Assessment

This volume examines the multiple meanings of the term assessment in teacher education from an historical and international perspective, integrating ideas from research and practice. Christine Harrison argues for a need to focus on the development of classroom assessment literacy and teacher assessment capability within teacher education programmes in order to support teachers’ confidence and capacity to respond and adapt to the often fast changing demands in this area. Finding an assessment system that works for schools and provides sufficient evidence to gain public confidence is a global challenge. On the one hand, there is a need to adhere to and contribute to national education policy on assessment. On the other, there is a requirement to fashion appropriate systems and practices at local level. Christine Harrison provides an overview of this conflicted term, offering a better understanding of assessment principles and practices through teacher education to optimise the potential of assessment, enabling teachers and schools to challenge current conventional uses of measurement in favour of assessment practices that support learning and respect sociocultural diversity. Developing assessment capability can be both a humane and humanizing activity – for students and for teachers.