Title: Assessment decision making in vocational education and training
Source document: Studia paedagogica. 2021, vol. 26, iss. 4, pp. [119]-137
Extent
[119]-137
-
ISSN1803-7437 (print)2336-4521 (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/SP2021-4-6
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/144771
Type: Article
Language
License: Not specified license
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
Assessment decision making is a highly contextual phenomenon. In this paper, we explore this topic in vocational education and training (VET). Thirty-eight teachers from five Norwegian upper secondary schools were interviewed before and after an 18-month research–practice partnership. To understand assessment decision making in VET, we draw on two bodies of knowledge: (a) research on teachers' decision making in assessment and (b) conceptualizations of teachers' professional capital. Four main findings emerged from the analysis: three assessment-related dilemmas and one professional capital-related dilemma. We then discuss how these aspects of practice affect assessment decision making and the implications for developing VET teachers' decisional capital.
References
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[17] Kippers, W. B., Wolterinck, C. H. D., Schildkamp, K., Poortman, C. L., & Visscher, A. J. (2018). Teachers' views on the use of assessment for learning and data-based decision making in classroom practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 75, 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.06.015 | DOI 10.1016/j.tate.2018.06.015
[18] Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.
[19] McMillan, J. H. (2005). Secondary teachers' classroom assessment and grading practices. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 20(1), 20–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2001.tb00055.x | DOI 10.1111/j.1745-3992.2001.tb00055.x
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[21] O'Donovan, B., Price, M., & Rust, C. (2004). Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/1356251042000216642 | DOI 10.1080/1356251042000216642
[22] OECD. (2021). Teachers and leaders in vocational education and training. OECD Reviews of vocational education and training. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/59d4fbb1-en | DOI 10.1787/8764e86c-en
[23] Pastore, S., & Andrade, H. L. (2019). Teacher assessment literacy: A three-dimensional model. Teaching and Teacher Education, 84, 128–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.05.003 | DOI 10.1016/j.tate.2019.05.003
[24] Sadler, D. R. (1987). Specifying and promulgating achievement standards. Oxford Review of Education, 13(2), 191–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305498870130207 | DOI 10.1080/0305498870130207
[25] Sadler, D. R. (1998). Formative assessment: Revisiting the territory. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050104 | DOI 10.1080/0969595980050104
[26] Sennett, R. (2008). The craftsman (1st ed.). Yale University Press.
[27] Shirley, D. (2016). Three forms of professional capital: Systemic, social movement, and activist. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 1(4), 302–320. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC08-2016-0020 | DOI 10.1108/JPCC-08-2016-0020
[28] Tavory, I., & Timmermans, S. (2014). Abductive analysis: Theorizing qualitative research. University of Chicago Press.
[29] Van der Kleij, F. M., Vermeulen, J. A., Schildkamp, K., & Eggen, T. J. H. M. (2015). Integrating data-based decision making, Assessment for Learning and diagnostic testing in formative assessment. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 22(3), 324–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2014.999024 | DOI 10.1080/0969594X.2014.999024
[30] Vanlommel, K., & Schildkamp, K. (2019). How do teachers make sense of data in the context of high-stakes decision making? American Educational Research Journal, 56(3), 792–821. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831218803891 | DOI 10.3102/0002831218803891
[31] Vanlommel, K., Van Gasse, R., Vanhoof, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2017). Teachers' decisionmaking: Data based or intuition driven? International Journal of Educational Research, 83, 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2017.02.013 | DOI 10.1016/j.ijer.2017.02.013
[32] Willis, J., Adie, L., & Klenowski, V. (2013). Conceptualising teachers' assessment literacies in an era of curriculum and assessment reform. The Australian Educational Researcher, 40(2), 241–256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-013-0089-9 | DOI 10.1007/s13384-013-0089-9
[33] Wyatt–Smith, C., Klenowski, V., & Gunn, S. (2010). The centrality of teachers' judgement practice in assessment: A study of standards in moderation. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 17(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695940903565610 | DOI 10.1080/09695940903565610
[34] Xu, Y., & Brown, G. T. L. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy in practice: A reconceptualization. Teaching and Teacher Education, 58, 149–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.010 | DOI 10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.010
[2] Andreasen, K. E., & Duch, H. (2020). Teachers' professional development at VET – Reflections on professional learning communities (PLCs). In C. Nägele, B. E. Stalder, & N. Kersh (Eds.), Trends in vocational education and training research, Vol. III. Proceedings of the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Vocational Education and Training Network (VETNET) (pp. 11–18). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3997331 | DOI 10.5281/zenodo.3997331
[3] Bearman, M., Dawson, P., Boud, D., Bennett, S., Hall, M., & Molloy, E. (2016). Support for assessment practice: Developing the Assessment Design Decisions Framework. Teaching in Higher Education, 21(5), 545–556. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2016.1160217 | DOI 10.1080/13562517.2016.1160217
[4] Bonner, S. M. (2016). Teacher perceptions about assessment: Competing narratives. In G. T. L. Brown & L. R. Harris (Eds.), Handbook of human and social conditions in assessment (1st ed., pp. 21–39). Routledge.
