“They Were Speaking a Different Language”: The Field Experience Influence on Preservice Teachers’ Assessment Literacy

• In Event: Varying Perspectives on the Development of Preservice Teachers Through Field Experience

Abstract

This paper examines preservice teachers’ thinking about their own assessment literacy, while in a methods course and teaching lessons in a secondary school field experience. This paper uses the concepts of discourse, assessment literacy, and agency to discuss the influence of field experiences on preservice teachers’ assessment literacy and complex decision-making process. The participants’ data produced three findings related to their assessment literacy, which signified their perspectives on assessment in schools and their agency: Pursuing Acceptance, Seeking Improvement, and Resilient Reinforcement. This research provides valuable insights on preservice teachers’ understanding of assessment for teacher educators and highlights the complex influence of field experiences on the assessment decisions of preservice teachers, their assessment literacy, and their agency in the school context.

Author

• J. Spencer Clark, Utah State University