The objective of this study was to determine the predictive efficacy of teacher assessments of behavioral and academic traits thought highly associated with reading difficulty, and to single out from teacher assessments those most effective for prediction.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:48:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Solange de Lourdes Frasca Camargo.pdf: 678653 bytes, checksum: bc3f4d7b1d7f6eaa6d85145ce3242bdb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-02 / This study aimed at elaborating a proposal for a reference matrix that assists the organization and the development of a teacher evaluation process in one private institution of primary education in São Paulo. In order to achieve this goal, the study started with theoretical frameworks both of the field of educational assessment and of specific aspects of teaching. The reference matrix presents relations between variables of distinct characteristics but specifically associated with the teacher development. It is structured in axes, dimensions and descriptors. The axes and dimensions refer to the teacher s identity formation, their training and practice, which are called ontological, epistemological and praxeological respectively. The descriptors in line with each axis/dimensions sought to synthetize elements considered central in teaching and that must be prioritized at the moment of the construction of assessment tools to be developed. Finally, evaluation instruments that can be used for teacher evaluation through the references offered by the proposed matrix are presented / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo a elaboração de uma proposta de matriz de referência que subsidie a organização e o desenvolvimento de um processo de avaliação docente em uma instituição de educação básica privada de São Paulo. Para tal, partiu-se tanto de referências teóricos do campo da avaliação educacional como daqueles referentes aos aspectos específicos da docência. A matriz de referência apresenta relações entre variáveis de naturezas distintas, mas associadas especificamente ao que tange o desenvolvimento do professor. Ela está estruturada em eixos, dimensões e descritores. Os eixos e dimensões se referem à constituição da identidade docente, à sua formação e prática, sendo denominados de ontológico, epistemológico e praxiológico respectivamente. Os descritores, em consonância com cada um dos eixos/dimensões, procuraram sintetizar elementos considerados centrais da docência e que devem ser priorizados no momento da construção dos instrumentos de avaliação a ser desenvolvidos. Por fim, são apresentados instrumentos avaliativos que podem ser utilizados para a avaliação docente partindo dos referenciais que a matriz propõe

This study describes the reading ability of 26 middle school students, and the ways in which their reading development is supported in two different classrooms. In order to scrutinize results of students at different reading levels, three focus students were selected.This thesis has four aims. One is to use tests to examine the students’ reading ability as regards their decoding skills and reading comprehension as well as to study other cognitive skills related to reading ability. Another is to describe the students’ reading ability and attitudes towards reading from their own as well as their teachers’ perspectives. A third aim is to analyze how the results of different parts of the study are related to one another. The fourth and final aim is to analyze the classroom activities with a special focus on how reading ability is supported.The study combines quantitative analyses of the students’ reading ability with qualitative analyses of classroom activities. The quantitative sections of the study include various reading tests as well as the teachers’ assessment of the students’ reading development and their answers to selected questions in a student questionnaire concerning their view on reading.The results reveal that several of these students haven´t automated their decoding ability in Grade 4, but that nevertheless most of the students attain their grade level in a reading comprehension test in Grade 4 as well as the goals of a national reading test in Grade 5. However, most of the questions in these two tests require answers that can be explicitly found in the text and do not require any deeper reading comprehension such as inference making for instance. The results also show that these students are unable to assess whether reading is easy for them, but can assess their own reading ability if the purpose is to compare their reading skills with their classmates. The classroom observations indicate that despite quite extensive text work in the classrooms, students who need to develop their decoding abilities receive little support, and that although classroom work focusing on text comprehension is quite frequent, this does not often include deeper levels such as inference making.

The present study primarily aims to explore the English language (EL) teachers’ current practices and their experiences of teacher evaluation, and how these are related to the introduction of peer observation of teaching (POT) in the Malaysian university system. Then, it aims to explore the possibilities and challenges faced by Malaysian universities in introducing peer observation. The participants of the study were determined by 2 stages of the research design. In Stage 1, from 10 different universities around Malaysia, 72 teachers completed the online questionnaire and eight semi-structured interview were conducted. In Stage 2, at the university where the study was conducted, 24 participants completed the after-workshop questionnaire and ten observations as well as eight semi-structured interview were carried out. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS descriptive statistics while qualitative data were transcribed and then analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings on teacher evaluation revealed that there was teacher evaluation in place at every university involved in the survey. However, there seemed to be some major shortcomings that need to be addressed. Shortcomings such as teachers were not reminded of the real purposes of each evaluation undertaken, some evaluations were wasted because they were not studied, and teachers were not given ownership in setting out the suitable methods for evaluation. The findings on peer observation revealed that teachers had different understanding about it. Through the intervention study, it was discovered that the tone of the discussion between teachers were sometimes calm and celebrating, whilst some were critical and judgemental. The findings also showed that introduction of peer observation may be possible at the university under study provided the purposes were for developmental. However, teachers still had the feeling of nervousness and being judgemental about the whole process because of the common top-down approach. The findings from the study have provided several implications for the improvement of the existing EL teacher evaluation in particular, as well as evaluation of teachers of other subjects in general. In addition, the findings have also provided several implications for the introduction of peer observation especially to the university managements and the teachers in particular. The current study also contributes to knowledge by proposing: i) a model for teacher evaluation, and ii) one plan for the procedure of peer observation of teaching; which can be adjusted according to the suitability of any given context.

