Professional controversies between teachers about their summative assessment practices: a tool for building assessment capacity

• Published in: Assessment in education : principles, policy & practice Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 228 - 249
• Main Authors: Mottier Lopez, Lucie, Pasquini, Raphaël
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 03.04.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Alignment (Education); Capacity Building; Case Studies; Curricula; Curriculum alignment; Disputes; Education; Educational Practices; Elementary School Teachers; Faculty Development; Foreign Countries; Interrater Reliability; professional controversies; Professional development; Qualitative Research; Secondary School Teachers; Secondary Schools; social moderation; summative assessment; Summative Evaluation; Teachers; teachers' professional development; Switzerland
• ISSN: 0969-594X; 1465-329X
• DOI: 10.1080/0969594X.2017.1293001

This article describes two collaborative research projects whose common goal was to explore the potential role of professional controversies in building teachers' summative assessment capacity. In the first project, upper primary teachers were encouraged to compare their practices through a form of social moderation, without prior instructor input or theoretical preparation. In the second project, lower secondary school teachers were encouraged to compare their summative assessment practices with reference to a theoretical model of curriculum alignment, under the guidance of an instructor. The findings support the potentially constructive role of professional controversies in supporting teachers' professional development for summative assessment. They highlight the status of references called upon in discussion of controversies, and their contribution to the construction of the subjects under discussion.