The aim of this study is to investigate how mathematics teachers use formative assessment to make the course objectives clear to the student. This is part of a wider aim in Sweden to find ways for improving mathematics teaching. Qualitative semi-structrured interviews and observations were used for collecting data. Different approaches to integrate formative assessment in their classrooms is discussed: questioning, discussions in whole-class, group work and assessment and feedback. The analysis of the results indicated that the teachers thought differently about how to integrate the course objectives in their planning. Two out of three teachers did not consciously base their planning on these which could be due to a lack of time to discuss the curriculum amongst the teachers. Conditions that make implementation of these approaches more or less easy include the teacher’s view of formative assessment, the school-based support and the impact of high-stake tests such as national tests.

This dissertation thesis is focused on the theme of formative assessment on a secondary level of education. The aim of this thesis is to define formative assessment and to show how it is implemented to the teaching process of the Czech language and literature on a secondary level of education. The theoretical part presents a review based on major international and national sources. Formative assessment is defined as an evaluation which brings valuable information concerning the knowledge and skills of the given pupil during the process of education. The typology and function of formative assessment, questions linked to its successful implementation are elaborated together with this methods: goals, criteria, feedback, self-assessment and peer assessment. The aim of the empirical part is to define the real form of the implementation of formative assessment in six targeted Czech schools. This thesis also presents the attitude of students towards the implementation of this method. A qualitative research method was chosen and a multiple case study was used as a form of research strategy. The data collection consisted of observation, document analysis and interviews with teachers and pupils. The formative assessment methods were best implemented under the supervision of a skilled mentor. Contrary to...

