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Article history: A particular framework of teachers conceptions about assessment in school is presented. Fifty teachers
Received 7 March 2010 of primary and secondary school were interviewed. Results of a qualitative analysis allowed building
Received in revised form a model of conceptions of assessment. This model comprises four dimensions about the effects of
23 September 2010
assessment on: teaching, learning, accountability of teachers and schools to different audiences and
Accepted 27 September 2010
stakeholders, and the certication of achievement. These conceptions, unequally distributed, show some
tendencies that might be linked to the intrinsic tension between the by-default co-occurrence of both
Keywords:
pedagogic and societal functions of assessment in school, and to difculties of implementing assessment
Compulsory education
Assessment function
for learning practices.
Learning assessment 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Teacher belief
Conception
1. Introduction Grifths, Gore, & Ladwig, 2006; Sato & Kleinsasser, 2004). This is
especially critical during periods of systemic school reform, since
Classroom assessment requires a great deal of time and effort; teachers are the last step in a sequence of changes.
teachers may spend as much as 40% of their time directly The focus of current research on assessment (grading) practices
involved in assessment-related activities. Yet teachers are must be regarded from an historical perspective (McMillan, 2003;
neither trained nor prepared to face this demanding task Stiggins, 1991). As a matter of fact, in countries where high-
(Stiggins, 1988, p. 363). stakes, external, standardized assessment has been privileged over
classroom assessment, school practices have developed in different
Despite having been published over 20 years ago, this quote is
ways compared with countries where this high-stakes evaluation
still relevant today. In the last two decades, educational research
was scarce during the 20th century (Remesal, 2007). In that respect,
has brought to light the difculty of implementing new forms of
Barnes, Clarke, and Stephens (2000), for instance, report about
assessment, and especially those aimed at assessment for learning
changes in school assessment practices at high school that took
(Black & Wiliam, 2009; Brown, Lake, & Matters, 2009; Stiggins,
place in an Australian State, propelled by changes in the external
2005a). An important amount of recent research in the eld
evaluation system; however, in another neighbor State, where
revolves around teachers assessment practices, and even more
these external changes did not take place, school assessment
specically, around grading practices, rather than on the beliefs
practices remained unchanged. Black and Wiliam (2009) alert
that may ground these practices (see for instance, Duncan &
about the impossibility of implementing reform measures con-
Noonan, 2007; Duncan et al., 2009; Harlen, 2005; Leighton,
cerning assessment that would be worldwide equally effective, due
Gokiert, Cor, & Hefferman, 2010; Liu, 2008a, 2008b; McMillan,
to the highly contextual and cultural embeddedness of school
2001; McMillan, Myran, & Workman, 2002; McMillan and Nash,
practices. But precisely therefore, there is the need to explore each
2000; Simon, Tierney, & Forgette-Giroux, 2008; Vandeyar, &
of these specic contexts in order to be able to promote substantive
Killen, 2003; Xu, & Liu, 2009). Yet most of these studies conclude
change.
drawing attention on teachers beliefs or conceptions. Results point
The present study was carried out in Spain under particular
to teachers conceptions as one of the key factors that inuence
historical circumstances. A new General Educational Act was put in
classroom decisions (Aguirre & Speer, 2000; Remesal, 2006;
force progressively during the 1990s decade. This reform move-
ment completely restructured the school system, affecting assess-
ment, particularly accreditation forms and criteria. However, in
* Tel.: 34 933125109; fax: 34 934021368. contrast with other countries, as was the case in the US, the UK or
E-mail address: aremesal@ub.edu. Canada, the new system did not involve the use of standardized
0742-051X/$ e see front matter 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.tate.2010.09.017
A. Remesal / Teaching and Teacher Education 27 (2011) 472e482 473
tests for external evaluation, which remain more or less anecdotal comparing middle school and high school (Liu, 2008a), and also
as an irregular school policy measure. The focus of the reform was cultural invariance, with respect to Chinese and US teachers
formative school-based assessment. In this paper, results of grading practices (Liu, 2008b). In other words, one could state that
a research on primary and compulsory mathematics secondary the actual state of research about assessment practices is either
teachers conceptions of assessment functions in basic education inconclusive, or as Black and Wiliam (2009) defend, deeply
are presented. The study is carried out in this particular context of culturally rooted.
