Glossary
Chapter 2 Scanning the Literature on Assessment
2.4 Traditional Summative Assessment Practices and Criticisms Levelled Against These: Making a case for a shift in thinking with regard to assessment
2.6.1 Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment: Holding onto existing beliefs
28
assessment, are detailed. The intention is to provide the reader with an informed
understanding of the issues and challenges that permeate the domain of assessment and the implications of these for educational research and teaching practice.
29
practices in line with policy objectives is largely related to their long-standing and deeply entrenched ideas of the objectives of assessment, as well as their understanding of what the process of assessment entails (Torrance, 1995; Radnor, 1996; Proudford, 1998). The study of Vandeyar and Killen (2007) and those of Torrance (1995), Radnor (1996) and Proudford (1998) suggest that adopting a stance that new policy initiatives will in itself, result in change in educators‟ conceptions of learning and assessment is far too simplistic and therefore problematic.
To exacerbate matters, while there is strong supporting evidence that teachers may hold a predominant view of assessment (Stamp, 1987; Warren & Nisbet, 1999) there is also evidence (Brown 2003) that teachers can hold numerous interacting conceptions of assessment. For example, a teacher could believe that the sole purpose of assessment is to improve learning but still view assessment as an important means of providing evidence for certain measures of school accountability, alluding to the complexities associated with conceptions of assessment and their relation to assessment practices (Vandeyar & Killen, 2007). In addition, if we accept Hills‟ (2002) assertion that teachers need to be confident about assessment so as to enable them to “make informed decisions about their practice”, the potential for achieving this desired state of confidence becomes problematic if teachers hold multiple and conflicting views on assessment (Vandeyar & Killen, 2007). Furthermore, if teachers are deficient in their knowledge and skills to translate their conceptions of assessment into practice, there may be a dire need to provide teachers with a considerable degree of assistance in addressing such issues and challenges (Vandeyar & Killen, 2007). To this end, McKellar (2002) proposes that teachers examine the implicit assumptions and practices about assessment to which they subscribe or those already embedded within themselves, and in this way enhance their potential to reflect critically on what they do and consequently make the necessary changes to their practices. By implication, adopting the stance of McKellar (2002) could prove invaluable in attempting to break away from existing beliefs, practices and experiences with regard to challenging and adjusting traditional
assessment practices to actively promote student learning.
The discussion above creates a sense that teachers are not conceptualising assessment in ways consistent with the current modes of thinking or, for that matter, with those stipulated in policy. Consequently, exploring why this may be the case becomes a burning issue that necessitates further exploration. In addition, issues surrounding the ineffectiveness of professional development initiatives pertaining to assessment have resulted in the
30
employment of undesirable teacher practices, further complicating matters, as the ensuing sub-section suggests.
2.6.2 (In)ability of Professional Development Initiatives to achieve intended outcomes Black and William (1998) add that there is no quick fix that can be added to the existing practice with the assurance of rapid reward. Rather, it is imperative that each teacher find his or her own way of incorporating the lessons and ideas advocated by formative assessment into their classroom realities.
Such a process is relatively slow and can only be achieved through continuous programmes of professional development and support. Various studies have emphasised the significance of helping to develop teachers through professional support in their efforts to apply formative assessment principles in their teaching practices (Black, 1993; Dwyer, 1998; Harlen & James, 1997). However, research suggests that few teachers are prepared to broach the area of
classroom assessment because they have been given little or no opportunities to learn how to use assessment as a teaching and learning tool (Stiggins, 2005). In fact, a significant finding of the research of Bourke, Poskitt and McAlpine (1996) revealed that many experienced teachers have had little pre-service and in-service training in assessment philosophy and practice - despite having the crucial responsibility for implementing change within their school.
Dixon and Williams (2001), in their study investigating teachers‟ understandings of formative assessment, found that while teachers felt that assessment was integral to enhancing
scholastic learning, they admitted that staff development related to assessment had very little if anything to do with equipping teachers with strategies to assist them in improving learner performance. The same study revealed that teachers tended to believe that the focus on staff development initiatives was more on determining what to assess rather than how to assess and use information extrapolated from formative assessments (Dixon & Williams, 2001).
Furthermore, while there was a fair amount of attention given to assessment on a school-wide basis, the focus of this attention was still predominantly on the summative aspects of
assessment and very little, if any, attention was given to formative aspects of assessment (Dixon & Williams, 2001).
Moreover, when requested to describe their formative assessment practice, apparent gaps and areas of confusion in teachers‟ articulated understanding of assessment existed (Dixon &
31
Williams (2001).Such a situation has various implications for the application of formative assessment principles in the classroom context, as the quality and effectiveness of staff development initiatives become questionable. To this end, Black (2000) believes that teacher development programmes that are compatible with teachers‟ capacity to assume ownership of change, and that concurrently help teachers rebuild their theories in a form that supports and allows for coherence in practice, will be effective in assisting teachers in translating theory into practice. However, translating theory into practice has proved problematic, as the discussion that follows suggests.
2.6.3 Incompatibility between Intended Purpose of Assessment and Actual Assessment