Assessment training: a precondition for teachers' competencies and use of classroom assessment practices

摘要

Student assessment, particularly at classroom level, remains an integral part of teaching and learning and is a driving force for the implementation of educational policies and practices in many countries. Nevertheless, problems associated with teachers' classroom assessment practices continue to exist in schools and research shows that teachers still feel dissatisfied with the type of assessment training they receive during their pre-service training. A survey questionnaire was administered to 691 government primary and secondary school teachers in Botswana to determine the relationship between teachers' level of assessment training and the extent at which they used classroom assessment practices. The key research question was: how does a teacher's level of assessment training predict the extent at which they use different classroom assessment practices? Hierarchical regression results revealed that having attended an in-service/workshop in assessment and having taken a course dedicated to assessment showed significant relationships with how teachers use different classroom assessment practices. On the other hand, having no training in assessment and merely taking an assessment topic in a course that covers other topics did not yield any significant results. These findings are an indication that intensifying teacher assessment training remains integral to assessment practices teachers are likely to use in their classroom teaching. Results from this study can be used as a framework for informing educators to re-think their assessment training methods to focus more on building teacher competences in assessment. Practical and policy implications are discussed.