This work systematically reviews teacher assessment literacy measures within the context of contemporary teacher evaluation policy. In this study, the researchers collected objective tests of assessment knowledge, teacher self‐reports, and rubrics to evaluate teachers’ work in assessment literacy studies from 1991 to 2012. Then they evaluated the psychometric work from these measures against a set of claims related to score interpretation and use. Across the 36 measures reviewed, they found support for these claims was weak. This outcome highlights the need for increased work on assessment literacy measures in the educational measurement field. The authors conclude with recommendations and a resource to inform a research agenda focused on assessment literacy measurement to inform policy and practice.
This article examined the performance of 57 students with learning disabilities (LD) from four middle schools. Students were followed over the course of a school year in their inclusive science classrooms as they alternated between the use of traditional curricular materials for some units of study and materials that were supplemented with video games and alternative print-based texts to more closely align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines during other units. Findings indicate that video games and supplemental text were effective at providing students with multiple means of representation and expression. The UDL-aligned units led to heightened levels of student engagement. There were no significant differences on posttest scores when students with LD were compared with peers without LD. Students’ performance did not indicate significant differences between UDL-aligned units and those taught using traditional curricular materials. Findings suggest a need for alternative assessments to measure learning outcomes during UDL-aligned units. Implications for practice and areas of future research are discussed.
The Theory of Reasoned Action has proven to be a valuable tool for predicting and understanding behavior and, as such, provides a potentially important basis for environmental education program design. This study used a Theory of Reasoned Action approach to examine a unique type of behavior (nature-related activities) and a unique population (early adolescents). Participants (n ϭ 164, ages 9-14) reported their attitudes, subjective norms, age, gender, behavioral intentions, and behaviors in a written questionnaire. Results showed mild success in accounting for children's nature-related behaviors and intentions (R 2 ϭ .05 to .33). In general, the ability to predict intentions was greater than the ability to explain actual behaviors. Findings suggest that environmental educators should focus on attitudes when the goal is to achieve behavior change. Future research should compare a Theory of Reasoned Action approach with several alternative frameworks for explaining children's nature-related behaviors, and investigate the relationship between behaviors and behavioral intentions to see why a discrepancy exists in the ability to account for each construct. To more fully influence behavior in environmental education programs, educators may need to address other factors besides attitudes and subjective norms.
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