French Primary Teachers’ Assessment Practices: Nature and Complexity of Assessment Tasks

Abstract

Lack of regulation regarding grading and autonomy granted to teachers in the classroom characterize evaluation in France. Therefore, we know little about the assessment practices of French teachers. This paper reports results of a study designed to explore the assessment practices of French primary school teachers in mathematics with a didactic approach. Using a didactic tool to analyse assessment tasks given to students and studying classroom assessment practices of 25 primary school teachers, I found that, even if the tasks proposed in assessments are different, most are connected to low-levels of complexity and competencies. Great diversity is a characteristic of assessment practices among primary school teachers in France concerning grading, design intent, collaboration, etc.