Learning Formative Assessment Through Focused Conversations: Two Pairs of Elementary Mentors and Preservice Teachers

• In Event: Can We Talk? Conversations and Dialogue to Improve Teaching and Assessment in the Field Experience

Abstract

Formative assessment plays an important role in supporting student learning and guiding teacher instruction. The assumption that mentor-novice conversations help preservice teachers learn how to teach drives the development of field-based teacher education programs. Framed through activity theory and the perspective of formative assessment, and drawing upon conversational transcripts, documents, and interview data from two pairs of mentor teachers and their interns, this study examines whether and how mentor-novice conversations help preservice teachers learn to use formative assessment to guide their instruction. Findings indicate that preservice teachers start to implement formative assessment through this learning process. Different interactions of mentor and intern lead to different potential limitations of the learning outcome.

Authors

• Su Gao, University of Central Florida

• Marilyn McKinney, University of Nevada - Las Vegas