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This paper presents research that examined teacher talk about moderation of English, mathematics and science assessment across Years 4, 6 and 8 as part of a broader inquiry into the use of scaled exemplars to support consistency of teacher judgement. The paper draws on Dorothy E Smith’s sociological work, including the process of mapping textual connections to research everyday practices. We illustrate how moderation activities were shaped by systemic policy and related documents. We further illustrate how teachers used artefacts that they were created as part of the research project to leverage the value of moderation discussions. In the project, teachers generated artefacts that were written commentaries or texts explicating their judgement decisions (cognitive commentaries). Our analysis demonstrates how teachers then took these cognitive commentaries and independently embedded them into their everyday work. Teachers described how they used the artefacts in their moderation discussions as a means of improving their own practice, as well as their students’ learning. We argue that when teachers are provided with the time and space to share their assessment and pedagogic knowledge and practice with school colleagues, including via cognitive commentaries, they are able to expand their field of professional impact and build their professional knowledge and practice.

AbstractEmpirical research in education has largely adopted quantitative approaches to measure teachers’ and students’ perceptions of fairness and justice in classroom contexts. The purpose of this study is to understand the validity evidence of fairness and justice instruments including how fairness and justice have been conceptualized in measures. Through a systematic review method, 96 quantitative studies were identified and their measurement instruments were analyzed based on five validity criteria: (a) framework and conceptualization of construct, (b) response processes, (c) internal structure, (d) internal consistency reliability, and (e) relationship to other variables. Results showed that most studies conceptualized classroom fairness and justice from organizational and social psychological theories with only a few conducting rigorous statistical analyses to support their validity interpretations. Findings are critically discussed and point to the need to develop a theory of fairness and justice rooted in classroom contexts.Impact StatementBy reviewing the quality of classroom fairness instruments, this study provides guidance to school psychologists, teachers, and educational researchers with the choice of reliable instruments to promote fairer school culture and climate that supports students’ academic engagement and motivation as well as mental health at schools.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2021.2000843.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2021.2000843 .

The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of current high school students and teachers in Ontario regarding their experiences with personal financial curriculum and teaching at the secondary level, and to identify the ways in which this important educational experience may have helped prepare students to become financially literate. We considered this overarching issue using a transdisciplinary lens from the perspective of the three stakeholder groups. Using a case study research design, the first of its kind in Ontario or Canada on this topic, We utilized interviews and artifacts to uncover student and teacher experiential data across three high schools in southeastern Ontario. The major findings were that current students and teachers perceived curriculum and teaching experiences as seriously lacking in effectively preparing them to be financially literate, and that a fundamental reorientation around transdisciplinary, student-led learning was key to transforming such learning into a more meaningful and valuable educational experience. With mandatory, properly supported, student-oriented (transdisciplinary) instruction, the potential exists for more effective and valuable learning, resulting in better equipped high school students who were properly prepared to successfully navigate financial issues and the path ahead.

Context The standards-based movement in U.S. public education has reached as far as kindergarten. Early primary teachers are increasingly required to teach academic standards in core subject areas, while engaging in increased levels of student assessment. In kindergarten, this growing emphasis on academic standards and student assessment is expected to operate alongside longstanding social and personal developmental expectations. However, recent research has identified a significant tension as teachers endeavor to negotiate a balance between traditional developmental programming and new standards-based academic curricula.Purpose The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize research related to three kindergarten traditions—Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Montessori—to develop a common understanding of key tenets for kindergarten assessment that can inform policy and practice in public education contexts.Research Design A scoping review methodology was used to analyze research on assessment practices native to three kindergarten traditions—Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Montessori. This methodology followed a five-stage framework: (a) identifying the research question, (b) identifying relevant studies, (c) study selection, (d) charting the data, and (e) summarizing and reporting the results. Guiding the collection of articles was the following research question: “What does the extant literature on practices native to the three focal kindergarten traditions tell us about the assessment of kindergarten (4–6-year-olds) students’ learning?” In total, 80 texts satisfied the inclusion criteria across all traditions and were included in this study.Conclusions Empirical and non-empirical literature pertaining to each tradition were analyzed and considered in relation to their potential contribution to public education. In comparing across traditions, differences were evident based on their (a) assessment discourses and purposes, (b) reference systems, (c) assessment methods, and (d) uses of assessment information. However, the three traditions also maintained key commonalities leading to the identification of core tenets for kindergarten assessment. Specifically, three core priorities for kindergarten assessment were identified: (a) a commitment to child-centered and developmentally appropriate teaching, (b) a continuous embedded formative assessment approach, and (c) the use of multiple methods for gaining assessment information. In addition to core priority areas, results from this study suggest consistent processes that facilitate assessment practices at the kindergarten level. These four iterative processes are: (a) participation in teaching and learning, (b) reconstruction of teaching and learning, (c) engagement in assessment dialogues, and (d) integration of feedback for enhanced teaching and learning.

