Helping preservice teachers to assess writing: Practice and feedback in a web-based environment
Abstract
Writing is a highly valued skill that is often neglected in the classroom; one reason is that teachers often do not receive adequate training in writing assessment and instruction. Teachers, particularly preservice teachers, need practice making detailed assessments of student writing and to build their confidence for assessing student writing, but practical issues of time and resources often constrain the frequency and quality of training they receive. This mixed method study focused on the design and evaluation of an online tool for building preservice teachers’ writing assessment skills and self efficacy for writing assessment. In the study, teacher education students interacted with actual 4th graders’ writing samples via a Web-based critical thinking tool. They received scaffolded practice in assessing multiple student papers and justified their assessments using analytic criteria. After each paper, they received feedback that included access to expert assessments and those of their peers, along with both teacher and peer rationales for their ratings. Participants significantly improved in ability to accurately assess student writing using an analytic approach and in knowledge of the writing traits. They also showed significantly greater self-efficacy for assessing student writing and high levels of satisfaction with the Web-based tool and their overall learning experience.
Reference
Dempsey, M. S., PytlikZillig, L. M., & Bruning, R. H. (2009). Helping preservice teachers to assess writing: Practice and feedback in a web-based environment. Assessing Writing, 14(1), 38–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2008.12.003
Journal
Assessing Writing
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
- Experimental
- mixed methods
- Positivist/Post Positivist (quantitative)
- Quantitative
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- pre-/post-assessment
- Pre/Post survey
- writing attitude scale
Data Analysis Tools
- Content analysis
- Correlation
- t-test
Researcher Positionality
- Inside (studying their own practices)
Research Questions
Did participants show improvement in knowledge of the rubric and in rating ability after working in the site?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
Did participants improve their self-efficacy for assessing writing?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
Is there evidence that gains on our measures resulted from working with the site and its features?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes