Can teachers’ summative assessments produce dependable results and also enhance classroom learning?

Abstract

Summative assessments that are integrated within the daily pedagogy of teachers are problematic. Some argue that they cannot both be helpful to pedagogy and yield results that are comparable across and between schools. Others claim that there is enough evidence to show that these targets can be achieved. The project described in this paper explored how teachers might enhance their competence in summative assessment in ways which might also have a positive effect on their teaching and learning. A strategy was developed based on five key features of summative assessment practices. The findings, from a longitudinal study with 18 teachers, are based on the teachers’ opinions, both about the quality of the results which they achieved, and about the positive impacts on the involvement of pupils, on collaboration between teachers, and on interaction with parents. The project involved teachers of English and mathematics in three schools, working with the authors, over two-and-a-half years.