Understanding classroom assessment in dilemmatic spaces: case studies of Singaporean music teachers' conceptions of classroom assessment

Abstract

With the articulation of new 'Holistic and Balanced Assessment' initiatives in Singaporean schools, a new standard of conceptualising and enacting classroom assessment is expected of Singaporean teachers. This paper draws on findings from a study of the diversity of classroom assessment 'concourse', representing the variations in conceptions among the case studies of Singaporean primary-and secondary-school Music teachers, higher-education Music teachers and policymakers. As such, the emphasis is on unravelling the multiplicity of significant relationships of conceptions within the specific context of Music teachers' classroom decision-making environments. The different conceptions from the Q-factor analysis, in particular, have revealed underlying bases of common and different views of classroom assessment. This suggests that classroom assessment, like many aspects of classroom teaching and learning, is not a stable entity. Rather, it is highly variable, contested and irreducibly situated in a specific context. The imagination, conviction and commitment of Music teachers, can inspire the wider education fraternities to consider how assessment can be compatible and complementary to the creativities of learning and teaching in the classroom.

Novice supervisors’ practices and dilemmatic space in supervision of student research projects

“…Against the background of supervisors' goals and their perceptions of the context, teacher dilemmas can emerge which may influence pedagogical approaches (Jonasson, Mäkitalo, and Nielsen 2015;Leong 2014). Supervisors might, for instance, experience a dilemma between providing the student with answers and fostering student ownership in research projects.…”

“…Particular student behaviour could trigger 'spitting out' answers, while that approach might hamper students' independent and reflective thinking (WichmannHansen, Thomsen, and Nordentoft 2015). In teaching, and higher education specifically, teacher dilemmas have been studied within the concept of dilemmatic spaces which are 'social constructions resulting from structural conditions and relational aspects in everyday practices ' (Fransson and Grannäs 2013;Leong 2014). According to this view ever present dilemmas are inherent to teaching and specific teaching situations will bring certain considerations more to the fore while leaving others to the background (Fransson and Grannäs 2013;Leong 2014).…”

“…According to this view ever present dilemmas are inherent to teaching and specific teaching situations will bring certain considerations more to the fore while leaving others to the background (Fransson and Grannäs 2013;Leong 2014). Every teacher's dilemmas will be evoked, for example, when a policy change requires teachers to change assessment practices after years of doing assessments in a certain way (Leong 2014) or when teachers have to balance the classroom space between the shy and talkative students (Frelin 2010 in Fransson andGrannäs 2013). Practical reasoning in these situations is deeply rooted in the human desire 'to do the right thing in the right place at the right time in the right way' (MacIntyre 2007).…”

“…In teaching, and higher education specifically, teacher dilemmas have been studied within the concept of dilemmatic spaces which are 'social constructions resulting from structural conditions and relational aspects in everyday practices ' (Fransson and Grannäs 2013;Leong 2014). According to this view ever present dilemmas are inherent to teaching and specific teaching situations will bring certain considerations more to the fore while leaving others to the background (Fransson and Grannäs 2013;Leong 2014). Every teacher's dilemmas will be evoked, for example, when a policy change requires teachers to change assessment practices after years of doing assessments in a certain way (Leong 2014) or when teachers have to balance the classroom space between the shy and talkative students (Frelin 2010 in Fransson andGrannäs 2013).…”

Strategic approaches to learning sight-singing at college level: An investigation using Q Methodology

“…It has been used to understand the opinions, attitudes, beliefs, and values of individuals in various research areas, such as political science (Brown, 1980), the social sciences (McKeown & Thomas, 2013), health science education (Berkhout et al, 2017), and higher education (Bradley & Miller, 2010). Q method has also been used in music education research to study various topics, such as attitudes to philosophies of music education (Hanley, 1987), criteria used by adolescents in the evaluation of their musical compositions (Seddon & O’Neill, 2004), motivation profiles of career-aged adult keyboard students (Swenson, 2006), teachers’ attitudes about students’ individual differences (Hewitt, 2006), student musicians’ self and task theories of musical performance (Hewitt, 2009), strategy approaches used in jazz improvisation (Rutherford, 2014), conceptions of classroom assessments (Leong, 2014), and the value of wind band music education (Frazier, 2018).…”