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The present theoretical-empirical thesis deals with the comparison of three types of interpreting performance assessment: teacher assessment, evaluation by other students in the group (peer assessment) and self-assessment of the student interpreter. The theoretical part is a review of existing literature on general approaches to the different types of assessment, their importance in the acquisition of interpreting skills, recommended methods of interpreting performance assessment and their use in the training of consecutive interpreting. The empirical part of the thesis is a qualitative longitudinal study, involving students of the third and therefore the final year of the bachelor's degree programme in translation- interpreting (intercultural communication). The aim of the thesis is to identify the similarities and differences between different types of assessment and how the assessment developed over the period of the research. The study also examines how the self-assessment and peer evaluation of students studying interpreting only in the English-Czech combination differ from those of students who study interpreting of English in combination with another foreign language, and thus attend twice the number of practical interpretation seminars. KEY WORDS teacher assessment, peer assessment,...

The issue of teacher accountability has been a part of the educational conversation for three decades, but only recently has this conversation been translated into policy as states begin directly tying teacher evaluation scores in part to student achievement on standardized tests. This qualitative study focuses on a group of teachers who are participating in this new form of evaluation (containing both qualitative and quantitative elements including test scores and lesson observations) and examines how they perceived the process. In particular, the study looks at how their personal reactions to a high-stakes evaluation impacted their instructional decision making in their literacy classrooms. Findings demonstrate that teachers had varying levels of change in instructional practice and that these changes were impacted by a variety of factors including personal beliefs and contextual issues. Additionally, findings demonstrated that participants found the qualitative portion of the model to be highly subjective which was considered especially problematic because of the high stakes nature of the evaluation.

Over the past decades, there has been a growing consensus among researchers and teacher educators that more support and training should be provided for pre-service and in-service teachers in order to help them acquire basic assessment knowledge and competence. Using a quasi-experimental research design, this dissertation study examined the effectiveness of a backward-designed assessment training course for improving the assessment literacy levels of pre-service primary teachers who were participating in college-level teacher preparation programs in Shanghai. Two extant naturally formed classes, within which the eighty pre-service primary teachers from a private pre-service teacher education institution XT in Shanghai fit the participants recruiting criterion, were used to serve as the treatment and control groups. Framed by the design approach of Understanding by Design (UbD) developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005), an assessment training program was developed and provided for those in the treatment group during a 12-week period of time; in contrast, those in the control group were not provided with any assessment-related courses. For all the participants, their levels of assessment literacy were measured twice, before and after the intervention, by using the Chinese version of the Assessment Literacy Inventory (Mertler & Campbell, 2005) which I modified further to better meet the context of this study. Results of the study suggest that: 1) among the courses (excluding the intervention itself) provided for the pre-service primary teachers involved in this study, limited efforts had been made to prepare the pre-service teachers for their future assessing tasks; 2) due to the inadequacy of assessment training, most of the Chinese pre-service teachers being tested were not initially literate enough in their assessment knowledge or practice; and 3) whether or not one participates in the assessment training course is a statistically significant predictor of pre-service teachers' assessment literacy, with their previous assessment literacy controlled. In other words, with the embedded theoretical framework of UbD, the designed assessment literacy training course appears to have had a large positive impact on improving pre-service teachers’ assessment competency ( F (1, 77) = 135.91, p 2 partial = .638).

