Isabella Fucile

Professional Studies and Evaluating Learning

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TASK 4
Professional Teacher Assessment Identity

My Professional Teacher Assessment Identity

As an educator in the 21st century assessment to teaching and
learning is one of the central elements of the teaching professional
(Readman & Allen, 2013). I hold great belief in the fact that
assessment is a process for quality improvement (Rockman, 2001,
p. 181), and a way in which educators allow students to express

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what they have learnt, gain feedback that is positive and

constructive to assist them in achieving their goals, through rich
learning experiences (Readman & Allen, 2013). The Australian
Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching
and School Leadership, 2014) makes explicit the essentials of high
quality teaching through 7 teaching standards. These standards
should be recognised by teachers and in my case, as a pre-service
teacher. The AITSL standards are grounded on the objective that
every child must succeed in an education worth having (AITSL,
2012) whereby all young Australians are successful, confident,
creative learners, and active and informed citizens (AITSL, 2012).
This resonates strongly with the values I follow in my development
as a teacher and what I aim at achieving. Through reflective practice
my beliefs, goals, purposes and values should become more
apparent; as well as any ethical considerations and implications of
my decisions in relation to assessment.
Constructivist theories and Inquiry Learning
As my educational philosophy has developed, and is still developing
through experience, my teacher identity is being constructed,
leaning towards the theories of constructivism. It is through the
recognised works of Piaget, Vygotsky, Dewy and Bruner that
research has been done around constructivist perceptions. These
theorists all believe that learners are active in creating their own
knowledge (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2013, p. 322). This reflects my
developing values as an educator through which the students are at
the centre of their learning, and I, as the teacher, will act as a guide
in helping students construct meaning through inquiry-based tasks.
Therefore creating assessments that allow students to construct
their own meaning and demonstrate learning through choice will
encourage deep learning and thinking through rich and creative
assessment tasks. Inquiry models have influenced me in obtaining
assessment tasks that will guide further practice and enhance my
assessment literacy. Creating integrated programs and units of work
using these inquiry programs in my past experiences has influenced
my understanding about the relationship of assessment to teaching
and learning. This is through creating a summative assessment or
outcome for the students to achieve and using ongoing formative
and diagnostic assessments along the way. The models assist me in
doing this by focusing importance on engaging and exploring topics
of interest of the students through research and other activities. I
aim to do this through creating assessments that are authentic that
relate to real life contexts, engaging the students. Questions are
asked and constructed and the students make meaning themselves,
building on their existing knowledge. Making use of these types of
models resulting in students being challenged, and able to articulate
what they have learnt at the end of the unit is what it means to me

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to be assessment literate (Readman & Allen, 2013, p. 12) as an

educator.
Healthy Attitude Towards Assessment
As a future educator I strive to achieve and maintain a positive
attitude in my approach to assessment and evaluation among my
students. My goal is to make assessment an ongoing process
(Readman & Allen, 2013, p.39) whereby my students and I are
constantly working together to empower all students to achieve the
best possible outcomes they can and want. This is something I value
as a teacher, and one of my strongest beliefs. All students should
feel confident and capable with the idea of assessment and accept
any feedback as a positive way to improve their learning journey.
Creating this safe and rich learning environment is a principle I
value in my development as a future educator so that a healthy
attitude towards assessment among students is evident. I believe
assessment should not be deemed as traditional type formal test.
Instead, it should consist of a diverse range of prompts and
stimulants that require students to demonstrate their knowledge.
Simple techniques such as asking students to respond to questions
during class discussions, or interviews with groups or students or
individuals (Popham, 2009, p. 5) are examples of assessments that
assist educators in finding out information they need without
presenting a formal test to children. In doing this, teachers are able
to find out strengths, weaknesses and any misconceptions they may
have which guides future learning in a way that makes children feel
confident. In addition to this, as research suggests, I plan to be a
teacher with great resilience. In terms of assessment, I plan on
being flexible and adaptable, motivated, organised, reflective and
someone who takes advice (BRITE, 2016) when giving students an
assessment task and coping with situations that may affect my
assessment literacy within the classroom.
Principles of Assessments & Feedback on Learning
The Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and
School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) are principle
approaches that give me as a future educator, a framework for
decision-making and action. The ACARA ensures all young
Australians are successful, confident and creative learners and
active and informed citizens (ACARA, 2013). This is something I
value and aspire to as a pre-service teacher. Assessment of student
learning and working alongside the Australian Curriculum provides
teachers with information to be able to make reasonable judgments
about the quality of individual learning demonstrated by students,
which can be compared to the standards within the curriculum and

