Students' Perceptions of Literacy Assessment

Abstract

Students' perceptions of literacy assessment processes and practices were investigated in two year long case studies undertaken in two English classrooms in two state high schools in Queensland, Australia. A range of qualitative data techniques was used to collect information related to students' previous experiences of assessment in primary school, students' responses to the rst and last literacy assessment task of the school year, and their perceptions of assessment at the end of the year. The study showed that students' attitudes, beliefs, practices and understandings about assessment varied both within and across student groups and differences in students' accounts were evident both at the start and end of the school year. The ndings highlight the role that students play in actively constructing knowledge about literacy assessment through their prior and current experiences with assessment tasks, and in their interactions with each other.

Students’ conceptions of assessment: Links to outcomes

“…The attitudes towards assessment of 54 Australian students in their first year of high school became increasingly negative, not only because of the increased volume of assessment compared to primary school, but specifically because of the perceived subjectivity of teacher assessment decisions (Moni et al 2002). Urban African American and Latino high school seniors also perceived the high-stakes university entrance tests as an unfair obstacle (partly because of its one-shot nature) to their life chances (Walpole et al 2005), though in contrast to the English 11-year-olds described above, the tests, rather than themselves, were held responsible for poor results.…”

Concepções de avaliação de alunos universitários: uma revisão da literatura

“…Nesse sentido, alguns trabalhos sobre o nível de ensino fundamental, em diferentes paí-ses, revelaram concepções variadas de avaliação (ATKINSON, 2003;REAY, WILIAM, 1999). Da mesma forma, nos ensinos e superior, concepções múltiplas e conflitantes de avaliação ficaram evidentes (CAMARGO, 1997;MONI, VAN KRAAYENOORD, BAKER, 2002).…”

“…A maioria percebe a avaliação de forma cada vez mais negativa à medida que vai avançando no sistema educacional . Por exemplo, Moni, Van Kraayenoord e Baker (2002) relataram que as atitudes com relação à avaliação de 54 estudantes australianos do primeiro ano do ensino mé-dio tornaram-se bem mais negativas, quando comparadas com o ensino fundamental, por dois motivos: o maior número de avaliações do ensino médio; e a percepção de uma subjetividade nas decisões de avaliação do professor. Já alunos do ensino superior perceberam a avaliação como arbitrária, irrelevante e inexata, sendo apenas um processo necessário para dar notas.…”

Modeling typical performance measures

“…Perhaps students prefer the system of assessment that they experience, regardless of the merits or deficiencies of that system (Blaikie, Schönau, & Steers, 2004). Nonetheless, there is some consensus that as students progress through schooling they become increasingly disaffected by assessment (Harlen, 2007;Moni, van Kraayenoord, & Baker, 2002). Brown and Hirschfeld (2007) reported that a small sample of New Zealand high school students had a moderate level of agreement that assessment could be enjoyable and improve the social climate of the class.…”

“…Furthermore, many students, especially lower-performing ones, disregard or ignore assessment results. A small group of Australian high school students were negative towards assessment because of the volume of assessment and because they perceived teacher's decisions as subjective (Moni, van Kraayenoord, & Baker, 2002). A group of urban African American and Latino high school seniors perceived the high-stakes university entrance tests they were about to undertake as unfair because of their impact upon student life chances (Walpole, McDonough, Bauer, Gibson, Kanyi, & Toliver, 2005).…”