ASSESSMENT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN BRAZIL

Marja Van Den Heuvel-Panhuizen,Jutta Cornelia Reuwsaat Justo,Michiel Veldhuis,Ednei Luís Becher

doi:10.1590/0102-4698212670

Marja Van Den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Jutta Cornelia Reuwsaat Justo + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-4698212670

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Abstract

ABSTRACT: In this study, we aimed to gain further knowledge about Brazilian primary school teachers' assessment practices and beliefs in mathematics education. For this, we carried out an analysis of curriculum documents and reviewed recent research literature on assessment in Brazil, permitting us to answer the following research question: How are the mathematics assessment practices and teachers' beliefs, as revealed in recent research, and how are these related to the conceptualization of assessment in Brazilian mathematics curriculum documents? We found that teachers' assessment practices, as described in the reviewed research between 2010 and 2017, did, in general, not reflect the conceptualization of assessment in the curriculum documents. Furthermore, despite that the beliefs of most teachers on assessment reflected it to be a process to improve teaching and learning, their mathematics assessment practices did not favor assessment for learning. Still, they were mostly used as an instrument to determine students' classification. We recommend a public policy in which teachers are offered opportunities for professional development, focusing on formative assessment in mathematics education.

Highlights

In the last half of the 20th century, in many countries around the world, educational reforms have taken place
We carried out an analysis of curriculum documents and reviewed recent research literature on assessment in Brazil, permitting us to answer the following research question: How are the mathematics assessment practices and teachers' beliefs, as revealed in recent research, and how are these related to the conceptualization of assessment in Brazilian mathematics curriculum documents? We found that teachers' assessment practices, as described in the reviewed research between 2010 and 2017, did, in general, not reflect the conceptualization of assessment in the curriculum documents
To determine the conceptualizations of assessment described in the Brazilian curriculum document PCN (Ministério da Educação, 1997), we identified the main themes in this document such as assessment practices, ongoing process, and connection with goals, dealing with errors, and standards to be measured

Summary

Introduction

In the last half of the 20th century, in many countries around the world, educational reforms have taken place Most of these educational reforms advocated an assessment reform (Berry, 2011), promoting the view of assessment as an ongoing process interconnected with teaching and learning (e.g., Shepard, 2000; Suurtamm, Koch, & Arden, 2010; Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, 1996; Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen & Becker, 2003). The National Curriculum Parameters (Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais – PCN; Ministério da Educação, 1997) meant to provide schools and school systems with indications for elaborating their own curriculum and emphasized that, in addition to large-scale assessment, there should be more attention for classroom assessment This assessment was understood as "a part of the process of teaching and learning"

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