systemic school reform; it attempts to contribute to teacher
education for assessment. 2.2. Teachers conceptions of assessment
attitudes. This author concludes that subject-matter knowledge, (or not entirely independent), and they gather in systems. In his
among other aspects, inuence pre-service teachers condence in model, beliefs differ from each other with respect to three
their expectations of implementing constructivist assessment dimensions. First, there are primary beliefs, and secondary beliefs,
procedures. In Taiwan, Wang, Kao, and Lin (2009) arrive at similar which relate to each other in a quasi-logical way. Second, there are
results. They nd a connection between participants views of the central beliefs and peripheral beliefs. The former ones are strong,
subject matter e science e and the intended assessment practices from a psychological point of view, and more resistant to change;
and purposes. Other previous studies focused on mathematics the latter ones are weaker, and more likely to change, or either to be
teachers conceptions of assessment, paying attention to particular undervalued and left aside when challenged with new conictive
curricular aspects of mathematics, such as practices and forms of experiences. Finally, beliefs form clusters that may be held sepa-
assessment (Philippou & Christou, 1997; Rico & Gil, 1997; Rochera, rately from each other. Greens model is particularly suitable for
Remesal, & Barber, 2002). understanding the sometimes incoherent, or apparently inco-
herent, relationship between belief and behavior: while we express
2.3. Teacher education for assessment a certain belief, our current actions, as a situated reaction, might be
driven by another belief or set of beliefs which remain unspoken in
Despite the evidence of research highlighting the importance of the background.
teachers beliefs in classroom practices, the proposals rising to
develop teachers competence for assessment do not consider these 2.5. Purpose of this study
research results. Some call it assessment capacity (McMunn,
McColskey, & Butler, 2004; Towndrow, Tan, Yung, & Cohen, 2010), The purpose of this study is to explore in-service teachers
some others assessment competence (Edelenbos, & Kubanek- conceptions about the functions of assessment in basic schooling,
German, 2004); some prefer assessment literacy (Leighton, as a necessary rst-step before trying to challenge teachers prac-
Gokiert, Cor, & Hefferman, 2010; Lukin, Bandalos, Eckhout, & tices towards formative assessment. Primary education teachers
Mickelson, 2005; Oleary, 2008; Volante, & Fazio, 2007; Wang, and compulsory secondary mathematics teachers conceptions
Wang, & Huang, 2008), while some others talk about assessment were interviewed. This study focused on teachers conceptions,
knowledge (Xu & Liu, 2009). However, none of these proposals concreted in beliefs about four different aspects: assessment effects
regard teachers beliefs about assessment as an indispensable point on teaching, on learning, on students accreditation of learning, and
of departure for any further professional development on the on teachers accountability. The results of the qualitative analysis
matter. The inconsideration of teachers beliefs and conceptions lead to reections about the distribution of these conceptions along
goes back to Stiggins (1999) and McMillan (2000) early proposals the compulsory school levels in the context of school reform in
for teacher education in matters of classroom assessment. Although Spain.
enclosing decisive elements such as knowledge about assessment
procedures, aligning assessment methods and teaching goals; 3. Method
interpretation and communication of results, their proposals, too,
fail to address teachers (either pre-service or in-service) beliefs This paper presents a qualitative research, based on two
and conceptions. Yet the fact is that, as long as teachers beliefs are different interview techniques (Flick, 2007; Kvale, 1996). Data were
left aside, some supercial changes might take place, but the like- collected in two stages. In a rst phase, semi-structured, interpre-
lihood of profound long-lasting changes in classroom practices is tive interviews were carried out with fty primary and secondary
rather small. In addition, research has presented evidence that mathematics teachers. In a second phase, the same teachers were
taking teachers conceptions into account is even of a greater interviewed with an event-recall technique, prompted by their own
importance in times of educational reform (Vandeyar & Killen, classroom assessment material.
