Secondary Teachers' Assessments of Learning Skills and Work Habits

• In Event: 77.056 - Fairmont Royal York Roundtable Session Seven
  In Roundtable Session: 77.056-1 - Assessing Metacognitive and Noncognitive Skills

Abstract

Many school systems require teachers to assess and report elements of student performance beyond subject area achievement. However, little is known about how teachers assess diverse skills such as collaboration, self-regulation, and organization. This study used semi-structured interviews with 26 secondary teachers to explore how they grade a set of six learning skills and work habits. Results show that teachers struggle to define, assess, and grade these skills, leading to great variability in their grading practices. Implications of these findings include the difficulty of extracting meaning from the grades, and the need for teachers to be supported in making these assessments.

Authors

• Stefan Denis Merchant, Queen's University - Kingston

• Don A. Klinger, The University of Waikato

• Nancy L. Hutchinson, Queen's University