Teachers learning from professional development in elementary science: Reciprocal relations between formative assessment and pedagogical content knowledge

Abstract

Formative assessment, assessment used to inform subsequent learning, can have a powerful positive impact on student achievement, but little empirical work has been conducted to investigate the role of teachers' knowledge in its practice. This study investigated reciprocal relations between elementary science teachers' formative assessment practices and their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Data sources included video records and artifacts from a professional development (PD) program that engaged 11 teachers in collaborative analysis of their students' work. Analysis of the data showed that teachers' PCK was a resource in all aspects of their formative assessment practice, and teachers most frequently made use of their existing knowledge of instructional strategies and curriculum. It also showed that teachers constructed PCK through formative assessment by building and refining knowledge of curricular goals and student understanding over multiple PD sessions. Findings suggest that formative assessment can be a powerfulThe research reported in this paper was conducted as part of the study Effects of Content-Focused and Practice-Based Professional Development Models on Teacher Knowledge, Classroom Practice, and Student Learning.

Reviewing the Challenges of Implementing Formative Assessment in Asia: The Need for a Professional Development Program

“…In addition, there are two main obstacles to formative assessment that most studies in this field describe, even in non-Asian formative assessment studies, its time-consuming nature and demanding workload (Akom, 2010;Asghar, 2009;Falk, 2011;Jackson & Marks, 2015;OECD, 2005). When implementing formative assessment in the classroom, teachers were required to do additional work (e.g., eliciting student learning information, comparing learning outcomes, giving feedback, adjusting instructions) in order to satisfy the learning needs of individual students.…”

Exploring effectiveness of simulation-based inquiry learning in science with integration of formative assessment

“…Currently science teachers need to understand the process by which they establish learning goals, determine what students currently know, and then to take action in the form of providing feedback to help students advance in their learning (Black and Wiliam 2009;National Research Council 2001). Educational researchers recommended formative assessment, assessment used to inform subsequent learning, as an instructional strategy, which can have a considerable positive impact on student learning (Black et al 2002;Falk 2011). Formative assessment can take a number of forms in science classrooms.…”

“…In classroom practice, formative assessment (FA), i.e., assessment used to inform subsequent learning, is recommended by educational researchers as an instructional strategy, which can have a considerable positive impact on student learning (Black et al 2002;Falk 2011). Black and Wiliam (1998) reviewed 250 articles and chapters that investigated the effects of efforts to strengthen formative assessment on student achievement in comparison with controls.…”

Learning progressions as tools for supporting teacher content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge about water in environmental systems

“…Two important factors in teachers learning to use innovations are teachers' CK, defined as knowledge of the subject matter, and PCK, the specialized knowledge of curriculum, students, teaching, and assessment used by teachers to transform content knowledge into knowledge for teaching subject matter (Magnusson, Krajcik, & Borko, ; Park & Oliver, ; Shulman, ). Both CK and PCK affect teachers' practice (Abell, ; Childs & McNicholl, ; Falk, ; Kind, ; Park & Chen, ; Roehrig & Luft, ). When new research‐based innovations, such as learning progression‐based standards (i.e., Next Generation Science Standards) and learning progression‐based curriculum materials, are introduced into the classroom, teachers' CK and PCK influence how they understand the purpose and use of those innovations (Cohen & Yarden, ; van Driel, Beijaard, & Verloop, ).…”

“…Teachers' experiences with students help them notice patterns in student thinking and develop instructional strategies that respond to student learning challenges (Lee & Luft, ; Mulholland & Wallace, ; van Driel, Jong, & Verloop, ). Efforts to support teachers in developing their PCK for specific topics beyond what they may gain from classroom experience have included professional development to help teachers widen their repertoire of instructional strategies (Clermont, Krajcik, & Borko, ; Justi & van Driel, ); workshops on formative assessment (Falk, ; Nilsson, ); study groups analyzing vignettes or case studies of instruction about a topic (Daehler & Shinohara, ); and mentoring of inexperienced teachers by more experienced teachers or teacher educators (Nilsson & van Driel, ).…”