Teacher Professional Development for Assessment for LearningSally Howard

Professors Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam’s acclaimed Black Box series (1989, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,) identified key elements about what it is that effective teachers do in their class rooms which makes a positive difference to pupil attainment. Based on their extensive research they identified four elements which became known as Assessment for Learning (AFL) :

• Quality teacher questioning• Feedback for improvement• Sharing the learning objectives • Self and peer assessment

This recognises that teachers are at the centre of school improvement because they make a big difference to the life chances of their students. Good teachers make a big positive impact whereas ineffective teachers can have an negative impact on learning. To address this, all teachers are entitled to regular planned and supported opportunities to talk about their practice and discuss successful and unsuccessful aspects of it. This needs to be in a climate that supports reflection and the sharing of knowledge in a collaborative way not about ranking or judgment. It is through dialogic exchanges they can develop their understanding and adapt their practice so that they can improve what they do. As Fullan and Hargreaves (1992 cited in Boyd 2005 p120) argue:

‘A teaching force that is more skilled and flexible in its teaching strategies and more knowledgeable about its subject matter is a teaching force more able to improve the achievements of its pupils’ To recap, assessment for learning is about ‘learner improvement’ and is different from assessment that is primarily for accountability or monitoring purposes. However, they are often confused and this has resulted in superficial understanding of AFL and simplistic application of certain strategies.

This article is about teacher professional development in relation to assessment for learning and gives an outline of an effective model that is efficient and effective over a long term rather than a ‘quick fix’ for a few individuals that is usually short lived. It is a model that can be adapted for use within a school or within a group of schools, especially within a geographical region or local authority. It promotes the use of collaborative learning communities to deepen understanding and enhance practice (Boyd 2005), rather than charismatic one day events that encourages teachers to be passive recipients of information.

Professional development of teachers has had an interesting past in the UK. Up until recently qualified teachers did not have to attend professional development unless they had been identified as ‘failing’. It tended not to be seen as a ‘right’ but an imposition and treatment for poor teachers who were struggling in their classes. Thankfully, things have evolved and it is generally recognised that professional development is not about ‘treating’ those in need, but a key vehicle for raising standards of attainment in schools and something the majority of teachers are willing to engage in.

However, few teachers will take on a ‘new’ approach just because they are told it works. They need to consider the evidence followed by a period of time for personal experimentation and reflection and

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recognise the relevance to their daily lives. This process, if mediated effectively, can help teachers to hone and refine their practice as an ongoing process. It goes well beyond a mechanistic approach of ‘here is the latest way to deliver xyz’ and instead focuses on classroom practice using an action research approach and reflexivity. This means there is a series of cycles alternating between inquiry and action and involves practical decision making and evaluative reflection (Winter & Mun-Giddings 2001). Informed choice is a key part of this carefully guided programme and aims for a balance between the critical analyses of research findings or ‘theory’ with practical exploration of a range of AFL strategies.

According to Bell and Gilbert (1996) restructuring of teacher’s professional understanding occurs on three different levels: professional level, social level and a personal level. It is only when these three come together is CPD effective.

This means providing ample opportunities to deconstruct and reconstruct their understanding of what the theory and practice is all about using a context that they can relate to. Video extracts of teachers using AFL in their work can be discussed with a focus on the learners not the teacher. Using examples of pupils work gathered over a period of time also creates a reason to engage in reflective discussions about the effectiveness of the ‘marking’ and the impact it has had on improvement. At a social and personal level teachers need to willingly renegotiating their working practice and make informed choices about how to work with other colleagues in a collaborative and effective way. All this requires active participation rather than merely transferring practice from one setting to another. Regular quality time needs to be planned into the teachers timetable for discussion with colleagues about ‘what is going on here’ ‘in what way has it been effective’ and finally ‘what might this mean in relation to developing my own practice’.

By using an action research approach as part of CPD, teachers have found they are able to enhance their practice because it is more than just ‘learning by doing’. Teachers are active participants in the process which helps them to construct new meaning. They are given guided choices about what to focus on first and ways to hone and refine their practice. This approach to CPD values what teachers are already doing and helps to promote a climate of ‘have a go’. It also gives the support to take the risks associated with new learning as well as a climate where challenge is welcomed.

Taking regular time away from teaching in the classroom to consider the ‘theory’ and ‘reflect’ might be viewed with cynicism by some. This is why in the initial stages it is suggested that a small pioneer group of teachers is created from interested individuals within a school. The individuals selected for this pioneer group do not need to be ‘AFL’ experts or Heads of departments, but they do need to be willing to suspend any disbelief long enough for them to explore different ideas in their own classroom and critically reflect on its impact on their learners. Only at a much later stage should this critical mass evolve into a whole school programme.

The whole CPD process needs to be carefully planned as part of the school improvement cycle over a number of years. There is also a need to recognise a strong iterative aspect with regards to the planning of the fine detail of support and challenge required for each cohort. This is in effect modeling an AFL approach by building on existing practice and challenging misconceptions so that improvements and new learning can be planned into the next phase.

