Glenda L. Black

Say Cheese! A Snapshot of Elementary Teachers' Engagement and Motivation for Classroom Assessment.

Assessment is a complex function requiring an understanding of student learning, assessment principles, practices, and purposes of data to implement effective classroom assessment. The purpose of this study was to add to the growing base of knowledge about teachers’ engagement with assessment data and their motivation for classroom assessment. Four full-time elementary schoolteachers in diverse teaching contexts in Alberta and Ontario, Canada, participated in semistructured individual interviews. The results from this study settled into four main categories: (1) teachers use for learning assessment to improve student achievement, (2) an imbalance of formative assessment—assessment as learning was not used consistently, (3) inconsistent formalization of observation into meaningful assessment data, and (4) the tension between internal and external motivators for student assessment.

Indigenous learners: what university educators need to know

Abstract Canadian citizens of Indigenous ancestry have statistically lower than national averages with respect to secondary and postsecondary completion rates. In an attempt to understand and assist Indigenous university students in Ontario, the purpose of the study was to identify teaching and learning strategies and support systems for Indigenous students that will result in increased academic success and retention among Indigenous youth and adults attending university. The results were summarised in an introductory handbook for faculty and staff at Nipissing University, a destination of choice for many Indigenous students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The specific purpose of the handbook was to provide an introduction to the diversity of cultures and their related perspectives amongst our Indigenous students. The literature and the results provide specific pathways for educators to begin to decolonise their pedagogy to support success for Indigenous university learners.

Associate Teachers’ Perceptions of Effective Mentorship Professional Development

ABSTRACT Associate (mentor) teachers are essential partners in guiding teacher candidates into the profession; however, little training is offered for this critical role. This study explored, through the lens of self-determination theory, types of support and delivery most useful for successful mentorship during practicum. Online surveys and invited interviews targeted at associate teachers for one teacher preparation program (TPP) were used to gather data, with subsequent ordinal scale data display and theme derivation. Based on 281 survey respondents and 13 interviews, results highlighted specific TPP supports and the need for other partners (i.e., federations, boards) to engage more actively in supporting associate teachers.

Four Facets of Classroom Assessments: Obstacles, Obligations, Outcomes, and Opportunities

Today’s classroom teachers are expected to optimize the teaching, learning, and schooling so the educational experience is learner centered, standards based, achievement oriented, data driven, and culturally competent. These expectations require teachers to intensify their awareness, expand their understanding, reconfigure their techniques, and modify their outlooks related to classroom assessments. As teachers begin to shift their approaches so their classroom assessments become the focus on their practices and assessments are more closely aligned with the curriculum and instruction, teachers encounter challenges and rewards. This article describes four facets of classroom assessments—obstacles, obligations, outcomes, and opportunities—and the characteristics of each facet identified by teacher educators specializing in classroom assessments. The findings of this research make visible the value of examining the presence and power of each facet as individual and integrated influences on teacher self-efficacy, emphasizing benefits for classroom teachers and teacher candidates in their transformation to develop classroom assessments that matter.