Improving early childhood teachers’ formative assessment practices: Transformative role of collaborative action research

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the change process of early childhood teachers’ formative assessment practices via collaborative action research. Formative assessment contributes to children’s development and learning process and also guides teachers on instructional decisions. Although research emphasizes the importance of formative assessment, teachers encounter difficulties while implementing it in their classrooms. Three early childhood teachers participated in this qualitative study, and the data were gathered through interviews and observations. The findings about the teachers’ change processes revealed that despite the difficulties experienced; teachers began to conduct systematic observation, document children’s development and learning, and use assessment data for their further plans. The transformative power of action research in changing teachers’ practices is highlighted in this study.

The effect of the e-mentoring-based education program on professional development of preschool teachers

“…Other research also established that thanks to the support from the mentor, teachers’ feelings of emotional support increased, feelings of loneliness decreased, teaching self-efficacy increased, reflective thinking skills improved, willingness for teaching increased, and problem-solving skills developed (Brintnall, 2002 ; DeWert et al, 2003 ; Hew & Knapczyk, 2007 ; Langhey, 2008 ; McDiarmid, 2006 ). In an action research, Aras ( 2019 ) also explained that even if difficulties were involved during the process, as a result of implementations carried out together, teachers made systematic observations, which they documented, and they started to use their assessment data for future planning.…”

“…In this context, in addition to the traditional methods such as seminars, conferences and workshops, professional development models such as coaching and mentoring are needed, during which the development of a teacher is individually monitored by a leader and supported throughout the process (Guskey, 2000 ). As a matter of fact, in her research study on preschool teachers, Aras ( 2019 ) also pointed to the role of professional development designs in assessing learning and emphasized that professional development models needed to be improved for investigating teachers’ professional practices, meeting their needs and contributing to their practices.…”

Re-Positioning Assessment for Children’s Creativity and Teachers’ Creativity Fostering Behaviours: A Case Study of Kindergarten Curriculum Reform Efforts

“…The traditional form of summative assessment, usually in the form of "paper and pencil" test and examinations, could not provide children with opportunities to exhibit their full range of competence due to the restricted setting (Berry, 2008;Pellegrini, 2001). Moreover, children's development trajectory and learning progress is complex, which means assessing children's achievements could be difficult or superficial through summative assessment in the early years (Aras, 2019). Whereas, formative assessment, such as learning portfolios, allows teachers to obtain more meaningful information about children's learning and development through their daily activities which promotes continuous teaching and learning modifications (Aras, 2019;Berry, 2008;Brown, 2005;Dunphy, 2010;Pyle & DeLuca, 2017;Wiliam, 2011).…”

“…Formative assessment has been considered as important in the early childhood educational settings in existing research (Aras, 2019;Dunphy, 2010;Pellegrini, 2001). Teachers could promptly diagnose children's learning difficulties and make corresponding teaching and learning modifications to enhance children's learning (Berry, 2008;Brown, 2005;Wiliam, 2011).…”

Reconceptualising the role of the child portfolio in assessment: How it serves for ‘assessment as learning’

“…Traditional assessment methods involve limited interaction between the child and their peers and teachers during assessment. Recently, it has been asserted that the voice of children during the assessment process is a critical factor, which makes the assessment itself more effective (Aras, 2019), and this process improves the role of learners as they contribute to their own assessment (Black and Wiliam, 1998;Fyfe, 2011).…”