[5] Boschman, F., McKenney, S., & Voogt, J. (2014). Understanding decision making in teachers' curriculum design approaches. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(4), 393–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-014-9341-x | DOI 10.1007/s11423-014-9341-x
[6] Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). To saturate or not to saturate? Questioning data saturation as a useful concept for thematic analysis and sample-size rationales. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 13(2), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1704846 | DOI 10.1080/2159676X.2019.1704846
[7] Brookhart, S. M., Guskey, T. R., Bowers, A. J., McMillan, J. H., Smith, J. K., Smith, L. F., Stevens, M. T., & Welsh, M. E. (2016). A century of grading research: Meaning and value in the most common educational measure. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 803–848. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316672069 | DOI 10.3102/0034654316672069
[8] Bükki, E., & Fehérvári, A. (2021). How do teachers collaborate in Hungarian VET schools? A quantitative study of forms, perceptions of impact and related individual and organisational factors. Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, 13(2), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40461-020-00108-6 | DOI 10.1186/s40461-020-00108-6
[9] DeLuca, C., & Braund, H. (2019, June 25). Preparing assessment literate teachers. Oxford research encyclopedia of education. Retrieved 2021, October 31 from https://oxfordre.com/education/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-487
[10] DeLuca, C., Rickey, N., & Coombs, A. (2021). Exploring assessment across cultures: Teachers' approaches to assessment in the U.S., China, and Canada. Cogent Education, 8(1), 1921903. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1921903 | DOI 10.1080/2331186X.2021.1921903
[11] Evetts, J. (2009). The management of professionalism: A contemporary paradox. In S. Gewirtz, P. Mahony, I. Hextall, & A. Cribb (Eds.), Changing teacher professionalism international trends, challenges, and ways forward (1st ed., pp. 19–30). Routledge.
[12] Fjørtoft, H., & Sandvik, L. V. (2021). Leveraging situated strategies in research–practice partnerships: Participatory dialogue in a Norwegian school. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 70, 101063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2021.101063 | DOI 10.1016/j.stueduc.2021.101063
[13] Garner, B., Thorne, J. K., & Horn, I. S. (2017). Teachers interpreting data for instructional decisions: Where does equity come in? Journal of Educational Administration, 55(4), 407–426. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-09-2016-0106 | DOI 10.1108/JEA-09-2016-0106
[14] Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school (1st ed.). Teachers College Press.
[15] Hearne, L., & Neary, S. (2021). Let's talk about career guidance in secondary schools! A consideration of the professional capital of school staff in Ireland and England. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 21(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-020-09424-5 | DOI 10.1007/s10775-020-09424-5
[16] Kain, D. L. (1996). Looking beneath the surface: Teacher collaboration through the lens of grading practices. Teachers College Record, 97(4), 569–587. https://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentId=1408 | DOI 10.1177/016146819609700403
[17] Kippers, W. B., Wolterinck, C. H. D., Schildkamp, K., Poortman, C. L., & Visscher, A. J. (2018). Teachers' views on the use of assessment for learning and data-based decision making in classroom practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 75, 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.06.015 | DOI 10.1016/j.tate.2018.06.015
[18] Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.
[19] McMillan, J. H. (2005). Secondary teachers' classroom assessment and grading practices. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 20(1), 20–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2001.tb00055.x | DOI 10.1111/j.1745-3992.2001.tb00055.x
[20] McMillan, J. H. (2019). Surveys of teachers' grading practices and perceptions. In T. R. Guskey & S. M. Brookhart (Eds.), What we know about grading: What works, what doesn't, and what's next (pp. 84–112). ASCD.
[21] O'Donovan, B., Price, M., & Rust, C. (2004). Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325–335. https://doi.org/10.1080/1356251042000216642 | DOI 10.1080/1356251042000216642
[22] OECD. (2021). Teachers and leaders in vocational education and training. OECD Reviews of vocational education and training. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/59d4fbb1-en | DOI 10.1787/8764e86c-en
[23] Pastore, S., & Andrade, H. L. (2019). Teacher assessment literacy: A three-dimensional model. Teaching and Teacher Education, 84, 128–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.05.003 | DOI 10.1016/j.tate.2019.05.003
[24] Sadler, D. R. (1987). Specifying and promulgating achievement standards. Oxford Review of Education, 13(2), 191–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305498870130207 | DOI 10.1080/0305498870130207
[25] Sadler, D. R. (1998). Formative assessment: Revisiting the territory. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050104 | DOI 10.1080/0969595980050104
[26] Sennett, R. (2008). The craftsman (1st ed.). Yale University Press.
[27] Shirley, D. (2016). Three forms of professional capital: Systemic, social movement, and activist. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 1(4), 302–320. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC08-2016-0020 | DOI 10.1108/JPCC-08-2016-0020
[28] Tavory, I., & Timmermans, S. (2014). Abductive analysis: Theorizing qualitative research. University of Chicago Press.
[29] Van der Kleij, F. M., Vermeulen, J. A., Schildkamp, K., & Eggen, T. J. H. M. (2015). Integrating data-based decision making, Assessment for Learning and diagnostic testing in formative assessment. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 22(3), 324–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2014.999024 | DOI 10.1080/0969594X.2014.999024
[30] Vanlommel, K., & Schildkamp, K. (2019). How do teachers make sense of data in the context of high-stakes decision making? American Educational Research Journal, 56(3), 792–821. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831218803891 | DOI 10.3102/0002831218803891
[31] Vanlommel, K., Van Gasse, R., Vanhoof, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2017). Teachers' decisionmaking: Data based or intuition driven? International Journal of Educational Research, 83, 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2017.02.013 | DOI 10.1016/j.ijer.2017.02.013
[32] Willis, J., Adie, L., & Klenowski, V. (2013). Conceptualising teachers' assessment literacies in an era of curriculum and assessment reform. The Australian Educational Researcher, 40(2), 241–256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-013-0089-9 | DOI 10.1007/s13384-013-0089-9
[33] Wyatt–Smith, C., Klenowski, V., & Gunn, S. (2010). The centrality of teachers' judgement practice in assessment: A study of standards in moderation. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 17(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695940903565610 | DOI 10.1080/09695940903565610
[34] Xu, Y., & Brown, G. T. L. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy in practice: A reconceptualization. Teaching and Teacher Education, 58, 149–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.010 | DOI 10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.010