2003). Only Graham (2005) recently presents an experience of The study of teachers beliefs of assessment and assessment
teaching education for assessment in which teacher candidates practices has been addressed both from a quantitative perspective
beliefs start to be taken into account. However, even in Grahams (see for example, Brown, 2002, 2007), which allows cross-cultural
experience, beliefs are considered only in an informal way, letting comparisons (see, for instance, Brown & Remesal, submitted for
teacher-students implicitly reect about prior beliefs and changes evaluation; Liu, 2008a), and also from a qualitative methodolog-
in those, without any actual and systematic externalization and ical approach (see, for instance, Chang, 2006; Simon et al., 2008).
reection on their beliefs and conceptions. The sociocultural understanding of teaching and learning processes
that leads this study puts to the front the necessity of approaching
2.4. Beliefs and conceptions in this study teachers conceptions and practices from an interpretive, qualita-
tive methodology, which would allow the participants to speak
The constructs belief and conception are not always neatly used their minds and bring their own voices to the foreground.
(Pajares, 1992), therefore, there is the need for clarication. In this
study, the terms belief and conception are clearly differentiated. The 3.1. Participants
term belief is used to refer to those basic statements about different
aspects of reality that any person might take for true at different Thirty primary teachers and twenty secondary mathematics
times of his/her life, although they do not have to constitute an teachers from eighteen public primary and secondary schools in the
objective truth at all (Goodenough, 1990). In other words, although metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain) participated in the study. All
resistant to change, beliefs are not immutable throughout life; on the public schools were randomly visited; the project was pre-
the contrary, they are subject to inuences from the social context sented at each school, until a group of ten teachers at each focused
of which the individual participates. At the same time, beliefs do grade agreed to take part in the study. The author presented the
not oat loose in our mind either: they are organized internally project at each school personally, rst to the principal and then to
building up conceptions. That is, a persons conception is an orga- the mathematics teachers targeted by the study. These were
nized system of beliefs that this person holds. teachers who taught respectively in grades 1, 3, 5 of primary school,
According to Greens model of conceptions (Cooney, 2001; and grades 7, and 9, which correspond to compulsory secondary
Green, 1971), beliefs are not always independent from each other school in Spain. According to the structure of the current school
A. Remesal / Teaching and Teacher Education 27 (2011) 472e482 475
system, the teachers must take promotion decisions only every categories. Positive and negative inclinations in the teachers words
second year. In other words, in odd grades, students progress were separately categorized. For instance, some teachers would
automatically to the next level. The justication of such a system refer to assessment as challenging students in a positive way,
relies in a curriculum with instructional goals set for two years whereas others would refer to assessment as a stress factor; while
programs, in an effort to promote formative assessment. That is, in some teachers would talk about assessment in terms of monitoring
grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, assessment decisions are more likely to be teaching, and others, in turn, would talk about a loss of instruc-
closer to an assessment for learning approach, whereas the need for tional time.
certifying criteria increases in even grades. In addition, the certi- The software allows the analyst to check the consistency of
cation of students achievement is not a single teachers responsi- categorization on a regular basis. Six months after the rst analysis
bility, but a teachers team decision. Each teacher decided to phase, a re-analysis was undertaken in order to look for intra-rater
participate on a voluntary basis. The participants are the individual consistency. Deviations from the rst analysis were discussed
teachers: the data collected do not refer to school-level practices with a second expert analyst until nal agreement or eventual
but to individual teachers in their classrooms. recategorisation.
The participants were 45 years old on average, with an average
teaching experience of about 22 years. There were thirty seven 4. Results
women and thirteen men. 52% of the teachers had graduated as
primary teachers, and 48% had a different subject matter degree The recursive, qualitative, interpretive analysis led to a refor-
(for example, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, etc.). In primary mulation of the theoretical model. Fig. 1 presents the model of
education, the percentage of teachers with a teaching degree in departure: conceptions about assessment were divided in two sets.
contrast with the teachers with any other subject matter degree On the one hand, there were belief systems (building conceptions)
was almost 3:1, whereas exactly the opposite occurs for secondary about assessment, related with the monitoring of both teaching and
school. learning processes. On the other hand, there were belief systems
about the certication of learning and the teachers accountability.
