Conceptions of assessment: trainee teachers' practice and values

Abstract

This study examines the values and practice in relation to assessment of a sample of 220 trainee teachers studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, an initial teacher training and education (ITET) course, at the University of Cambridge, UK. The survey instrument was drawn from James and Pedder (2006), and was composed of questionnaire items that sought to elicit how trainees valued different classroom assessment practices, and the extent to which their own teaching complied with such values. The study draws additionally on the findings of James and Pedder (2006) to compare and contrast results with those for qualified teachers. Item and factor analyses revealed three dimensions that underpin trainees' classroom practice and values (promoting learning autonomy, performance orientation, making learning explicit). Values‐practice gaps were greatest on promoting learning autonomy and performance orientation. Trainees valued practices associated with the former more than they implemented them in their teaching, while they implemented practices associated with the latter more than predicted by their values. Values‐practice gaps suggested that trainees were constrained from implementing their values to a greater extent than qualified teachers, particularly with respect to these two factors.

Assessment Capability and Student Self-regulation: The Challenge of Preparing Teachers

“…Even though there is strong evidence about the importance of classroom assessment, studies have reported that teacher candidate preparation has been less than adequate and that preservice assessment teaching (when it occurs) can also be diluted through teaching practice experiences and/or particular personal characteristics of the teacher candidates themselves (Campbell, 2013). Furthermore, when they begin teacher education, teacher candidates generally demonstrate negative emotions about assessment (Crossman, 2007;Smith et al, 2014) have conceptions of assessment that are from those of practicing teachers (Brown and Remesal, 2012;Chen and Brown, 2013) and while they might value the ideals of formative assessment they do not know how to implement it (Winterbottom et al, 2008).…”

“…Even though there is strong evidence about the importance of classroom assessment, studies have reported that teacher candidate preparation has been less than adequate and that preservice assessment teaching (when it occurs) can also be diluted through teaching practice experiences and/or particular personal characteristics of the teacher candidates themselves (Campbell, 2013). Furthermore, when they begin teacher education, teacher candidates generally demonstrate negative emotions about assessment (Crossman, 2007;Smith et al, 2014) have conceptions of assessment that are from those of practicing teachers (Brown and Remesal, 2012;Chen and Brown, 2013) and while they might value the ideals of formative assessment they do not know how to implement it (Winterbottom et al, 2008).Recently though, studies have begun to tackle how teacher candidates learn about, and to enact, formative assessment (for example, Buck et al, 2010;Eyers, 2014;Smith et al, 2014). In a review of this literature (Hill and Eyers, 2016) four main influences were found: the teacher candidate conceptions that underpin such learning (for example, Brown, 2011;Brown and Remesal, 2012); the relationship between preservice assessment teaching and teacher candidate learning (for example, Buck et al, 2010;Siegel and Wissehr, 2011;DeLuca et al, 2012); the practical use by teacher candidates of assessment in classrooms during preparation (Graham, 2005;DeLuca and Klinger, 2010;Nolen et al, 2011; and others); and other factors such as personal dimensions (Eyers, 2014;Jiang, 2015), layered contexts (Nolen et al, 2011;Jiang, 2015) and broader policy and societal issues (Smith et al, 2014).…”

Consonance and dissonance between Turkish prospective teachers’ values and practices: Conceptions about teaching, learning, and assessment

“…However, there is evidence that both prospective teachers' and teachers' conceptions about assessment can be identified in terms of their assessment-related values and practices (e.g., Winterbottom et al, 2008), signifying that the same may also be true for their conceptions about teaching/learning due to the interrelated nature of these conceptions (McNeill, 1996;Oliva, 1997).…”

Secondary student teachers' personal values and perceptions of Teaching as Inquiry

“…School and university mentors play an influential role in forming trusting communities of practice where student teachers can learn to be inquiring about their motives, decisions, actions and outcomes for pupils (Timperley, Kaser & Halbert, 2014). Professional learning may be enhanced further if mentors are inquiring themselves, since they are more likely to give student teachers the agency they need to seek evidence, adapt their practices and critically reflect on the outcomes (Winterbottom, et al, 2008). Britzman (2000) concluded that self-knowledge can be difficult to face.…”