Module 5

Assessment of One’s Teaching Practice

At the end of the module, the pre-service teacher (PST) can:

a. demonstrate reflective self-assessment, using learner assessment data and other

reflection aids, for purposes of adjusting one’s teaching practices and for
purposes of growing in the profession (advancing in the career stage);

b. explain how professional reflection and learning can be used to improve teaching
practice.

Introduction

Reflective practice has become a significant aspect in determining good teaching

and learning practice as an important part of professional practice and professional
growth
When teachers engage in reflective teaching, they are dedicating time to
evaluate their own teaching practice, examine their curricular choices, consider student
feedback, and make revisions to improve student belonging and learning. This self-
assessment process requires information gathering, data interpretation, and planning
for the future. Reflective teaching involves examining one’s underlying beliefs about
teaching and learning and one’s alignment with actual classroom practice before, during
and after a course is taught. Reflective teaching operates as an umbrella term denoting
various approaches, including teaching inventories and observation protocols, self-
assessments, and consideration of student evaluations.
.
Lesson 1. Reflective Practice Using Learner Attainment Data

a. Learners’ test scores

A test score is a piece of information, usually a number, that conveys the

performance of an examinee on a test. It is a summary of the evidence contained in an
examinee's responses to the items of a test that are related to the construct or
constructs being measured.
 Test scores are interpreted with a norm-referenced or criterion-
referenced interpretation, or occasionally both. A norm-referenced interpretation means
that the score conveys meaning about the examinee with regards to their standing
among other examinees. A criterion-referenced interpretation means that the score
conveys information about the examinee with regard to a specific subject matter,
regardless of other examinees' scores.

In our education system, it is the foremost duty of a teacher to be faithful to

authentic student learning. Unfortunately, our profession is overly fixated on results from
one test, from one day, given near the end a semester or a school year. Yes, that
standardized testing data can be useful; however, teachers spend the entire year
collecting all sorts of immediate and valuable information about students that informs
and influences how we teach, as well as where and what we review, readjust, and
reteach.

Teachers and school systems have long collected and used data in some form or
another, whether recording scores in a grade book to track progress and calculate final
grades or examining standardized test scores to measure district-wide achievement.
However, today’s technology has greatly increased educators’ opportunities to use data
and analytics to improve teaching. Teachers can now use tools that track their students’
understanding in real time throughout the delivery of a lesson or provide them with the
results of assigned homework before planning their next lessons.

People make data-driven decisions in education in a variety of ways. Teachers

use data as part of their reflective teaching practice. Each school day, they observe,
make inferences, and then adjust their teaching accordingly. Sometimes the
adjustments are on-the-spot fixes. For example, a teacher offers a student a simplified
reading assignment customized to her abilities after observation reveals that the student
needs extra support in reading. On the other hand, sometimes the adjustments are
long-term shifts in instructional methods. For example, a teacher incorporates new
student-centered activities after receiving feedback from a supervisor.
 Schools use collaborative approaches to make data work for them.
Administrators and teachers may study standardized test scores, attendance data, and
behavior data to make decisions for their schools. Processes like these can catch
students falling through the cracks, identify gaps in curriculum coverage, and better
align curriculums across departments and grades.

Here are some ways to collect data from test scores and their uses in reflective teaching
practice:

a. From the classroom

Formative Assessments: Low-stakes assessments are really the most

important and useful student data. Daily activities, brief quizzes, and assignments
scores are some of the ways to gather information on where students are and where
we need to go next.
Observations: The beauty of having a constructivist, student-directed
classroom? The kids are comfortable with you walking around and sitting with them in
their groups—your “guide on the side” role. In other words, they don’t freeze up when
you step away from the podium or your regular spot by the whiteboard. This freedom
allows you to be a fly on the wall, gathering data on individual students: How well are
they making sense of the content? Interacting with others? Are they struggling with a
learning activity? Such data from observations then leads us to adjust pacing for the
whole class or scaffold for those students who are still struggling.