This study explored how elementary teachers leveraged and structured student-involved formative assessment to promote metacognition and self-regulation. Research has suggested a connection between formative assessment practices (e.g., self-assessment and peer-assessment) and metacognition. However, this connection has limited empirical support, especially within early elementary contexts (i.e. Grades K-4). In this study, 44 Ontario elementary teachers completed a survey reporting their teaching and assessment practices and beliefs about metacognition. Five participants were then purposefully selected for semi-structured interviews to describe their experiences developing students’ metacognition and self-regulatory capabilities through student-involved assessment processes. Data were inductively and thematically analysed. Participants emphasized the value of assessment as learningpractices (e.g., self-assessment and reflective thinking) to develop students’ metacognition and discussed the need for ongoing student feedback regarding metacognitive strategies. However, despite purposefully implementing formative assessment to enhance metacognition and self-regulation, participants articulated the need for additional resources to support the cultural shift towards assessment forand aslearning within their classrooms.

ABSTRACTTeachers must meet the educational needs of diverse students. Occupational therapists (OTs) assist some of these students through the provision of school-based occupational therapy (SBOT). However, there can be challenges to collaboration between OTs and teachers, and this can engender difficulty in achieving desired results. This scoping review was conducted to determine the tensions in collaborations between OTs and teachers in SBOT. The search strategy yielded 266 articles, of which 31 describ`ed tensions in collaboration. Forty-six unique tensions were identified in three categories: professional socialization, person-level tensions, and environment-level tensions. Possible actions for addressing the identified tensions are suggested.

Children with chronic health needs who have the capacity for self-care have been shown to have higher academic performance and greater social inclusion. However, self-care is rarely practiced as a focal point of health services interventions outside of clinical settings. Furthermore, little is known about how self-care develops through family, health, and educational support networks as a whole and from the point of view of teachers. This study used in-depth, semistructured interviews and a demographic questionnaire to generate teachers’ perspectives on the promotion of self-care in elementary school children with diabetes, and to represent their interactions with key supporters, including health care professionals, members of children’s families, and providers of educational services. Participants were recruited based on having at least one student with diabetes who received or was receiving care through a health services program designed to facilitate self-care in the schoolchildren. The teachers were sequentially selected from a Public School District in a midsized city in New Brunswick (Canada; N= 4) and two Boards of Education in a midsized Ontario city (N= 4). Through a thematic analysis, teachers’ perspectives on their promotion of self-care in schoolchildren with diabetes were represented through five main interconnected themes: (a) teachers’ conceptions of self-care, (b) learning about health supports, (c) communication for self-care, (d) building inclusion, and (e) a difficult but manageable endeavor. Study limitations and future research implications are discussed.

Assessment for learning (AFL) is a highly effective strategy for promoting student learning, development and achievement in higher education (Falchikov, 2003; Kirby & Downs, 2007; Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006; Rust, Price, & O’Donovan, 2003; Vermunt, 2005). However, since AFL relies on continuous monitoring of student progress through instructor feedback, peer collaboration, and student self-assessment, enacting AFL within large-group learning formats is challenging. This paper considers how technology can be leveraged to promote AFL in higher education. Drawing on data from students and instructors and recommendations from an external instructional design consultant, this paper documents the process of pairing technology and AFL within a large-group pre-service teacher education course at one Canadian institution. Recommendations for the improvement of the web-based component of the course are highlighted to provide practical suggestions for instructors to evaluate their own web-based platforms and improve their use of technology in support of AFL. The paper concludes with a discussion of areas for continued research related to the effectiveness of this pairing between assessment theory and technology.