Study On Development Of Teachers' Assessment Literacy

The assessment literacy of teacher is a new research area, with its focus upon developing teachers' assessment literacy. Around the topic, this paper will discuss three basic problems in detail within the context of the reform of China's fundamental education curriculum. The three problems are: why do teachers need assessment literacy, what kind of assessment literacy do they need and how to develop their assessment literacy. After answering the three above questions by means of literature research, survey research and case study, my research continue to raise the following propositions and conclusions.Facts and theory analysis all confirm that teachers who possess assessment literacy can better implement achievement assessment. An investigation of teachers' assessment literacy in Zhejiang province finds that teachers have poor assessment competencies. The survey show that the score of teachers' assessment knowledge and skills is low significantly, teachers' assessment experiences do not do much to do with the assessment marks, the assessment attitude and assessment competency is a positive correlation. This paper further demonstrates, theoretically, the necessity of the requirement of teachers' assessment literacy. The standards-based reform requires teachers should do their teaching and assessment based on curriculum standards. The paradigm of achievement assessment is changing from a psychometric paradigm to paradigm of assessment for learning, in which the teacher should be the producer and accompanist of the assessment, not the consumer and soloist. From the point of teacher professional development, it is necessary for teachers to pay equal attention to teaching as well as how to assess.On the basis of survey research and theoretical analysis, this paper constructs a framework of teachers' assessment literacy by use of foreign research findings. It is a framework which integrates the assessment attitude, knowledge and skills. For our primary and secondary school teachers, the assessment literacy which they need is the embodiment of the above framework. It displays on three sides. First, teachers should treat external and classroom assessment with the attitude of promoting learning. Secondly, teachers acquire lots of knowledge about classroom assessment and a little about standardized tests. Thirdly, teachers possess those six assessment skills coincident with the assessment attitude and knowledge, that is, they can plan an assessment program based on learning goals, correctly collect assessment information with proper assessment methods, use the collected information to improve the student learning and make instructional decisions, make a decision on the assessment results and interpret it in the proper way, communicate and use the assessment results efficiently, avoid the misuse and prejudice of assessment and lead students to participate in the assessment process.To develop teachers' assessment literacy is a duty of the government, of the school, as well as the teacher himself. Only by working together can they equip teachers with assessment literacy. Government's role in this is mostly indirect. It affects teachers' assessment practice by ways of achievement assessment policy, teacher education system, assessment training etc. In that way the government should be responsible for the following. Firstly, it should establish achievement assessment of power-sharing policies, allocate the assessment power reasonably, cultivate intermediary organizations of achievement assessment and increase the actual input for classroom assessment. Secondly, the government should update the teacher education system, draw up professional standards of teachers' assessment literacy, and evaluate teacher education curriculum. Finally, the government should make a plan on the assessment training and carry it out, train all the teaching staff, reinforce the assessment training's management and supervision, encourage the professional organization to develop quality assessment training programs.School is the place for teachers to develop themselves. Their development can not be attained without the school's support. However, in fact the evaluation system, policies and environment of schools are not beneficial for the development of the assessment literacy of teachers. Therefore, the school should create an assessment culture and environment and provide professional support for teachers. On the one hand, schools should establish a balanced assessment system, cultivate assessment cultures and create supportive assessment environments. On the other hand, schools should promote the supportive strength of professional organizations in schools, carry out school-based assessment training based on teachers' need and introduce the professional strength outside school.For teachers, to develop their assessment literacy, the most important point is to enhance professional learning and improve their assessment practice. Teachers could get relative assessment knowledge and skills by their problem-based learning, learning by doing and cooperative learning. To improve their worse assessment practice, teachers should plan the assessment project, improve classroom questioning, properly use feedback, and involve students in the assessment process.