Summative assessments: Projects, Essays, and Examinations, such as

literary analysis essays or end-of-unit science exams, allow us to measure the growth of
individual and whole-group learning. If a large number of students don’t do well on a
high-stakes assessment, we need to reflect back on the teaching and make necessary
adjustments in the future.

b. From standardized test scores

 Previous standardized test scores for your current students is beneficial in
several ways. Use standardized testing results along with other data (e.g., in-class
assignments and observations) when making instructional decisions. Here are some
suggestions for using standardized test data:

 Share Testing Results With Students Individually : After doing this, set some
obtainable, realistic goals for each of them to work toward before the next test.
 Use the Data to Decide Student Grouping and
Differentiation: Standardized test data reveals how your students performed:
advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic. This could help inform how you
choose student groups, create seating charts, and differentiate for individuals.
For example, if a student who has historically scored below basic and exhibits
other signs of a struggling student, she/he can be placed in the front of the class
for easy access when she needs extra support. If you have a large number of
students who scored advanced in your third period class, and a large number of
students who scored basic in period two, this may give insight into why period
three is moving more quickly and more deeply through content. You can adjust
the learning and support accordingly.
 Get Curious About Contradictions and Take Action:  How about that ace
student who didn’t do so well on the standardized test? Possibly a nervous test-
taker? Or it could simply be low motivation, since many students never hear
about their standardized test results from previous years? Prior to a test, a brief
pep talk or quick review of strategies for lowering test anxiety could be all they
need. Also, there is much information to be gained from having individual
conversations with students who have these contradictions between their
standardized test scores and their classroom grades and performance.

b. Learners’ non-test data and other information

As have been discussed in the previous lessons, non-test is an alternative

assessment in the sense that it diverts from the paper-and-pen test (Reganit et. al.,
2010). These are tests that do not force the students to give their responses (Rico,
2011) but rather allow the students to manifest their acquired knowledge and skills from
the subject. This is one of the authentic assessment methods that is able to zoom in the
effectiveness and efficiency of the employed teaching methodologies, techniques, and
styles. Examples of non-test are portfolio, teacher observation, journals and others.

Non-test assessments provide teacher more comprehensive description and

interpretation on students’ competences than test scores do. Since traditional testing
focus merely on the product, non-test assessments involve both the process and
product.

The results of non-test assessments can be also used to evaluate the instruction
given during the learning process. Birgin & Baki (2007) revealed that portfolio result,
as an example of non-test assessment, can motivate teachers to revise the teaching
instruction, and even the curriculum, so the learning process and product are
displayed at the same time. Based on the results, judgements towards the instruction
can be made and evaluated. Then, the decision can be made whether the
instructions are effective or they need to be revised. By using non-test assessments,
teachers can obtain information about entire learning environments.
Of course, test scores cannot tell about those. Teachers’ responses given to students’
assignments can shape individual instruction because teachers have information about
the weakness of the students (Hamayan, 1996)

Looking into the cumulative files of students is another source

t o r e f l e c t o n t e a c h i n g . It’s difficult to find the time to read students’ files but much
information is found in these files. From trekking to the counseling office after school
and reading through the files of students, more critical information can be found. Here
are some notable examples:
 A girl who often missed class was homeless, living in the family car
 Several students who had been identified as gifted were inaccurately placed in
my general education English class

