Pre-service and in-service assessment training: impacts on elementary teachers’ self-efficacy, attitudes, and data-driven decision making practice

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to examine the outcomes of assessment training for elementary teachers. Only 56% of the surveyed teachers (n = 283) had assessment training in their university courses, compared to 84% that received in-service training. The quantitative results indicate that frequency of assessment training is positively related to assessment self-efficacy, attitudes about assessment, and data-driven decision making practices. Within the qualitative data, teachers (n = 9) explained the conflicts within assessment training: idealism v. realism; pressure v. support; and technical competence v. transferrable understandings. This study demonstrates the importance of assessment training while providing several recommendations for enhancing the efficacy.

KEYWORDS:

• Assessment courses
• assessment professional development
• assessment self-efficacy
• assessment attitudes
• data-driven decision making
• elementary teachers

Acknowledgments

Funding Details: This work was supported by the Ball State University Hollis Fund and the Ball State University Department of Educational Psychology Graduate Student Research Fund.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, NS. The data are not publicly available due their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Ball State University .

Notes on contributors

Natalie Schelling

Natalie Schelling is an assistant professor of educational psychology at Indiana University Kokomo, where she teaches courses in classroom assessment and educational psychology. Her research investigates factors that influence teachers’ assessment practice and data-driven decision making. She is a 2020 recipient of the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award.

Lisa DaVia Rubenstein

Lisa DaVia Rubenstein, PhD. is a Professor of Educational Psychology at Ball State University (BSU) with experience as a p-12 classroom teacher and gifted programme coordinator. She currently serves as the PhD programme director and teaches courses within educational psychology. She served as key personnel on several federal grants, supporting the development of award-winning curriculum, provision of professional learning sessions, and programme evaluations. Most recently, she is a PI for a $2.6 million Javits project that is designing a performing arts curriculum for gifted students with additional exceptionalities. Collectively, she has published over 40 peer-reviewed publications, given more than 60 international and national conference presentations, and won the NAGC Early Career Scholar Award.