Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to address the implementation fidelity of one part
of a professional development model developed by the Northwest Regional Educational
Laboratory (NWREL). Specifically, this research investigates middle school teachers’
use of a formative feedback guide developed by NWREL staff, examining the reliability
with which teachers use the guide and how its use influences the follow-up instructional
decisions they make. The subjects of the study were ten middle school mathematics
teachers who participated in the NWREL professional development and the subsequent
classroom problem solving activities. The primary data collected for the study were
student solutions to problem solving tasks, teacher evaluations of student performance
using the NWREL formative feedback guide, and teacher plans for sharing student work
in a follow-up class.
Wiliam and Black et al provide frameworks for considering formative assessment
that influenced this study, particularly around the nature of formative assessment
practices that positively influence student learning. Stein et al’s pedagogical model for
sharing student work in classroom discussions formed the basis on which follow-up
instruction was considered in this study.
The results of this study suggest that the NWREL formative feedback guide
functions more as a summative than a formative assessment guide. Teachers did not use
the guide with high levels of reliability. The rationales teachers provided for selecting
pieces of student work to share in follow-up classroom discussions were almost always
related to aspects of mathematical problem solving, especially to show students a variety
of strategies. While those rationales were usually reflected to some degree in the student
solutions chosen, the comments that teachers wrote for students less frequently reflected
the rationales.
Based on these results, three new guides are proposed for future professional
development efforts for this component of the NWREL program: 1) a formative
assessment written comment guide, 2) a scaffolding guide, and 3) a student work
selection and sequencing guide.