There are a myriad of factors that influence the teaching and assessment of English as a foreign language in Israel. One such factor is the change in perception of how the mind collects and processes information. The transition from behaviorist theories of learning to constructivist and cognitivist theories has resulted in a new concept of learning that recognises the pivotal role of the learner in the learning process. Another instrumental factor is the creation of standards in education that are intended to raise the level of academic achievement and provide equitable educational opportunities for all learners. Both of these factors have impacted the study of English as a foreign language. Countries around the world have assumed monumental changes in the way they approach foreign language study. Following the examples of foreign countries Israel has recently implemented a standards-based curriculum that supports alternative assessment. Since this is a relatively new concept, the principles underlying standards and assessment are unfamiliar to many EFL teachers. Novice teachers, as well as experienced teachers, are experiencing difficulty incorporating standards and alternative assessment into their lessons. In the light of the above it was clear that a need existed to investigate how English foreign language teachers relate to assessment and to examine the extent to which they implement alternative assessment in their teaching. The aim of the study is to explore teachers' understanding of alternative assessment and find out how teachers incorporate alternative assessment in their EFL classes. Against this background, an empirical investigation was undertaken. It comprised a textual analysis of ten assessment packages and two focus group interviews. The research produced a wealth of descriptive data that illuminated the subject. The findings magnified the disparity between the theory behind alternative assessment and actual practice. It was apparent that the assessment activities which EFL teachers employed, were not in sync with the principles that were being promoted by the new curriculum for EFL teaching and assessment in Israeli schools. The study discusses the results of the investigation, suggests the implications and presents recommendations. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Didactics)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges affecting teachers’ classroom assessment practices and to explore how these challenges influence effective teaching and learning. The study was qualitative in nature and employed an instrumental case study approach. Semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analyses were used in the investigation. The study utilized the conceptual framework based on the model suggested by Hargreaves, Earl and Schmidt (2002). The model comprised four perspectives – technological, cultural, political and postmodern, with the intention of accounting for teachers’ assessment practices. Teachers from four different schools in North West Province were interviewed and observed. The data collected through the observations and interviews allowed me to map out the different challenges encountered by teachers in their classroom assessment practices. I also analysed documents that teachers used in conducting assessment. Document analysis was used to triangulate the information collected through observations and interviews. Textual data was analysed using content analysis. The teachers’ narratives varied according to their teaching experience and background within the diverse contexts of their particular school environments. Major challenges that emanated from this study were policy interpretation, overcrowding, support, parental involvement, moderation mechanisms (internal and external), assessment planning, implementation and communication as well as lack of resources. In order to address these challenges, teachers relied on cluster meetings, their colleagues and mostly their personal experiences. The study also revealed that teachers’ understanding and practices of classroom assessment are influenced by their social and educational context. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Denna studie har som syfte att beskriva en lärares tillvägagångssätt för att tydliggöra kunskapskraven i Lgr 11 som är relaterade till skriftlig språkfärdighet i spanska, samt att ta reda på elevernas uppfattningar om detta tillvägagångssätt. I den här studien används uttrycket att tydliggöra i en bred mening, vari ingår både lärarens verbalisering av kunskapskraven och alla aktiviteter som läraren sätter igång och som ska hjälpa eleverna att utveckla en förståelse för dessa. Undersökningen bygger på en fallstudie i vilken olika källor har använts: intervjuer med läraren och fyra elever, enkät, klassrumsobservationer, en matris och ett urval rättade uppgifter. Resultatet visar att läraren och hennes elever verbaliserar sina tolkningar av kunskapskraven på ett likadant sätt. För att tydliggöra kunskapskraven använder läraren flera olika tillvägagångssätt, främst utsagor om kvalitet och exempel på korrekta meningar. Som utsagor om kvalitet använder läraren de formuleringar som finns i kursplanen, samtidigt som hon förklarar med andra ord och tydliggör för eleverna vilka konkreta tecken på kvalitet dessa innebär i en text. Återkopplingen till eleverna är också ett tillfälle för att tydliggöra kunskapskraven. Som metod för att tydliggöra kunskapskraven efterlyser eleverna framförallt konkreta råd om hur en text kan bli bättre, samt att få exempel på bra och mindre bra texter. Både läraren och eleverna är tveksamma till vilken roll tydliggörande av kunskapskraven spelar i undervisningen. / This study aims to describe a teacher’s way to clarify knowledge requirements regarding written expression skills in Spanish. It also aims to find out how students perceive their teacher’s way to clarify those requirements. In this study the expression “to clarify” is used in a broad sense, in which is included not only the teacher’s verbalization of knowledge requirements, but also all the activities that the teacher starts in order to help the pupils understand them. This investigation is based on a case study in which data is gathered from the following sources: in-depth interviews with the teacher and four students, a survey, structured observations and documents (a scoring rubrics and a selection of assessed compositions). The results show that the teacher and her students verbalize their understanding of knowledge requirements in a similar way. The teacher uses different ways to clarify knowledge requirements, mainly through descriptive statements and examples of correct sentences. As descriptive statements she uses the same expressions that are used in the course plan while at the same time explaining them with other words and showing the students which specific characteristics those requirements imply when writing a text. Feedback to the students is also an opportunity to clarify knowledge requirements. As a method to clarify knowledge requirements students would like to get concrete advice about how a text could be better and exemplars of texts of varying quality. Both the teacher and the students have doubts about what role clarifying knowledge requirements may have for instruction.

