Mistakes in assessment of students’ work and achievement - perceptions of teachers in practice and future teachers

Vera Života Radović, Tančić Nataša, Milica Marković

Faculty of Education, University of Belgrade

vera.radovic@uf.bg.ac.rs

Education for personal and professional development

Abstract

Didactic analysis of the problem of assessment of students’ work and achievement have instigated a number of dilemmas regarding the objectivity of assessors (Radović at all 2019; Hardre, 2014), fairness of the assessment (Stančić, 2020), purpose of the assessment (Prukalski, 2024), didactic competencies of teachers (teacher assessment literacy) (Pastore, 2023; Adamson, 2020; Radović, 2019; De Luca at all, 2016). The aim of the study was to analyse how mistakes in assessment of student’s work and achievement are perceived by teachers in practice and future teachers bearing in mind mapped dilemmas. Qualitative analysis of transcribed answers given by active teachers from 107 primary schools in Serbia, in cooperation with students of second year of teacher academic education, was used. Teachers in practice and future teachers were asked to come to an agreement and select three typical mistakes related to the teacher factor and a student factor along with their comments and recommendations for overcoming them. The results of the analysis have shown that typical mistakes are most commonly related to the lack or inadequacy of didactic competencies of teachers, i.e. inadequate methods of teaching, lack of motivation for learning and certain students’ characteristics. Comments and recommendations by active and future teachers aimed at overcoming typical mistakes in assessment are significant for the improvement of initial education and professional development of teachers regarding this aspect of their work, especially regarding the purpose of learning assessment, assessment for learning and assessment as learning.

Key words

assessment; didactic competencies; teacher; student; learning