Approaches to assessing preservice teachers' learning in authentic and rigorous ways: the case of an inclusive education module
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Date
2016
Authors
Walton, Elizabeth
Rusznyak, Lee
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
Abstract
Initial teacher education programmes offer inclusive education
modules that seek to prepare teachers for teaching diverse
learners. While there is growing research on the content and
pedagogy of inclusive education modules, relatively less attention
has been given to the assessment of these modules. This paper
focuses on the challenges of promoting authenticity, academic
depth and rigour in inclusive education through assessment
tasks. Drawing on Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s (1999) concepts of
knowledge for-, in- and of- practice in education, we critically reflect
on three approaches used to assess an inclusive education course
over a number of years. The first approach required pre-service
teachers to articulate their understanding of important concepts
associated with inclusive education, the second required them to
provide evidence of their ability to use inclusive strategies, while
the third approach provided opportunities for them to participate in
a research project about inclusionary and exclusionary practices
in schools. We find that these approaches represent inclusive
education knowledge with different degrees of conceptual integrity
and provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to participate in
authentic academic and professional practices to different extents.
We conclude by suggesting how the assessment of inclusive
education can be approached so that neither academic rigour nor
authenticity is compromised.
Description
Keywords
Pre-service teacher education, Assessment, Inclusive education, Teacher knowledge, Teacher practices
Citation
Walton, E., & Rusznyak, L. (2016). Approaches to assessing preservice teachers' learning in authentic and rigorous ways: the case of an inclusive education module. Perspectives in Education, 34(1), 84-101.