Formative Assessment as Contextualised Practice: Insider Accounts

Abstract

This thesis draws on a socio-cultural framework to investigate the nature and function of the formative assessment practices of Queensland teachers of Year 12 English. The thesis presents case reports that examine two teachers’ accounts of the practices they rely on in their Year 12 English classrooms to use assessment for learning. The final chapter of the thesis presents a reflection on the cases, examined against a critical review of literature and an examination of Queensland assessment policy relating to formative assessment. It provides key insights into the teachers’ formative assessment practices in a distinctive assessment setting. Year 12 is the final year of secondary school in Queensland and is therefore a high-stakes environment. In Year 12 assessment information is gathered for certification purposes, that is, for reporting student achievement at exit from a two-year course of study and from school itself. The Queensland system is described in terms of three main characteristics: school-based, externally-moderated and standards-referenced. In Year 12, all classroom assessment is designed, carried out and reported by teachers. The reference point for student achievement is defined standards, identified in subject-specific syllabus documents. External moderation by District Panels and State Review Panels made up of experienced teachers is used as part of a system of quality assurance to ensure high comparability between judgements made by schools about their students. While a focus in Year 12 English is on reporting student achievement on course completion, and for certification purposes, there is also an expectation that Queensland Senior School teachers will be engaged in assessment for formative assessment purposes. This expectation is made explicit in the English Senior Syllabus (QBSSSS, 2002b).