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guide further learning. Readman and Allen (2013, p. 50) outline ten
principles of assessment as themes that have arisen. Some of these
include; A focus on learners and learning whereby assessment
makes a more positive contribution to students learning rather than
negative. Another themed principle derived from the ACARA is that
assessment reflects the curriculums objectives and learning
outcomes (Readman & Allen, 2013, p. 50). Therefore I aim at
working in line with the curriculum and the learning outcomes and
use it as a framework in order to guide my teaching. One of the
most fundamental aspects of assessment to me, which is also
outlined as a themed principle is the role that plays in enhancing
learning (Readman & Allen, 2013, p. 50). I strongly believe
providing feedback that is positive, timely and constructive is
essential when trying to improve and guide learning whilst
identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses (AITSL, 2014), which
is depicted in Standard 5.2. As this is one of my goals as a future
educator, I also hope to create positive relationships with parents
and carers, which will allow me to keep regular and ongoing contact
with them. Through assessing students formatively and throughout
the year, and recording it in different ways, whether it is through
anecdotal notes, rubrics, checklists or interviews. My goal is to be
able to access these and talk to parents about their childs learning
development and explain the positive and constructive feedback I
have given to the student. As SCSA points out as one of their
important principles, assessment should be an integral part of
teaching and learning through which assessments arise naturally
out of the teaching and intended learning from the curriculum and
outcomes (School Curriculum and Reporting Authority, 2014) which
is something I strongly align with when assessing and reporting on
student learning.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
As a pre-service teacher I aim to assess, provide feedback and
report on students learning (AITSL, 2014) as Standard 5 articulates.
It is my goal to work towards this standard in all aspects. For
example, catering to all learners by using and demonstrating
different assessment strategies. As I have planned in the past,
creating diagnostic assessments to engage students and find out
what they know or may need to know, formative assessments that
are ongoing and feedback is constantly provided, and summative
approaches to find out what the students have learnt and where
they are at in their learning. An example of how I have
demonstrated this thus far is shown in Appendix A. This shows an
integrated, inquiry-based program I created for year 3, Science. I
have used the 5Es Inquiry model and included diagnostic, formative
and summative assessments throughout. The image depicts only a
small snippet of the program I created with small descriptions of

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what assessments are included. Using this inquiry model allowed

students to be at the centre of their learning and was designed to
cater to the needs of the 21st century learners. Within this inquiry
process students were engaged and their personal knowledge was
further developed. The integration of different learning areas was
used to support lifelong learning (Lake, n.d.) and from this,
assessments strategies were used to assess student learning,
aligning with Standard 5 of the AITSL standards. During previous
practicums students work was assessed using informal, formal and
summative approaches. Appendix B portrays Standard 5.1 as it
shows only some ways the students work was assessed. For
example writing down students who may need extra assistance or
have found the task easy assisted in further lesson planning and
what could be modified for those particular students. These
anecdotal notes, as such allowed me, as a teacher to be able to
reflect on students learning as well as reflect on my assessment
and learning strategies and practices. It is beneficial so that
modifications could be made according to what to teach next, how
to differentiate further and assisted in reporting back to other
colleagues, parents/carers and students. Students work was
constantly being marked and corrected throughout the practicum,
although these were kept by the teacher or given back to the
students. Other assessment tools such as rubrics, checklists and
judgement standards were also used to assess students learning
and improvements. Appendix C demonstrates standard 5.3, which
suggests moderation and comparable judgements of student
learning (AITSL, 2014). Appendix C also shows how I worked with
other colleagues to make use of the Judgement Standards in Year 3
English from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority during
my practicum. Meetings were attended to compare students
towards the judging standards and categories in relation to literacy
for that year. Different samples of students work were viewed and
debated between teachers as to what assessment mark the
students should receive. This prepared me for the future, as an
educator so that I am able to make effective, consistent and
comparable judgements of student learning, aligning with Standard
5.3. I think this will and have developed my assessment literacy for
the future.
Ethical implications
As demonstrated in Standard 7.1 I intend on meeting professional
ethics and responsibilities (AITSL, 2014). I aspire to be a fair, equal
and ethical teacher. When it comes to assessment I believe as a
teacher I must recognise students sensitivities and opinions of
fairness. I aim at always acknowledging and promoting diversity in
the 21st century classroom by catering to every student and their
families. Some of these diversities that should be supported and

