Learning theory

Teachers who are emphasising formative assessment change their underlying beliefs about what counts as 'good teaching'. Their focus is less on teaching and more on learning in their classroom.
(Black et al., 2003: 80).

The transition from a focus on Assessment of Learning to a focus on Assessment for Learning creates a need for clearer learning theory.

Constructivist theory could be used to support the recommendations made in 'Assessment for Learning'. I am going to focus on the constructive theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, Wood, Bruner and Ross when applying it to the approaches recommended in Assesment for learning (Afl).

Voygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) theory can assist teachers when applying the Questioning and wait time approach as teachers can assess what students already know, and need to know and have the ability to know with assistance. This means questions can be more focused and achievable for students. If students are unable to answer the questions simple prompts or hints can be used, supporting Wood, Bruner and Ross’s scaffolding theory.

Peer assessment can also be more effective by using the ZPD to establish who the 'more knowledgeable others (MKO) are, these MKOs can then be grouped together so the work they assess is at a similar level, allowing them to aim higher. On the other hand a MKO can be grouped with those less knowledgeable than them to help bring these pupils up to a reasonable level of understanding and achievement, allowing the MKOs to reinforce what they are doing right and giving a struggling student model answers, for example.

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development can be used to assess what students should or should not be able to achieve in relation to the stage they are at. Therefore comment only marking can be more specific to the expected ability of the pupil. A rubric could also be produced reflecting the different stages of cognitive development which can be used for self assessment.

These theories all support the Afl recommendations and they are useful when incorporated into the different approaches of formative, summative and diagnostic assessment.