3.2. Data collection Eventually, the model was revised and reformulated as shown in
Fig. 2. The data revealed a much more complex world of concep-
The teachers were interviewed twice for this study. A different tions about assessment, as a matter of fact. It was particularly
interview technique was used in each interview (Flick, 2007; Kvale, relevant to conrm that teachers do differentiate between beliefs of
1996). First, semi-structured interviews were carried out after assessment affecting teaching as something separated from the
school with the teachers. This interview addressed topics such as inuence of assessment on learning. In a similar way, they do
the characteristics of assessment and its relationship with teaching differentiate between beliefs concerning accountability and those
and learning, and routine assessment practices in those teachers concerning the accreditation of achievement. In each of these four
classrooms. In a second meeting, approximately one month later, aspects, the teachers held either beliefs that tended to identify
the teachers were asked to provide some examples of typical assessment as a positive device of change, or either as a procedure
classroom assessment material; these materials became the not leading to any change, a disruptive measure, or even a negative
prompt basis for a critical-event-recall interview (Lally & Scaife, inuence.
1995). In this way, different sources of information would provide Teachers global conceptions were identied based on the
a triangulation of data by conducting a constant comparison anal- following criteria. First, the location of all of one teachers beliefs in
ysis (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). The teachers selected classroom one and the same pole for the four different dimensions (assess-
assessment materials as signicantly representative pieces of ment effects on teaching, on learning, on teacher accountability,
material of their everyday practices, so as to achieve contextual and on student accreditation), either pedagogical or societal, was
validity of data. The second interview had a more open structure, labeled as a pure conception. Here, both manifested beliefs in the
with just a few prompts to let the teachers tell about the features of rst or second interview, and inferred beliefs through the class-
the materials they brought in, the conditions in which they had room materials selected by the teachers were considered. Second,
been recently implemented in the classroom, the evaluation the location of a teachers beliefs in different poles, in a proportion
criteria that the teachers applied on students performance, and 3:1, was categorized as a mixed conception, either pedagogical or
eventually the consequences of that assessment in their teaching societal, depending on the dominating pole.
program. In a few cases, the assessment had not been implemented Two kinds of results will be presented in the subsections that
yet but was in the teaching plan for a near future; in such situations, follow. First, examples of each of the four categories of the
the teachers were asked to share their expectations of students conceptions model are selected for an illustrative purpose. Second,
results. The interviews took place during the second and third a basic quantitative description in terms of frequencies of the four
quarters of the school year. The meetings were held with each types of conceptions in the different school levels will be exposed.
teacher always respecting their school schedule.
Assessment effects on
learning
Box 2. Indicators of beliefs of assessment effects on
teaching
Assessment effects on
teaching
Pedagogical-regulation Societal-accreditation Examples of beliefs related to a pedagogical conception:
Pole Pole B A substantial change in assessment is needed in
Assessment effects on the
certification of learning order to meet the diverse educational needs of the
students.
Assessment effects on the B As a result of assessment, changes can be under-
accountability of teaching
taken immediate or short-term in tasks and class-
room materials.
B Assessment allows teaching readjustments at
school level (beyond the single classroom).
Fig. 2. Resulting four-dimensional bipolar model of conceptions of assessment.
B Methodological changes are only possible in the
long term or for future courses.
appear in different combinations, inferred from the global data
provided by each individual teacher. Next four different cases of Examples of beliefs related to a societal conception:
teachers are presented. Each one represents an illustration of one B Assessment alters the teaching rhythm in the
possible combination of beliefs building up different conceptions, classroom negatively (the teacher has to slow down
which are either extreme pedagogical, extreme societal, mixed when students do not follow, or either speed up
societal or mixed pedagogical. For each case a brief contextual when the next test is close by).
B After unsatisfactory achievement in the group, the
description is provided, followed by some interview excerpts which
teaching must be repeated exactly, going over the
illustrate the teachers conception about assessment. It is important
learning contents a second time.
to notice that presenting a mixed conception means that one
B Only changes at school level are sensible and
teachers beliefs appear on one and the same pole for three of the worthy (i.e. grouping of students, support teacher,
four dimensions, either pedagogical or societal. This combination special needs attended off normal classroom,.).
criterion leaves many combinatorial options available, all of them B Assessment has no influence at all in teaching, or
with the same theoretical probability of occurrence. Nevertheless, either a negative impact (i.e. stress, loss of instruc-
the results of this study show that some combinations were more tional time,.).
likely to be found than others. In four cases, the teachers could not
be clearly located after the rst analysis, showing a balanced
distribution (2:2), therefore, an additional expert judge was called
in to contrast. Finally, those teachers were categorized in a mixed 4.1.1. The pedagogical conception of assessment
societal conception. As a matter of fact, societal beliefs concerning The rst case corresponds to a 5th grade male teacher of
the effects of assessment on learning, accountability of teaching, elementary school. Close to retirement, with more than 25 years of
and accreditation of achievement, being held concurrently with teaching experience, he gives a clear priority to the monitoring
pedagogical beliefs about assessment effects on teaching was the purpose of assessment. In the rst excerpt, we can see that the
most frequent and typical combination. This will be further teacher gives crucial importance to learning of ones errors; hence,
addressed in the discussion section.
Examples of beliefs related to a societal conception: Examples of beliefs related to a societal conception:
B Assessment allows the student to become aware of B Quantitative grading of achievement is above
the level of achievement, but just as an end result. qualitative assessment of the learning process.
B Assessment is a motivational element, in order B The accreditation must be norm-based.
to increase study effort (extrinsic pro-active B Results of assessment performance must be
motivation). expressed in numerical or categorical grades.
B Assessment contributes also to extrinsically moti- B In front of failure, the teacher should lower the
vate the student after he/she knows the results. demands, or testing should be repeated, forgetting
B Assessment has no real influence on learning, or about the first unsatisfactory results.
even a bad influence e like provoking irritation and B Assessment is an indispensable needed social
anxiety. control and selection system.
A. Remesal / Teaching and Teacher Education 27 (2011) 472e482 477
interested in nal results only, once again on a quantitative modus, previous consequence, quite contradictorily, she let the pupils
while the teacher demonstrates a clear disregard for these same actually voiceless in the process, playing down the opportunities to
results: speak their minds:
(.) I barely care about the marks that I give them, but, from the They know how they listen to, how they work, how they follow
point of view of the families, and also from the students point of me, how they feel interested or not. they know all that, they
view, they need to see results, they need some kind of evalua- have their own assessment inside their heads, well, they can be
tion, its important for them, but for me not at all, no (.) more or less sincere, but they know perfectly well, I dont have
(interview BS22). to ask them (interview CP24).
In summary, in this teachers conception, most of her beliefs,
4.1.3. A mixed pedagogical conception of assessment
concerning assessment effects on teaching, on accrediting, and on
The third instance belongs to a primary school teacher. She was
account giving were on the pedagogical side. But her beliefs about
39 years old and had taught for 17 years. At the time of the study,
assessment affecting learning, mainly by means of grading, was
she was tutoring a third grade class. This teachers conception about
very strong on the societal side, building up altogether a mixed
assessment can be considered as mixed pedagogical. On the one
pedagogical conception of assessment.
side, her beliefs about assessment effects on teaching were very
strong in favor of the potentiality of assessment to lead and orient
4.1.4. A mixed societal conception of assessment
daily teaching practice. She appreciated the potential of external
Eventually, the fourth example belongs to a female teacher who
evaluation to provoke reection about the own practice:
taught at 7th grade e rst year of compulsory secondary education,
(.) when we talk about assessment. I understand that this is corresponding to the Spanish school system e she was 39 years old,
not writing on a paper and putting quantitative results. Thats had graduated in mathematics and had fteen years of teaching
not real appraisal. Thats grading, isnt it? I rather understand experience. When speaking of teaching, she locates herself on the
that assessment should be this sort of daily follow-up, contin- pedagogical side, dening assessment as a basic tool for catering to
uously observing what the child does, isnt it? I cant teach the learning needs of students:
without this follow-up. No way!, cause I dont know where they
(.) to me, its particularly useful; global assessment is useful to
are, whether my priorities and goals were really theirs as well.
locate the student, to check whether he needs more help or
So, I always must depart from where they are, so, I am always
more support of me, and also, not really to classify him, but of
evaluating, otherwise, I couldnt go on (interview CP24).
course, if these students needs more help, then you can be closer
She also reckoned the importance of having parents as allies in to him, pay more attention to him, and also, its useful to select
the assessment process, and her statements about the school- certain groups at certain times, to be closer to these groups, to
family relationship reveal a respectful pursue of collaboration: be able to work with them particularly, and maybe they cannot
be left on their own with some of the work they are expected to
(.) well, sometimes the parents try to push their children ahead
do, and for this purpose daily assessment is very important,
during the summer break, and this can get tricky, because theyre
particularly at these initial stages (.) (interview HS110).
