Teacher professional development in Assessment for Learning

Assessment for Learning (AfL) refers to forms of assessment focused on practices in which teachers and students continually gather information about where students are in their learning process. This information is used for the purposes of adapting teaching to students’ learning needs and giving feedback to students about how to go forward with respect to their learning strategies. AfL is a complex skill and teachers find it difficult to implement AfL in their classrooms; as a result, AfL does not always lead to improved student achievement. There is considerable room for teachers to improve their knowledge, skills and attitude with regard to AfL. Through professional development (PD), teachers can improve these competencies and implement AfL effectively in their classrooms. In this dissertation, we investigated how can teachers be supported in developing their Assessment for Learning competencies. The study yielded valuable lessons about how to support teachers in learning to use AfL in their teaching practice. The four components instructional design model provided the basis in learning theory for the design of a teacher professional development program for AfL, facilitating the acquisition of complex teacher competencies that require the integration of skills, knowledge and attitudes.