Assessment with Distinctly Defined Criteria: A Research Study of a National Project

Abstract

This article explores changes in teachers' beliefs and practice concerning assessment after participating in a project for improving assessment practices in Norwegian schools. The project was initiated by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training in 2008, and included a total of 77 schools, more than 600 teachers and a sample of their students. The main idea was to develop formative assessment practices in the classroom in the form of distinct criteria for clarification of how to reach curriculum goals. Furthermore, the project intended to increase students' motivation by using such formative assessment practices. The data presented in this article is from the research evaluation of the project. So far, the main challenge seems to be how to develop assessment criteria and how to use them in practice.

1. Response of the National Graduate School for Teacher Education, NAFOL, to the Call for a More Research Based Teacher Education in Norway

“…For instance, how the teachers critiqued, negotiated, and developed criteria for the use of sources and how they tested different forms of giving feedback come across as a cyclical encounter with intervention from experts and contributions from peers. This recurring theme reflects the skepticism towards the increasing amount of national and local criteria that may lead to instrumental learning where teachers check off criteria rubrics instead of engaging in true learning processes (Hopfenbeck, Throndsen, Lie & Dale, 2012). On the other hand, many teachers call for criteria because they would then need to spend less time developing tools of feed-back and assessment themselves, a concern which is traced in Martins' statement (33): "We are not going to do it regularly -it is terribly time-consuming."…”

Significance and Challenges of Formative Ipsative Assessment in Inquiry Learning: A Case Study of Writing Activities in a “Contemporary Society” Course in a Japanese High School

“…However, some things need to be considered for interventions. While various programs have been conducted that develop formative assessment knowledge and skills (Andersson & Palm, 2017; Fischman & Wasserman, 2017; Hopfenbeck et al, 2012), these have been found to have contextual compatibility and sustainability problems (Black & Wiliam, 2018; DeLuca et al, 2012; Yan et al, 2021). Researchers and school supporters must support teachers struggling against authoritative political and social structure discourses in a bottom-up manner to enable them to imbibe learning that allows them to develop formative assessment concepts on the basis of their culturally optimal ways of thinking and doing.…”

Balancing Trust and Accountability? The Assessment for Learning Programme in Norway

“…The initiative is a continuation of an earlier two-year programme project, Bedre Vurderingspraksis ("Improved Assessment Practices"), which included 77 schools between 2007 and 2009. The overall goal of this project was to improve formative assessment practices in the classroom by developing distinct criteria to clarify how to reach curriculum goals (Hopfenbeck et al, 2012). Based on experiences from this project, the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training recommended further systematic investment in assessment in Norway.…”