not aware of new teaching methods that were not used as they
were children themselves, and so the pupils are confronted with In contrast, the other beliefs of this teacher clearly turn towards
different ways that they cant understand, and they might the societal pole in all the remaining dimensions. First, with respect
collapse, so its our duty to care about these situations, being most to learning, we can see how the teacher thinks of assessment as
respectful with the families ways, but also avoiding these pro-active and just extrinsic motivating device for study:
confusions. Its not easy, at times, yeah, when parents dont really
(.) I think its a stimulus, its a stimulus . (.) when I say that
understand the purpose of assessment, but its also important to
there is a test . the concern is much greater; I dont know if its
talk to them during the year, at parents interviews, not only at the
actually helpful because then you also have social issues inter-
end for a summary, but while things are happening, so we can
fering with education, like bad-company aspects, the class
work together, as a team, depending on where you put the accent,
dynamics, group dynamics, broadly speaking, all this stuff
families can receive the information in one way or the other, and
affects a lot, but usually when you warn them that there will be
so they can feel more willing or reluctant to collaborate, it depends
a test, then at least a big part of the group, many of them take it
on you, how you talk to them, its all relative (interview CP24).
with quite some interest, at least there is a motivation (.)
Nevertheless, she identied several usual terms, such as exam, (interview HS110).
control, test, with negative effects on learning. Instead, she
This same teacher balances again in favor of the societal pole
preferred to talk about the daily follow-up, based on informal
when considering the after-school effects of assessment in its role
observation of her pupils performance in the classroom. In fact,
for accrediting achievement:
this teacher absolutely identied the term assessment with the
written form of exams or tests, and quantitative grading, which (.) assessment, if its thoroughly done. informs about the
made her discourse confusing, and had three consequences in her students level of achievement and preparation (.); therefore,
case: rst, an instrument as important as initial assessment was I think that. yes, indeed, look, when they leave school, the
completely off her mind and intention: companies, industry, and society, in short, are already asking
whether some achievement has been reached, institutionally,
I cant assess them at rst. First of all I must know all sorts of
we are told that it is advisable to pass the exams, years ago it was
things about how they approach learning and so on (.), when
the basic general schooling, now its compulsory secondary
they have a test, I feel like I loose an hour of chances to teach
education, why? cause its needed, and indeed its not possible
them new things (.) (interview CP24).
to move forwards unless you dont pass CSE, you know you have
Second, since she feels that written assessment tasks are only to go then to a nal, very basic vocational training if you fail,
useful for assessing speed of calculation, she rejects their potential while others can continue schooling, be it college or either
to access the pupils thinking processes; and third, linked to the higher vocational training (.) (interview HS110).
A. Remesal / Teaching and Teacher Education 27 (2011) 472e482 479
Finally, as to the likely effects of assessment on teachers that the approximation of the end of basic schooling, even in the
accountability to different audiences, the teacher shows, on the one absence of external evaluation e which will appear in Spain only
hand, distrust in the capability of families to understand assess- two years later, and only after post-compulsory secondary educa-
ment. She makes the family a mere recipient of one-way infor- tion- makes the accreditation-societal beliefs come to the fore-
mation. On the other hand, there is her condence in the external ground. Another interpretation of this distribution grounds on
evaluation, yet conducted under quality requirements -which are the recent system change: secondary teachers are still too used to
not explicitly made-, with social stratication as the main (posi- the old system (prior to the Reform Act of 1990). Because of the
tively evaluated) result: progressive implementation of the new system, which went on
until the late 1990s, at the time of data collection, the process of
(.) I think sometimes that parents, some parents, maybe are
change in the school context might be still too fresh and new to
not well-educated themselves, and so they may not understand
have affected these teachers conceptions. They are struggling with
assessment well enough, now, thats also a bit of everybodys
the changing context and their stronger beliefs (for example,
responsibility, to explain what it means, and what the marks
assessment serves to segregate successful students from unsuc-
mean (.) [the comparative studies] if they are well made, I
cessful ones) do collide with the external policy demands.
think that, yes, they can be quite useful, . because they point to
differences. if not for social levels, at least for cultural level (.)
(interview HS110). 5. Discussion
Table 1
Distribution of conceptions of assessment among participants.
