Student teachers’ discourse on assessment: form and substance

Abstract

Participant-observation in two classes at a large initial teacher education institution in New Zealand found that undergraduate students spent a considerable amount of time discussing matters related to their assignments and the assessment of their work. Two quite distinct types of engagement, specific to each class, were noted. In one class, the assessment discourse dealt almost exclusively with the surface features of students’ work, while in the other class, it focused on the more substantive features. Analysis of the context in which this engagement took place indicated that the relationship between assessment and the teaching-learning programme influenced students’ interpretations of the role and function of assessment. In the class where assessment was separate from and lacked alignment with the regular teaching-learning programme, assessment functioned as a de-facto curriculum, with students spending an inordinate amount of time seeking clues from their lecturer about ‘what counted’ in relation to this curriculum. In the class where assessment was embedded in and closely aligned with the teaching-learning programme, assessment functioned not only as an evaluative tool, but also as an effective teaching-learning tool.

Notes

1. F.L. (or T.L.) refers to the field note book, #1. to the number of the field note book, 48–49 to the page.