Culturally responsive classroom-based assessment: A case study of secondary schools in Ireland

Abstract

This paper describes the current state of development in terms of the employment of culturally responsive modes of assessment in five secondary schools in Ireland. The study was part of a project, including partners from three other European countries, that sought to investigate the challenges and opportunities for culturally responsive assessment in the classroom. The first part of the paper explores key definitions, and modes of assessment suggested in the literature that have the potential to be culturally responsive. Next, the protocol for the case study, the profiles of the five schools investigated, the data gathering methods employed, and the case study findings are presented. Finally, the discussion and conclusion draws together the key points from the case study and addresses the tensions and challenges involved in implementing culturally responsive classroom assessment. As the literature underpinning the case study was drawn from several countries and continents, it is suggested that the findings derived from this research, with the range of issues and insights for culturally responsive assessment, are also relevant to education systems where student populations are culturally diverse.