Teachers’ Understanding, Implementing and Reflecting upon Classroom Assessment in Primary and Junior High Schools of China

Abstract

Good teachers should not only be experts in teaching, but also develop a deep understanding of classroom assessment. In order to explore how primary and junior high school teachers in China understand, implement, and reflect upon classroom assessment, as well as to discover the strengths and weaknesses in teachers’ professional development, interviews were conducted with 18 teachers from primary and junior high schools in urban areas, counties, and rural areas of Beijing. Nonparticipatory observations of their classes were also conducted. The findings suggest that since the implementation of the New Curriculum in 2001, there has been a positive change in teachers’ understanding and practice of classroom assessment. Teachers have accepted and taken the initiative in putting into effect the concept of developmental assessment, emphasizing the developmental function of classroom assessment. However, there are still some issues requiring urgent attention, such as: teachers don’t reflect sufficiently on their assessment practice and lack the knowledge concerning meta-assessment; although teachers place high value on summative assessment, few of them provide in-class tests or feedback for students; teachers haven’t mastered the necessary skills of assessment, not knowing how to assess students’ pluralistic development accurately and effectively. Therefore, in the future, primary and junior high schools need to strengthen teacher-training projects and improve teaching and research activities so as to effectively improve teachers’ evaluative qualities and professional development.