John Loughran (2007) talks of the need for differentiated yet coherent approach to teacher development to help them articulate their tacit knowledge. This includes teachers recognising that they

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play a complex dual role as teacher as well as learner and need to move between these two roles with ease. This goes some way to reducing the anxieties they might have during a period of transition from ‘prior practice’ to ‘formative practice’. The CPD model suggested below has four basic phases which equates to one a term. These develop the pioneer group to a stage where they are able to work alongside other colleagues. Each phase has a workshop with ‘expert’ input and mediated discussions by a facilitator. In between these PD days the pioneer teachers are expected to try a number of strategies out, keep a reflective journal and work with at least one other person in the group on a regular basis and share their experiences.

Stage 1 : Exploration phase. Information is shared regarding a range of research about assessment for learning starting with the original Inside the Black Box findings (Black and Wiliam, 1998). From this input each teacher selects a focus and then agree to ‘have a go’ with 2 or 3 strategies over a number of weeks. They are introduced to the idea of a keeping a reflective journal and asked to make regular entries about the things they tried and how it went in-between each PD day.

Stage 2: Development phase. The pioneer group is challenged to think beyond the simple strategies they have been trying out and reflect more deeply on the principles of AFL. The focus is to develop their understanding about the observed changes in their learners brought about by the changes in their own practice.

Stage 3: Embedding phase. This develops the sharing of practice approach and builds on their discussions with trusted colleagues. It now involves sharing their practice more widely using various approaches. These include sharing practice through classroom observations, video snippets of their own teaching practice, and audio taped interview with students about AFL, looking at pupils work over time as well as sharing ideas for generating rich questions for the planning of AFL and discussing their impact.

Stage 4: Sustaining phase. This is about the pioneer teachers supporting other colleague within their own school and helping them to do it in a manageable way while maintaining their own developmental process. Ideas are shared regarding keeping other colleagues informed of the learning journey they have undertaken, including the writing of a summary account using a Case Study approach. Together these create a collection that can be drawn on by others as they embark on their own learning journeys. The task of writing is an effective tool which helps the pioneer teacher to pull together the various threads of their professional practice and also gives them a clear insight for their next step in the cycle of CPD.

Each phases requires ‘reflective practice’ a term that is widely used yet frequently misunderstood (Bolton ). There are many strategies that can be used to develop reflexivity such as ‘buddy partners’ ‘reflective journals’ ‘ learning logs’ ‘diaries’ or ‘ blogs’ yet achieving more than a a simple evaluation is tricky and requires practice and discussion. Crucial to its success is the appropriateness of the tool selected so that the teacher can ‘reflect on their reflections’. By using a reflective journal rather than a ‘log’ or ‘diary’ promotes the notion that it is more than the descriptive entries on what was done and more about providing thoughts on ‘why did this occur’, and’ how can I progress’. Gilly Boulton ( ) likens this to a mobius strip which requires a double loop reflection compared to simple looking into a mirror.

Action research is a key aspect of the reflective practice and goes hand in hand with regular opportunities to share practice with colleagues and discuss their reflective journal. It is this revisiting that helps consolidate the understanding of the changes in their own practice. It is also an opportunity

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to recognise their success over time which gives the confidence to work with other colleagues in their school using their reflective journal as an ‘aide memoire’

Seeing learning as a journey rather than a destination helps the iterative process of professional development. The facilitator acts as a guide over the rough terrain of learning, rather than dragging each individual over a predetermined route. Learners of any age will travel along this route at different rates and need different guidance and support along the way. This requires a careful balance between saying ‘follow me’ ‘try this’ and standing back and letting them go ‘off piste’ and only intervening when they are stuck or lost!

The key principle of effective teacher CPD is to ‘model the model’ of AFL and recognise that dialogue, self directed active learners and creating a supportive risk taking climate are crucial to the success of the programme. In this way teachers are able to grapple with the tensions and dilemmas that AFL practice will bring to their teaching yet also feel invigorated as their practice becomes a shared experience with the learners as part of a bigger journey.

About Sally Howard:Email: sally2how@yahoo.com Sally Howard is an independent educational consultant and senior lecturer at Nottigham Trent University. She has extensive experience in the field of Assessment for Learning and is the co-author of one of the latest’s books in the ‘Black Box ‘ series ; ‘Inside the Primary Black Box’ . This has been recommended for reading within the Secondary phase of Education as well as the Primary because of it’s approach to developing continuity of principles across subjects and stages of education.Sally, with Dr Christine Harrison from Kings College London, has developed numerous professional development programmes with large and small cohorts of teachers from different types of schools in different education authorities across England, Scotland, Wales and Jersey. These opportunities have enabled her to review and evaluate the impact on teacher’s practice and the subsequent changes in both learner behavior and attainment. It is this work that underpins her research interest and informs this article.

References

Bell, B., and Gilbert, J. (1996) Teacher Development: A model from Science Education. Falmer Press

Black, P. Wiliam, D. (1998) Inside the Black Box. Raising standards through classroom assessment. GL Assessment

Boyd, B. (2005 ) CPD: Improving Professional Practice. An introduction to CPD for teachers. TES Scotland

Bolton, G. (2010 ) Reflective Practice & Professional Development. Sage

Loughran, J. (2006) Devlpoing a Pedagogy of Teacher Education. Understanding teaching and learning about teaching. Routledge

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