N 50 Primary (p) Secondary (s) Grade 1 (p) Grade 3 (p) Grade 5 (p) Grade 7 (s) Grade 9 (s)
n 30 n 20 n 10 n 10 n 10 n 10 n 10
Extreme pedagogical 8 6 2 2 1 3 2
16% 20% 10%
Mixed pedagogical 12 12 4 7 1
24% 40%
Mixed societal 22 10 12 4 2 4 6 6
44% 33.33% 60%
Extreme societal 8 2 6 2 2 4
16% 6.67% 30%
480 A. Remesal / Teaching and Teacher Education 27 (2011) 472e482
Results do not only show different conceptions in terms of assessment seem to ground, provide a convenient reference for the
different combinations of beliefs along the four dimensions. critical review of teacher education programs. These results must
Moreover, there is also a certain tendency in the distribution of be taken into account, if we aim at the development of teachers
these conceptions among the interviewed teachers. There was, assessment competencies towards the implementation of assess-
indeed, a higher incidence of societal and accrediting conceptions ment practices, likely to improve educational processes in its full
of assessment at secondary school in comparison with primary extent and complexity.
education, where the pressure of assessment as a tool for certi-
cation or accreditation of students achievement does not appear. In
6. Conclusions
summary, the results show not only that the interviewed teachers
have different and contrasted conceptions of assessment, but they
In this paper results of the qualitative content analysis of fty
also allow hypothesizing that these conceptions could be related to
primary and secondary teacher interviews are presented. A model
the structure of the educational system and the external assess-
for conceptions of assessment functions is proposed based on a two
ment policy demands. Previous research supports this hypothesis,
pole continuum concerning four different categories of beliefs that
as well, (see for example, Barnes, Clarke, & Stephens, 2000). In other
would build teachers conceptions of assessment, namely, teachers
subject matters primary and secondary teachers beliefs have been
beliefs about assessment inuence on teaching, on learning, on the
proofed to be different, as well, (Estepa, Avila, & Ferreras, 2008).
accreditation of achievement, and on the teachers accountability to
Taking the different weigh of pedagogical knowledge and content
different audiences. Results have a twofold signicance, related to
knowledge of primary and secondary teachers, the hypothesis of
previous research. First, teachers conceptions of assessment
extending these differences to the ground of classroom assessment
functions might be related to the structure of the educational
conceptions is fairly plausible.
system, tending either towards more pedagogical or more accred-
The last decade of research in the eld of assessment brings
iting conceptions with regard to the external assessment demands
evidence in abundance of the difculties in changing assessment
on school. Second, teachers conceptions of assessment functions
practices in order to monitor learning in a positive way, so that
might be composed by different, and sometimes even contrasting,
assessment of learning turns into assessment for learning (Harlen,
beliefs concerning the role of assessment in teaching and in
2005; Marshall & Drummond, 2006; Stiggins et al., 2005). The
learning considered separately. This last point might help under-
results of this study contribute to locate these difculties princi-
stand the difculties for the implementation of assessment for
pally in relation with two facts. First, we have to take into account
learning innovative practices.
the complex nature of assessment itself, immersed in an inherent
state of tension between its educational and societal functions,
which, in turn, derive from the functions, structure and organiza- Acknowledgements
tion of the whole educational system. Second, still today, we have to
reckon the persistence of an educational model mainly focused on The study was carried out by means of a doctoral scholarship of
the teacher, whereas the learner remains in a secondary position. In the University of Barcelona. The author wants to thank Dr. C. Coll for
other words, attempts to change teacher assessment practices his guidance along the conduction of this study and his constructive
towards assessment for learning will be unproductive, as long as we feedback on previous versions of this paper. The author also wants
ignore the teachers particular beliefs telling them that young to thank Dr. L. Harris for her helpful feedback on a previous version
learners are not capable of assuming an active role in their learning of the paper. The author of this work is member of the Develop-
process, just for instance. ment, Interaction and Communication in Educational Contexts
This study leaves doors open for further research as well. More Consolidated Research Group. This group has been supported and
research is needed, for instance, to examine the relationships nanced by the Generalitat de Catalunya since 1995 (2009 SGR
between teachers conceptions of assessment and the educational 933).
background of teachers, since this background differs signicantly
between primary and secondary teachers in most countries, with
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