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promoted within the classroom include, students from different

ethnicities or cultures, Indigenous students, gifted and talented
students, students with English as their second language, students
with disabilities and students with learning difficulties (Readman &
Allen, 2013, p. 22). I strongly resonate with the fact that assessment
should be differentiated to accommodate each child. My goal is to
use assessment to guide further learning and create student
success rather than use assessment to reward desired student
behaviour (Readman & Allen, 2013, p. 23). It is my goals to have the
best interest in the students when presenting assessments,
constructing positive attitudes and making all students feel
confident when it comes to assessment. I believe teachers should
act as both moral representatives and values educators (Forster,
2012) in order to act ethically towards assessment. I aim at
promoting student wellbeing and enacting confidentiality when it
comes to assessment and their academic results. The ACARA
supports this as it acknowledges and promotes excellence and
equity in education (ACARA, 2013) for all students. Overall being fair
and ethical when it comes to assessment is fundamental for an
effective teacher that is assessment literate.
As a pre-service teacher, even though I have established and built
upon a philosophy for assessment, it is still developing and will
continue to do so through out my experiences as a teacher. Creating
assessments for students will assist me as a teacher in guiding
students in their learning, providing both teacher and student
reflection. Taking everything into account I believe being
assessment literate is fundamental in order to be a successful
teacher in guiding students learning journey as life long learners.

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Professional Studies and Evaluating Learning

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References

AITSL. (2012, December 9). Animation- The Australian Professional Standards for
Teachers. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=iuKceiCvMEg&feature=player_embedded
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2013).
Australian Curriculum. Retrieved from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/home/australian-curriculumoverview
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AISTL]. (2014). Australian
Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.aitsl.edu.au
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AISTL]. (2014). Australian
Professional Standards for Teachers: Providing Feedback. Retrieved
from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-forteachers/illustrations-of-practice/detail?id=IOP00237

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BRITE. (2016). What makes a resilient teacher? Retrieved from

https://www.brite.edu.au/BRiTE/Module1/WhatMakesAResilientTeacher
Forster, D.J. (2012). Codes of Ethics in Australian Education: Towards a National
Perspective. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(9). Retrieved from
http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2012v37n9.4

Lake, K. (n.d.). Integrated Curriculum. Retrieved from

https://lms.curtin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-4052794-dt-content-rid23024764_1/courses/EDUC4000-FacHum-452385794/Jig%20Saw%20Kath
%20Lake%20INTEGRATING%20CURRICULUM.pdf
Popham, W. (2009). Assessment Literacy for Teachers: Faddish or Fundamental.
Theory Into Practice, 48, 4-11. Retrieved from
https://lms.curtin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-4215881-dt-content-rid23777467_1/courses/EDPR3005-FacHum-2121860410/EDPR3005-FacHum2121860410_ImportedContent_20160727025037/Assessment%20Literacy
%20for%20Teachers%20Popham%202009%20_1_.pdf
Readman, K., & Allen, B. (2015). Practical Planning and Assessment. South
Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press
Rockman, I. F. (2002). The importance of assessment. Reference Services
Review,30(3), 181-182. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/200489754?
accountid=10382
School Curriculum and Standards Authority. (2014). Assessment Judging Standards.
Retrieved from
http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/assessment/judgingstandards
School Curriculum and Standards Authority. (2014). Assessment Principle 1.
Retrieved from http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/assessment/principlesand-reflective-questions/assessment-principle-1
Woolfolk, A., & Margetts, K. (2013). Educational Psychology 3rd Edition. Frenchs
Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia

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Professional Studies and Evaluating Learning

Appendix

Appendix A: Standard 5.1- Diagnostic, Formative and Summative Assessment

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Appendix B: Standard

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Appendix C: Moderating students and comparing them against the judging standards