Teachers' and administrators' perceptions of authentic assessment at a career and technical education center
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe teachers' and administrators' perceptions of authentic assessment as it was implemented at a career and technical education center. The participants of this study were selected from the teaching and administrative staff who were involved in the development and implementation of an authentic assessment instrument. Data collection for this study was accomplished through a questionnaire and an interview. This study sought to identify the participants' professional background, their perceptions of assessment in general and specifically authentic assessment, and their perceptions of the academic role and purpose of authentic assessment. There were five main findings of the study: (a) assessment is an important component of teaching and learning; (b) authentic assessment is a multicomponent tool that effectively measures real-world tasks and provides a comprehensive picture of students' performance proficiencies; (c) the authentic assessment tool offered teachers and prospective employers the opportunity to examine a high school graduate student's job qualifications; (d) factors contributing to effective authentic assessment include time to administer the test and teacher training along with regularly scheduled staff meetings to review and modify the authentic assessment tool; and (e) authentic assessment has the academic advantage to measure technical skills effectively. One of the main focuses of the study was to provide opportunities for teachers and administrators to reflect on the implementation of authentic assessment. The findings from this study mirrored much of what previous research found related to the role of assessment, the purpose of authentic assessment, and factors to consider in the implementation of authentic assessment.
Subject Area
Educational tests & measurements|Secondary education|Curriculum development|Career and technical education
Recommended Citation
Varley, Maureen Ann, "Teachers' and administrators' perceptions of authentic assessment at a career and technical education center" (2008). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3323268.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3323268
