Education Executives Views About the Development of Authentic Learning and Assessment Environments

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate how the concept of “authentic learning” and “authentic assessment” is formed in the discourse of education executives with previous teaching experience in primary and secondary education. Authentic learning is based on the theory of social constructivism, according to which the social nature of knowledge is emphasized and the learner builds knowledge by creating meaningful authentic activities. Authentic assessment is described as adynamic form of assessment which focuses on the skills developed by students during the learning process(Woolfolk, 2007). The design of learning environments is based on the nine features of authentic learning, constructivism and the theory of embedded learning (Herrington, 2006). In this study examples of authentic activities that support authentic learning environments in which a variety of authentic techniques are used and they are related to different subjects are presented. The sample of the study consisted of 114 adults participating in a training program as a qualification for their professional development during the year 2018-2019. Quantitative analysis of the data was conducted. The analysis of the data revealed that an authentic learning environment consists of experientiality, interdisciplinarity, team work, problem solving, self-assessment, peer-assessment, real-world relevance, which are characteristics of authentic learning and assessment. Moreover, the implementation of authentic learning activities can lead to the development of the cognitive, metacognitive, social and communicative skills of the 21st century.