Assessment for Learning to Teach: Appraisal of Practice Teaching Lessons by Mentors, Supervisors, and Student Teachers

• Published in: Journal of teacher education 2009-03, Vol.60 (2), p.155-167
• Main Author: Tillema, Harm H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Classroom Techniques; Cooperating Teachers; Evaluation; Evaluation Methods; Foreign Countries; Mentoring programs; Mentors; Methods; Netherlands; Quality of education; Questionnaires; Student Teacher Evaluation; Student Teacher Supervisors; Student Teachers; Student Teaching; Teacher centers; Teacher centres; Teacher Competencies; Teacher education; Teacher Educators; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Teaching Skills; Training
• ISSN: 0022-4871; 1552-7816
• DOI: 10.1177/0022487108330551

Supporting student teachers in learning to teach is a collaborative effort by mentor teachers, teacher education supervisors, and student teachers. Each of the participants appraises effort and progress in learning to teach from different perspectives, however. This study explores how practice lessons are assessed by multiple raters. Teacher educators, mentor teachers, and student teachers (51 participants in total) were asked to appraise a practice lesson given by the mentored student. Alignment in rating was analyzed in 17 triads and compared with respect to purpose of assessment, object of appraisal, preferred methods, and focus of the appraisal as well as on the criteria used by the various assessors. Shared problems encountered during the appraisal were also gauged. Our findings indicate considerable variation in purposes and multiple perspectives in criteria among the different assessors. Differences and similarities among the stakeholders were interpreted as contributing to a multifaceted appraisal of accomplishments. Nevertheless, a shared, common ground is also needed to value the different aspects that should be included in an integrated or encompassing approach for assessment of learning to teach.