From a child’s cumulative files, you can sometimes see a dramatic grade change
at a specific point during their school journey. Perhaps prior to eighth grade, the student
had been an A student and then started earning Ds and Fs. You can express concern
about this, sharing the data with them. You then have an opportunity to be empathetic,
acknowledge their hardship, and set some goals together for them to improve
academically. I’ve also used this data to refer students for further counseling services or
advocate for additional support for them.
Self-Assessment (Other information)
 Reflection Journals: A reflection journal allowsteachers to capture details of their
teaching directly after class, and read an on-going narrative of their teaching
across terms and years. Taking 5 or so minutes after class, the teacher writes
thoughts on the day’s lesson (typing or handwriting works, although handwriting
often supports better memory and reflection). Teachers might reflect on the
following questions: What went well today? What could I have done differently?
How will I modify my instruction in the future?
 Teaching Inventories: A number of inventories have been developed to help
teachers assess their teaching approaches. These often consist of multiple
choice questions on a Likert-scale and often take less than 15 minutes to
complete. Inventories are usually designed to assess the extent to which
particular pedagogies are employed (e.g. student- versus teacher-centered
practices). 
 Video-Recorded Teaching Practices: Teachers can video-record their lessons
informally or formally, along with an observation protocol in order to self-assess
their own practices. Video cameras can be utilized by teachers for recordings.
 Teaching Portfolio: A more time-intensive practice, the teaching portfolio allows
teachers to pull the various components of their teaching into a cohesive whole,
starting typically with a teaching philosophy or statement, moving through sample
syllabi and assignments, and ending with evaluations from colleagues and
students. The portfolio does not capture classroom practices very well, but
provides an opportunity for instructors to see their teaching in a “big picture.”

Lesson 2. Reflective Practice Through Performance Evaluation

1. Students as evaluators
 Student evaluations are often reviewed as evidence of teaching, but they should
not be viewed in isolation.  Student evaluation can often be useful for information of how
students respond personally to their instructor, but students are not qualified to assess
content knowledge or modality of instruction.
  When considering student evaluations:

 Pick a good time to do so, when you will have enough time to digest at least
some of the information, have privacy, and can give yourself some mental
‘space’ to analyse the information.
 Track quantitative results. Consider how the summary rating received for each
item fits with your own teaching goals and your department’s expectations for
teaching.
 Look for patterns in students’ comments—identify trends, note what you have
done well and what needs improvement.
 Take your experience into account. If you are new to teaching, the school, or
even the course, you may still be learning about various aspects of being a
professor, such as course design, teaching skills, student interaction, and
departmental expectations.
 Take the context and characteristics of your course into account. Research
shows that student evaluations often are more positive in courses that are
smaller rather than larger, and elective rather than required. Also, evaluations are
usually more positive in courses in which students tend to do well.

When dealing with negative student feedback:

 Know that almost all faculty members receive negative feedback at some point in

their careers, including those who are senior and highly successful.
 Allow yourself to acknowledge that it can feel hurtful or make you angry, but also
provides a pointer toward important areas for your continued development.

When deciding how to further your development as a teacher:

  Bear in mind the most frequently mentioned areas for teaching improvement in
analysis of student evaluations within and across universities: 1) clearer, more
specific in-class communication; and 2) clearer, more explicit organization of
course content.
 Consider scheduling an appointment at the Center for Teaching for a
consultation to help you interpret your evaluations. Research suggests that
teachers who consult with someone about their evaluations are more likely to
score higher on the next set of evaluations than others who do not discuss them
with anyone.
 When planning steps to improve the feedback you receive in evaluations,
consider the following options:
 Use one minute evaluations at the end of selected class sessions, asking
students to note the main idea they learned that class, or two ideas about a
major construct considered, or a question about content, and so forth.

 Give a “midterm evaluation” of the course, using the official university form or one
you have created, to check how the class is progressing while you can use the
information to make changes.
 Talk with the class about their interim feedback, and explicitly put into practice
one of their suggestions.
 Before the final course evaluation, explain to the class the importance you place
on their input.

2. Peers as Evaluators

Peer evaluation of teaching consists of the review of teaching performance by

colleagues, usually in the same or a similar discipline, with the purpose of assessing
and improving the quality of teaching.
Peer review puts faculty in charge of the quality of their teaching.  Peer
collaboration and review enables instructors to actively improve the quality of teaching
in their own classroom and in their department.   “Excellent teachers ...set out to inquire
into their own practice, identifying key issues they want to pursue, posing questions for
themselves, exploring alternatives and taking risks, and doing all of this in the company
of peers who can offer critique and support.  These are the habits of mind we expect,
after all, in scholarly work, and we should expect them in teaching as much as in
research.” [England 1996] It is the responsibility of professional teachers to monitor the
quality of the teaching in their departments and institutions.

