Whilst many definitions of formative assessment have been offered, there is no clear rationale to define and delimit it within broader theories of pedagogy. This paper aims to offer such a rationale, within a framework which can also unify the diverse set of practices which have been described as formative. The analysis is used to relate formative assessment both to other pedagogic initiatives, notably cognitive acceleration and dynamic assessment, and to some of the existing literature on models of self-regulated learning and on classroom discourse. This framework should indicate potentially fruitful lines for further enquiry, whilst at the same time opening up new ways of helping teachers to implement formative practices more effectively.
Last. Marnie Thompson(IOE: Institute of Education)H-Index: 3
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Improving education is a priority for all countries. Increasing the level of educational achievement brings benefits to the individual, such as higher lifetime earnings, and to society as a whole, both in terms of increased economic growth and lower social costs such as health care and criminal justice costs (Gritz & MaCurdy, 1992; Hanushek, 2004; Levin, 1972; Tyler, Murnane, & Willett, 2000). Indeed, the total return on investments in education can be well over 10 for every invested (Schwei...
@text:This volume stems from the 2003 Educational Testing Service Invitational Conference that convened leading scholars and practitioners from education, psychology, economics, statistics and public policy to discuss the important topic of measurement and accountability. The chapters cover all significant aspects of the current accountability scene, with careful but not exclusive attention to the No Child Left Behind act. Written by nationally recognized scholars with a mandate to write in a no...
Learning how to learn is an essential preparation for lifelong learning. Whilst this is widely acknowledged by teachers, they have lacked a rich professional knowledge base from which they can teach their pupils how to learn. This book makes a major contribution to the creation of such a professional knowledge base for teachers by building on previous work associated with ‘formative assessment’ or ‘assessment for learning’ which has a strong evidence base, and is now being promoted nationally an...
This theoretical review of Winne and Hadwin’s model of self-regulated learning (SRL) seeks to highlight how the model sheds new light on current research as well as suggests interesting new directions for future work. The authors assert that the model’s more complex cognitive architecture, inclusion of monitoring and control within each phase of learning, and separation of task definition and goal setting into separate phases are all important contributions to the SRL literature. New research di...
Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement, but this impact can be either positive or negative. Its power is frequently mentioned in articles about learning and teaching, but surprisingly few recent studies have systematically investigated its meaning. This article provides a conceptual analysis of feedback and reviews the evidence related to its impact on learning and achievement. This evidence shows that although feedback is among the major influences, the type...
Abstract This multiple-case study investigated the experience of three preservice teachers who attempted formative assessment (FA) strategies in their English as a second language writing class during their teaching practicum in a secondary school in Hong Kong. Based on data from 17 lesson observations and 24 interviews, the study examined the three teachers’ implementation of FA strategies during cycles of pre-, while- and post-writing stages. Also analyzed are the teachers’ reflections on and ...
This study examined the impact of a teacher and school leader professional learning intervention on student writing achievement in Australian state primary schools. The six-month intervention was underpinned by a new student-centred feedback model. The study analysed student writing assessment data from 1060 Year 4 students across 13 intervention and 9 comparison schools. Results from multilevel analyses showed substantially larger achievement gains in the intervention group compared to the comp...
Vocational education and training (VET) teachers have a dual profession as teachers and vocational workers. Professional development projects in school must apply to both sides of their profession. However, VET teachers’ need for professional development, particularly in terms of student assessment, has not been significantly explored. This ethnographic case study examines what aspects of professional development projects VET teachers perceive as meaningful for developing their assessment litera...
This study measures student learning with a computer-automated tool by categorizing ideas in student writing about cellular respiration after an interactive computer-based tutorial. Students from m...