The paper reports on the findings of a Learning and Skills Research Centre (LSRC) funded study investigating the impact of different modes and methods of assessment on achievement and progress in post-secondary education and training. Data were collected across Advanced-level academic and vocational preparation programmes in schools and colleges,…

This paper explores the ways in which assessment has developed and is developing in Scotland. The article begins by providing background information on Scotland's educational system. The second section tracks the relationship between curriculum and assessment in Scotland for children aged 3-14, 14-16 and 16+. The third section explores Scotland's…

Setting examination questions in real-world contexts is widespread. However, when students are reading contextualized questions there is a risk that the cognitive processes provoked by the context can interfere with their understanding of the concepts in the question. Validity may then be compromised. We introduce the concept of "focus":…

Achievement goal theory is an important theoretical framework for understanding achievement motivation. In previous studies, a mastery orientation has been shown to be related to students' interest, while a performance orientation has been found to be predictive of academic performance outcomes such as course grades. In this study, the two mastery…

This article explores the features relating to the validity of assessment for learning, in particular the features of a "collaborative" assessment for learning, because of the learning benefits associated with collaborative learning. The article indicates what some of the learning benefits of highly valid collaborative assessment for…

This paper seeks to unpack some dimensions of formative assessment not yet fully articulated in the existing literature. It introduces the term, pre-emptive formative assessment to denote teacher actions which attempt to clarify student understandings before misconceptions have resulted in ineffective learning outcomes and/or loss of marks in…

This article concerns the importance of clarity in thinking and talking about certain core concepts of educational assessment. It begins by identifying three quite distinct interpretations of the term "assessment purpose". It continues by challenging the supposed distinction between "formative" and…

This article describes the background and findings of a research project on school effectiveness and evaluation in one regional education authority in China. The study was the outcome of a China/UK academic link aiming to improve research capacity and the evaluation of educational quality in China, funded by the British Council in Beijing, on…

This review essay describes in detail two recent publications: "Formative Assessment: Improving Learning in Secondary Classrooms" (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation [CERI], 2005, Paris, OECD) and "Towards Coherence Between Classroom Assessment and Accountability" ("The 103rd Yearbook of the National Society…

This paper focuses on reconfiguring assessment processes so that they support a learning function, in addition to the more traditional measurement function. In the first half of the paper we discuss a framework for "learning-oriented assessment" derived from a project carried out in Hong Kong. We conceptualize learning-oriented…

This article described a national study in Vietnam whereby a probability sample of students was chosen from each of the 61 provinces. A reading test consisting of 60 items was administered. The items were matched to the Vietnam reading and language curriculum for Year 5 students. Using a skills audit of the items, a variable of reading development…

This article explores the relationship between student engagement and student self-assessment. It reports on research that has reconceptualised ways of understanding levels of student engagement among primary school learners who live in poor communities. These ways of understanding have been influential in the development of a student…

This study considered middle school mathematics teachers use of rubrics to score non-traditional tasks. A group of eighth-grade teachers attended a two-day workshop where they evaluated assessment tasks and discussed the use of an associated scoring rubric. Scored samples of student work submitted by the teachers indicated that they had difficulty…

The paper examines the rationale and the uses of portfolios in initial teacher education. This rationale is then applied to explore the development and implementation of the Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) as an integral part of the initial teacher education programme offered by the Faculty of Education, University of Malta. The paper…

Performance assessment in the UK science General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) currently relies on pupil reports of their investigations. These are widely criticized. Written tests of procedural understanding could be used as an alternative, but what exactly do they measure? This paper describes small-scale research in which there was…