Asset-Based Assessment In Educational Psychology: Capturing Perceptions During a Paradigm Shift

Abstract

Several trends are compelling educational psychologists towards a philosophy of assessment that is asset-based and strength focused. This article shares the results from a study that explored perceptions about asset-based assessment in Educational Psychology in South Africa. Three focus groups were held and four main themes emerged from the transcribed data. Results indicate that educational psychologists perceive asset-based assessment as involving: (a) a focus on assets, (b) individual and community level assessment, (c) collaboration skills, and (d) self-reflective skills. The first three themes are congruent with asset-based theories, but the fourth theme is currently under-represented in asset-based literature and therefore in need of further research.Key Words: Assets, Educational Psychology, Assessment, Strengths, SkillsThe dominance of the deficit model and paradigm in Educational Psychology 1 , with its focus on needs and problems, has recently led to the development of counter models in different pockets of the science and practice of Educational Psychology (Ammerman & Parks, 1998; Eloff & Ebersöhn, 2002;Hernandez, 1998;Kretzmann & McKnight, 1993;Lockett, 2000;McDonald, 1997;Mokwena, 1997;Page-Adams & Sherraden, 1997;Rudolph & Epstein, 2000;Sharpe & Greany, 2000;Sharratt, 1995). Themes such as resilience (Hiew, 2002;LaFramboise, 2002;Ow, 2002;Satiadarma, 2002;Takahashi, 2002), asset-based approaches (Eloff & Ebersöhn, 2001;Kretzmann & McKnight, 1993) and a focus on the fortogenic perspective in psychology are evident (Wissing & Van Eeden, 2002). Research on resiliency has shifted attention to children that succeed and thrive under extenuating circumstances, along with other constructs conceptualizing aspects of psychological health, strengths and wellness and their origins (fortogenesis). This move away from the deficit paradigm, toward a paradigm that focuses on the counter constructs, strengths, resources and capacities of people, points toward an asset-based approach. In terms of assessment, this transition implies a culture of dynamic assessment that includes the broader social systems in the assessment process, which creates coherence, stresses collaboration and values partnerships.The research and practice of asset-based assessment is now emerging in the field of Educational Psychology. Questions that remain unanswered are vast: How do we conduct asset-based assessment? Who could and should be doing asset-based assessment? What are the consequences of asset-based assessment? How does asset-based assessment fit within broader educational, psychological and sociological domains? These questions highlight how much is yet to be understood about asset-based assessment and this realization can be overwhelming, because traditionally, educational psychologists do not work in an asset-based manner. However, this realization can also be inspiring as it provides a new emphasis on assessment and can facilitate a more holistic conceptualization of an individual or family (Rhee, Furlong, Turner, & Harari, 2001)...

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