Enacting Assessment for Learning: the beliefs practice nexus

Abstract

Engagement in self and peer assessment are authentic ways in which students can develop evaluative and productive knowledge and expertise, necessary prerequisites if they are to become autonomous learners. Teachers in the current study who had articulated similar beliefs in regard to the importance of developing student autonomy and who had described similar practices to develop self-monitoring behaviour were observed teaching a written language unit. However, the ways these practices ‘played out’ in the classroom was a matter of considerable variation in regard to the nature of the judgements made, the degree of student involvement in evaluative and productive activities, and the amount of control maintained by the teacher. Two particular cases are used to draw attention to teachers’ espoused beliefs and their congruence with practice. Given the powerful role that beliefs play in the enactment of specific assessment for learning practices, recommendations for teacher professional development are made.

Keywords:

• assessment for learning
• peer assessment
• teacher beliefs

Notes

1. Observational data.

2. Post-observation interview.