gain a broader understanding of how teachers conceptualize and enact formative assessment strategies in their classrooms with the aim of providing guidance to teacher educators, professional development providers, and policy makers about gaps in teachers’ understanding of and use of formative assessment. Findings from classroom observations revealed that master teachers implemented some aspects of formative assessment effectively and other areas were used much less frequently and/or effectively. Teachers within the participating districts reported similar use frequencies. Implications for research and practice in the area of formative assessment are discussed.
The transition to fully or partially online instruction for K–12 students necessitated by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the current lack of understanding of practices that support K–12 student learning in online settings in emergency situations but also, more troublingly, in K–12 online teaching and learning more generally. A systematic review of literature regarding K–12 online teaching and learning in the United States was therefore conducted to begin to fill this gap and to inform the work of policy makers, researchers, teacher educators, teachers, and administrators as they negotiate the changing role of online instruction in our nation’s educational systems. The review revealed a set of contextual conditions that are foundational to student learning in K–12 online settings (prepared educators, technology access and autonomy, students’ developmental needs and abilities, and students’ self-regulated learning skills). The literature also pointed to seven pillars of instructional practice that support student learning in these settings (evidence-based course organization and design, connected learners, accessibility, supportive learning environment, individualization, active learning, and real-time assessment).
Practical guidance for navigating issues associated with combining mixed methods and case study research approaches is in short supply, particularly for novice researchers who may grapple with numerous decision points in planning and conducting such studies. This methodological discussion examines the decision-making process used in a qualitatively driven mixed methods dissertation study with a focus on how mixed methods and case study research approaches can be applied together to enhance case descriptions and interpretations. This discussion contributes to the field of mixed methods research methodology by expanding conversations about the inherent messiness of mixed methods research and by providing practical guidance to researchers interested in applying a mixed methods case study approach.
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