Peer Evaluation of Teaching is used in many contexts.

 General teaching improvement for current instructors (e.g. delivery, student

engagement, content organization)
 Hiring (e.g. teaching presentations/ job talks).
 Mentoring of junior instructors (new faculty, adjuncts, graduate assistants).
 Promotion or advancement decisions
 Award of sabbaticals
 Merit awards (e.g. Excellence in Teaching, Merit Awards)
 What is the purpose of Peer Evaluation of Teaching?

 Formative reviews are intended to develop or improve teaching. Formative

reviews should be intended for the personal use of the observed instructor.
Regular conversation among colleagues about teaching should be a hallmark of
every department or school’s culture, and formative peer review processes for
pre-tenure, non-tenure-track, and tenured faculty should be designed in every
department or school to suit that culture

 Summative use of results. Evaluation of teacher performance can also be used

to determine career advancement, award performance rewards or establish
sanctions for underperforming teachers. It constitutes an opportunity to recognise
and reward teaching competence and performance, which is essential to retain
effective teachers in schools as well as to make teaching an attractive career
choice (OECD, 2005). In general, teacher evaluation frameworks might have
consequences at the following levels:
 Career advancement. Most countries do not link directly teacher
evaluation results with teacher pay but, instead, to career progression
(therefore establishing an indirect link with salaries). Most teacher
 evaluation models relate results to the speed at which the teacher
progresses in the career. Typically, ratings in the top categories of the
rating scale make the teacher progress faster in the career scale while
ratings in the bottom categories of the rating scale lead to no career
progression during the period associated with the evaluation.
 Decisions at key points in career. The results of teacher evaluation can be
used to make tenure decisions at the end of the probationary period,
contract renewal decisions for contract decisions and might influence the
chances of an application to a given school post.
 Performance rewards. Teacher evaluation results might be used to award
rewards to teachers. Typical rewards include: the award of a one-off
monetary prize (bonus pay); time allowances and sabbatical periods;
opportunities for school-based research; support for post-graduate study;
or opportunities for in-service education. In some instances the focus of
the rewards is on group recognition and rewards are at the school or
grade level rather than individual level. The “bonus” pay element should
be approached with considerable caution. The evidence of the overall
impact of such extra payments is mixed and can be contentious and
potentially divisive (OECD, 2005).
 Sanctions for ineffective teachers. Some countries provide for sanctions
for ineffective teachers beyond the standard consequences for career
progression. For example, if underperformance persists following a
number of evaluations, sanctions might include the removal from teaching
duties (for teachers with civil servant status, this might translate into other
functions within the school or another career within the civil service), or
simply the termination of the contract. But early identification of
underperformance is typically accompanied by a plan for in-service
training for the improvement of practice.
3. Supervisors as evaluators

Supervision denotes overseeing of the performance or operation of a person or

group. It is the act of watching over the work or tasks of another person who lack full
knowledge of the concept at hand. Supervision does not mean the control of other but
guidance in a work in professional or personal context.

Through the effective supervision of instruction, administrators can reinforce and

enhance teaching practices that will contribute to improved student learning. By skillfully
analyzing performance and appropriate data, administrators can provide meaningful
feedback and direction to teachers that can have a profound effect on the learning that
occurs in each classroom. Because student learning is the primary function of the
schools, the effective supervision of instruction is one of the most critical functions of the
administrator. If schools are to provide equal access to quality educational programs for
all students, administrators must hold teachers accountable for providing an appropriate
and well-planned program. These programs include a variety of teaching strategies
designed to meet the diverse needs of all students in our complex society.