The purposes of this research were to: (a) assess community college students' perceptions of the student evaluation practice; (b) assess community college faculty members' responses to student evaluations of teachers and the extent to which instructional modifications resulted from student ratings; and (c) assess community college administrators' responses to student evaluations of teachers, the extent student ratings influenced administrators' evaluations of faculty, and how the results from student ratings were used to promote instructional effectiveness. A total of 358 students, faculty, and administrators from 5 Florida community colleges contributed their opinions on the value of the practice of student evaluation of teaching. Data were collected using mixed methodology. The survey and interview sessions were conducted on location at the respective community colleges. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression procedures, one-way analysis of variance, t-test, and phenomenological analysis were used to analyze the data. Quantitative results indicated that these 320 community college students believed that student ratings had value, and, thus their role as instructor evaluator was important. Furthermore, the students believed student evaluations were important to faculty and administrators. However, most students were either unaware or did not believe that student evaluations had any effect. Phenomenological analysis of the extensive descriptions provided by 21 faculty participants suggested that the numeric data provided by student evaluations was generally an ineffective method to impact instruction. Faculty described their frustration with inadequately designed instruments, ineffective methods of receiving ratings results, and limited or non-existent feedback from supervisors. Phenomenological analysis of the 17 administrators' transcriptions suggested that although the student ratings practice was vital to institutional integrity the results from student evaluations were marginally valuable in their impact on enhancing instruction and of limited value in faculty evaluation. Implications for student evaluation practices drawn from this study included the need for institutions to: (a) assess the value of their student evaluation practice and its impact on teaching effectiveness; (b) define and clearly articulate a statement of purpose for conducting student evaluations; (c) refine procedures for administering the student evaluation practice; (d) examine their student evaluation practices and instrument on a regular review cycle; (e) adopt alternative methods for collecting and disseminating student feedback; (f) implement student evaluation measures that reflect the varied teaching approaches and diverse learning environments.

The research described here was inspired by a national review which concluded that too many children come into our primary schools with unmet speech and language needs (Bercow, 2008). Teachers are in a position to identify language difficulties but many have expressed uncertainty regarding their role in this process. I believed that the LAMP (Linguistic Assessment for Mapped Provision) screen for language and communication which I had developed would help teachers to identify language concerns and would also increase their professional confidence in this complex area. I had developed the LAMP screening instrument and piloted it over a 2 year period prior to this study. It is employed here as a universal screen that is used in a whole school approach in order to enable teachers to identify language need. The use of the LAMP as a universal screen applied to all the children in a school lessened the likelihood of preconceived notions impacting upon teacher’s perceptions of need in the classroom. The LAMP data allowed schools to track the progress of individual children within a class and whole school context. Teachers need to be aware of any pre-conceptions they may have in relation to the performance of children from different socio economic circumstances. The hypothesis that poverty continues to provide the weightiest detrimental effects upon children’s language development was examined and within the parameters of this study was found to be contestable. Study design: A systematic survey was conducted over 4 Primary schools using the LAMP. Rich picture data was accessed from teacher questionnaires and focus groups involving participants from the schools in the study. The repeated measures design provided information on what teachers had learned in the period of reflection between the screenings. The use of a mixed methods repeated measures design helped me to understand what was difficult for teachers and what the teachers felt would help them. The 4 schools in the study were chosen to reflect varied social contexts in order to explore any impacts of SES on the results. Analysis of data: In a repeated measures design, a LAMP screen was completed for every child across the 4 schools by their teachers in February and then June in one school year. Results of screening were analysed and compared on a range of variables using SPSS. Questionnaires were used to collect teacher perceptions before and after using the LAMP screen. Focus groups were held in the schools at the end of the study to add more information on how helpful teachers felt the process had been in raising their awareness, confidence, and skills in the identification of SLCN. Findings: The main trend observed was a decrease in levels of teacher concern related to children’s speech and language needs from the first to second screening survey. Differences were found at a statistically significant level on a range of variables. The expected differences between high and low socio-economic status (SES) schools were not found. Teachers reported increases in their awareness, confidence, and skill in identifying children’s speech language and communication concerns by the end of the study. Some changes to classroom practice were reported. Conclusions: I propose that use of the LAMP screen increased teacher awareness of the nature of language difficulty and that this heightened awareness was a key variable in the observed changes to language concern scores. The LAMP screening process was seen by schools’ staff to have had a positive effect on teacher’s skills and to be relatively easily assimilated into the school system. However some participants identified a number of challenges relating to time constraints and maintaining the use of LAMP as high profile in the context of competing time demands in their schools. It is suggested that EP services would be in a position to support schools to implement and embed the LAMP screening model as part of their Service provision. It is also proposed that economic deprivation or disadvantage did not appear to be the only important factor to consider when making funding decisions intended to support children’s linguistic competency in schools.