Alors que les gouvernements cherchent à améliorer le rendement des systèmes scolaires qu’ils financent, l’intérêt des dirigeants porte sur les résultats des élèves mais aussi sur le rendement des professionnels de l’éducation, dont les directions d’école. Cette étude a pour but de contribuer au développement de la connaissance sur l’évaluation du rendement de ces dernières en répondant à la question : Comment les directions d’école perçoivent-elles la pratique réflexive dans leur processus d’évaluation? La recension des écrits montre que les directions qui ont le plus de succès jouent un rôle actif dans leur amélioration et que la pratique réflexive accroît la pertinence du perfectionnement professionnel et par conséquent le rendement de la direction. L’étude propose un cadre conceptuel qui tient compte du perfectionnement professionnel, de l’évaluation axée sur l’apprentissage et de la pratique réflexive. Cette recherche suit une méthodologie mixte afin de déceler les tendances et les perceptions quant aux pratiques à l’étude. D’abord, un questionnaire à choix de réponses a été administré sur Internet et les réponses de 65 directions d’écoles de langue française de l’Ontario ont été traitées de façon quantitative. Ensuite, des entrevues semi-structurées avec dix des répondants ont permis d’approfondir le sujet par une méthode qualitative en offrant l’occasion aux participants de partager leur vécu. Les résultats dévoilent que le perfectionnement professionnel occupe peu de place dans l’évaluation du rendement bien que les participants se servent d’objectifs de croissance professionnelle. La pratique réflexive est souvent déclenchée par un inconfort, par un succès ou par une occasion de perfectionnement ou est provoquée par des situations extérieures transposées à la situation de l’école du participant. Les échanges structurés et les discussions franches entre collègues et avec le superviseur favorisent la pratique réflexive. La rétroaction spécifique du superviseur donne des pistes d’amélioration appuyées d’un soutien. Les participants reconnaissent qu’ils jouent un rôle actif dans leur évaluation et recherchent un encadrement orienté vers l’amélioration. Les participants perçoivent que la pratique réflexive occupe une grande place dans leur processus d’évaluation, qu’ils soient encadrés par le superviseur dans un processus axé sur leur amélioration ou qu’ils s’auto-évaluent quand le processus est flou.

There has been an increasing amount of interest shown in vocational education and apprenticeships in the early twenty-first century by successive governments and other parties connected with occupational training. However, the English further education sector has been described as ‘chronically under-researched’ (James and Biesta, 2007: 7), particularly in regard to narrative accounts of college education and pedagogy (Richardson, 2007) and there has been very little empirical research on pathways into the plumbing profession. This study explored teachers’ and students’ perceptions and experiences of both full-time college courses and apprenticeships in plumbing in order to deepen understanding of these particular types of vocational preparation. It also endeavoured to investigate whether the two different routes into plumbing appeared fit for purpose. Within an interpretive framework, data were collected using two main research methods. Ethnographic snapshot observations were recorded during lessons in three further education colleges and at the workplaces of five plumbing students and formal 1:1 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 tutors and 14 students. The data were thematically analysed. From the many issues relating to the opportunities offered and the challenges posed by the different pathways into plumbing that this study identified, three key findings emerged. First, there was strong evidence of a dislocation between theory and practical learning, both within the college setting for full-time students and between the workplace and college settings for apprenticed learners. This had implications for both the quality of learning and the learners’ levels of motivation. Second, the study revealed the importance of supervised work experience that was centred on long-term acquisition of knowledge and relationship development for apprentices with support from their college tutors and co-workers. Finally, the findings showed the importance of authentic assessment. It was found that simulations in college could not adequately replicate the experience of doing the job in the real world. Given the inherent risks and problems regularly encountered in the plumbing profession, this signalled significant health and safety implications.

Research reviews have shown that the use of formative assessment in classroom practice can substantially improve student achievement. However, a strong research base about how to support teachers’ implementation of such formative classroom practice is lacking. In this thesis, I investigate the effects of a comprehensive professional development programme (PDP) in formative assessment on teachers’ classroom practice and students’ achievement in mathematics. In addition, I identify reasons for the changes made in the teachers’ formative classroom practice. Fourteen randomly selected year - 7 mathematics teachers participated in the PDP. The teachers’ formative classroom practice before and after attending the programme was analysed and described, and reasons for their change in practice were explored. The effect of the changes in formative classroom practice on students’ mathematics achievement was examined using pre- and post-tests administered to both the intervention group and a control group. A mixed methods approach with classroom observations, teacher interviews, questionnaires and student achievement tests in mathematics was used in the studies included in the thesis. The results show that the teachers used aspects of formative assessment in their classroom practice before the PDP, but that there was plenty of room for development towards a more effective formative assessment practice. Several possibilities for developing the practice were identified. After the PDP the teachers believed in the idea of formative assessment and were motivated to make changes towards a more formative classroom practice. The teachers included new formative assessment activities in their classroom practice, but in different ways and to different degrees. The characteristics of these changes were identified, and also the characteristics of the PDP that the teachers found to be influential for their development of the formative classroom practice. Results also show that the teachers’ motivational beliefs held after the PDP was an explanatory factor for their changes in practice. However, the formative assessment practice the teachers implemented did not have a significant effect on their students’ achievement compared to the control group. In addition, there was no correlation between the number of formative assessment activities implemented by the teachers and their students’ achievement gains. Reasons for these non-effects on student achievement, and for the teachers’ degree and type of implementation of formative assessment in the classroom practice, are discussed in the thesis.