The place of a teachers supervisor in secondary schools is an old in

formal education setting. It is very paramount to note that secondary schools,
whether government or private, always required mechanism for supervision geared
towards the development and enhancing the teachers performance. . Post secondary
educational supervisors have duties that are more on targeted depending upon the
branch of the university for which they work. Some postsecondary educational
supervisors may have mainly business duties while others are more research or
academic pursuits. Consequently therefore, the realization of the objectives of the
curriculum depends essentially on the quality of the teachers and the supervisors

Those who supervise teachers are responsible for the quality of teaching and for
promoting growth in those who teach. The following principles provide guidelines for
teachers and supervisors of teachers.

Principles of Good Practice: Supervisors of Teachers

1. The supervisor has thorough knowledge appropriate to his or her supervisory
assignment and stays abreast of recent developments in the field. The supervisor
also exemplifies in his or her own work with faculty members the qualities that he
or she hopes to develop in the faculty.

2. The supervisor develops and administers a comprehensive system of hiring,

consistent with the policies of the school, which results in the appointment of the
best-qualified candidate and a well-informed match between school and teacher.
Throughout the hiring and supervisory processes, the supervisor values racial,
cultural, and gender diversity.

3. The supervisor ensures that faculty members new to the school receive
orientation and support sufficient for them to work effectively and with confidence
that they are carrying out the educational mission, policies, and procedures of the
school.

4. The supervisor ensures that teachers are informed of both praise and criticism of
their work and that useful support and assistance are available to each teacher to
improve the quality of teaching.

5. The supervisor makes available to all faculty members on an equitable basis

whatever resources the school can provide for professional growth and
development, both inside and outside the school.

6. The supervisor encourages and challenges teachers to initiate curricular

improvement by providing the necessary time and resources and by creating
structures to foster faculty collaboration on curriculum development.

7. The supervisor leads faculty members in upholding high standards of

professional behavior and responds immediately when behavior occurs that is
harmful to children or harmful to the school community.

8. The supervisor evaluates and works to improve teaching through classroom

visits, discussions with teachers, and other methods that are fair and consistent
with the practices of the individual school. Evaluation is based on clearly
articulated criteria that teachers have helped define and occurs in a context of
 respect for the teacher’s professional knowledge and decision-making capability.
The supervisor also monitors his or her own work by inviting suggestions and
critiques from teachers.

9. When a faculty member’s future in the school is in question, the supervisor

devotes sufficient attention and resources to ensure that the situation is resolved
or that the faculty member’s departure from the school is handled with attention
to due process and the dignity of the individual.

10. The supervisor ensures that all personnel policies are clearly articulated to
faculty members and makes every effort to promote the establishment of salaries
and benefits commensurate with the professional responsibilities of teaching.
References
Zwozdiak-Myer, P. (2012). “The teacher’s reflective practice handbook: Becoming an
extended professional through capturing evidenceinformed practice”, New York,
NY: Routledge,

Alber, R. (2017). Assessment: 3 Ways Student Data Can Inform Your Teaching.
Retrieved from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-student-data-inform-
teaching-rebecca-alber

Dempsey, K.H. (n.d). Some Guidelines and Principles to Consider In Making Sense of
Evaluation Feedback. Retrieved from: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-
pages/student-evaluations/

Northern Michigan University-Center for Teaching and learning Home. Peer Evaluation
of Teaching (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.nmu.edu/ctl/peer-evaluation-
teaching

National Association of Independent Schools. Principles of Good Practice - Teachers

and Supervisors of Teachers. Retrieved from:
https://www.nais.org/learn/principles- of-good-practice/teachers-and-
supervisors-of-teachers/

Norahmi,M. & Suharyono, S. (July, 2018)Retrieved from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330906871_THE_URGENCY_OF_VIE
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Yale University (2021). Reflective Teaching. Retrieved from:

https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/ReflectiveTeaching

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
323114130_THE_ROLE_OF_EDUCATIONAL_SUPERVISORS_TOWARDS_IMPROVI
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