Project

Teachers’ professional development in assessment for learning

In Dutch Agricultural Vocational Education and Training (AVET), the potential of Assessment for Learning (AfL) has so far been insufficiently realized to strengthen the practice of competence-based education. That is problematic regarding the actual need for self-regulated learning in maintaining and developing competences for both school and work.

Profile

I work as a lecturer at Stoas Professional University, a University of applied sciences for teachers in vocational agricultural education. I graduated at the teacher education for primary education in 1996. In 1999 I finished my master's degree in Educational Sciences at the Radboud University (Formerly known as Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen) in Nijmegen, specialisation in vocational education.

Research

Self-regulated learning is the ultimate goal of AfL. To professionalize teachers in AfL, one need to design a Theory of Improvement in which it is described which professionalization-related activities are needed and how these activities contribute to teachers’ learning. To support and maintain teachers’ professional development, one needs to improve the HRD practice within the school location. In this study, teachers are professionalized in AfL and team leaders in HRD in the setting of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). A PLC is closely related to the concept of collaborative learning communities, which is regarded as an effective professionalization strategy for teacher growth.

The professionalization process in the PLC is thoroughly studied in this multiple case study and therefore contributes to a better understanding of professionalizing in AfL and HRD in the collaborative setting of a PLC. A systematic literature review resulted in a ‘Theory of Improvement’ to professionalize teachers in AfL and team leaders in HRD. Effects of this professionalization are studied on conceptions on assessment, conceptions on HRD, teachers’ assessment practice, team leaders’ HRD practice and students’ self-regulated learning. Possible differences between cases will be analyzed.

The main objective of this study is to thoroughly study the PLC professionalization process of teachers in AfL and school middle management in HRD in order to improve assessment practice for students and teachers.

We will assess the effects of the professionalization on conceptions of assessment, conceptions on HRD, teachers’ assessment practice, team leaders’ HRD practice, and students’ self-regulated learning.

Keywords

  • Assessment for Learning
  • Professional Development
  • Professional Learning Community
  • Agricultural Vocational Education and Training
  • Self-regulated learning
  • Conceptions on assessment
  • Assessment practice

Project team

  • Niek van Benthum, MSc
  • Prof. Dr. M. Mulder
  • Dr. Judith Gulikers
  • Dr. Frank de Jong (Stoas University of applied sciences)