Positive assessments in teacher learning

Abstract

Much scholarly and pedagogical attention has been devoted to positive and negative feedback in language and other classrooms. This article looks at feedback in teacher education classrooms. In particular, it examines the nature and effect of positive assessments in whole class interaction. Based on examples from a teacher education classroom, it shows that positive assessments may not always maximize learning opportunities in potentially interaction-rich contexts. The article argues for a reconsideration of positive assessments in teacher learning, and ends by offering suggestions for managing the interactional complexities of positive feedback in the teacher education classroom.