Illumination Through Descriptive Expression: Encouraging Creativity in a Summative Teacher Performance Assessment Portfolio

• In Event: Assessment, Perception, and Education: An Eisnerian Lens

Abstract

This study examines products from a statewide Teacher Performance Assessment system that was designed to encourage the use of imaginative and creative expression among prospective teachers and to act as a model for their future practice. The authors used the guiding principles of educational connoisseurship and criticism to conduct a content analysis of a sample of completed licensure portfolios. The findings demonstrate that fostering creativity through descriptive writing has the potential to lead to more sophisticated outcomes.

Authors

• Claudine Prairie Bedell, Saint Michael's College

• David J. McGough, Northern Vermont University

• Barri E. Tinkler, Missouri State University