PERCEPTIONS OF THE PRESERVICE TEACHERS TOWARD ASSESSMENT

Abstract

Extended Abstract Introduction: Assessment, which is the process for the determination of what the students know, can do and are interested in, is also an inseparable part of learning and teaching. In addition to having a powerful effect on the learning pattern of the individuals, it has an important role in the learning process and therefore in teaching methods. Assesment may be diagnostic, formative and summative. All these have different purposes. Metaphor can be defined as describing a phenomenon or a concept by the terms which are more familiar. Metaphors can be used to determine the perceptions. The aim of this research is to determine the perceptions of the preservice teachers toward assessment. Method: Phenomenology pattern is used for the research. The sample consists of 72 preservice teachers who are studying math, science, primary school and preschool teaching programmes in Cumhuriyet University. Perception of the preservice teachers toward assessment is determined by metaphors. Data are obtained by participants by completing the “Assessment is like ........, because ......... â€? sentence. Content analysis is used for analyzing the data. Perceptions of preservice teachers are categorized under three groups, which are diagnostic, formative and summative by analyzing the metaphors and reasons. Results: Metaphors of the preservice teachers are also examined according to their program and class level. It is identified that the preservice teachers have formed 14 metaphors related to the assessment. It is emerged that the perceptions of the assessment of preservice teachers are concentrated on the diagnostic assessment. The numbers of the preservice teachers, who have the perceptions toward formative and summative assessment, are equal. When it is analyzed according to the program it is seen that; math, primary school and preschool preservice teachers have more the diagnostic assessment's metaphors, science preservice teachers the formative assessment's metaphors. The perceptions of the preservice teachers toward assessment vary according to the level of the class. It is seen that the preservice teachers of first class are more intense in “summativeâ€?, second class are more intense in “summativeâ€? and “diagnosticâ€?, third class are more intense in “diagnosticâ€? and fourth class are more intense in “formativeâ€? perception toward assessment. Recommendations: According to the findings, some recommendations were developed. Preservice teachers must be provided with professional development opportunities which are based upon assessment techniques. To improve preservice teachers acquisitions teacher educators, teachers and preservice teachers should work collaboratively. This collaboration helps to improve preservice teachers' view points about assessment process. Keywords: Assessment, perception, metaphor, preservice teacher education.