Assessment orientation in formative assessment of learning to teach

Abstract

How mentors in their role as assessors appraise practice teaching lessons may strongly influence their student teachers' learning of how to teach. It can be contended that an assessment for learning (AfL) perspective on process and criteria of appraisal will support a shared valuation of student teachers' practice teaching and acceptance of recommendations to improve subsequent performance. However, previous research shows that assessors adopt different orientations to formative evaluation and do not necessarily take into account (learning) perspectives of the student teacher. Therefore, this study gauged whether 'following recommendations' as a result of an AfL (to teach) is influenced differentially by a performance perspective as compared to a learning perspective on assessment by the assessor. More specifically, this study deals with the following questions: Is student teachers' acceptance of feedback affected differently by the assessment orientation of their assessors? and How is 'acceptance of feedback' related to 'following recommendations'? The findings of this study show that both assessment orientations are ill-related to acceptance of feedback and a subsequent following of recommendations. © 2009 Taylor & Francis.