The thesis named Consultation teacher - student - parent at primary school with focus to providing feedback deals with specific role of consultations in the process of education as a form of cooperation between family and school. The aim of this thesis is to closer describe consultations teacher - student - parent in the extensive context and point out their potential in particular from the point of view of the formative assessment. It is a special educational opportunity that facilitates students' personal development and improvement in the process of learning via providing feedback which comes simultaneously from three sides. The theoretical part deals with defining term consultation teacher - student - parent, describing their functions and development as a communication platform. Part of the text offers an inspiring application of this untraditional appointment in Sweden. Attention is also focused to implementing students'sources that work as essential support for work with the formative feedback. The second, empirical part deals with reconstruction of three consultation meetings at primary school and reflects development of this event from the side of teacher, student as well as parent in the form of a case study. This research confirms the value of all three approaches and formation of...

Alors que les gouvernements cherchent à améliorer le rendement des systèmes scolaires qu’ils financent, l’intérêt des dirigeants porte sur les résultats des élèves mais aussi sur le rendement des professionnels de l’éducation, dont les directions d’école. Cette étude a pour but de contribuer au développement de la connaissance sur l’évaluation du rendement de ces dernières en répondant à la question : Comment les directions d’école perçoivent-elles la pratique réflexive dans leur processus d’évaluation? La recension des écrits montre que les directions qui ont le plus de succès jouent un rôle actif dans leur amélioration et que la pratique réflexive accroît la pertinence du perfectionnement professionnel et par conséquent le rendement de la direction. L’étude propose un cadre conceptuel qui tient compte du perfectionnement professionnel, de l’évaluation axée sur l’apprentissage et de la pratique réflexive. Cette recherche suit une méthodologie mixte afin de déceler les tendances et les perceptions quant aux pratiques à l’étude. D’abord, un questionnaire à choix de réponses a été administré sur Internet et les réponses de 65 directions d’écoles de langue française de l’Ontario ont été traitées de façon quantitative. Ensuite, des entrevues semi-structurées avec dix des répondants ont permis d’approfondir le sujet par une méthode qualitative en offrant l’occasion aux participants de partager leur vécu. Les résultats dévoilent que le perfectionnement professionnel occupe peu de place dans l’évaluation du rendement bien que les participants se servent d’objectifs de croissance professionnelle. La pratique réflexive est souvent déclenchée par un inconfort, par un succès ou par une occasion de perfectionnement ou est provoquée par des situations extérieures transposées à la situation de l’école du participant. Les échanges structurés et les discussions franches entre collègues et avec le superviseur favorisent la pratique réflexive. La rétroaction spécifique du superviseur donne des pistes d’amélioration appuyées d’un soutien. Les participants reconnaissent qu’ils jouent un rôle actif dans leur évaluation et recherchent un encadrement orienté vers l’amélioration. Les participants perçoivent que la pratique réflexive occupe une grande place dans leur processus d’évaluation, qu’ils soient encadrés par le superviseur dans un processus axé sur leur amélioration ou qu’ils s’auto-évaluent quand le processus est flou.