Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Teacher Empowerment Toward Professional Development and Practices pp 255–267Cite as

School-Based Professional Learning Community: Empowering Teachers as Assessment Leaders in the Change Context

Abstract

India’s Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation scheme (CCE) seeks to introduce child-centered methods of students’ assessment. Formative assessment is a major plank in this. The article draws upon Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to analyze and explain the processes of change that have underpinned the development of assessment reform. Case study is used as the research methodology to suggest that creation and regulation of school-based professional learning communities influence teachers’ classroom-based formative assessment practices. It is argued that collaborative efforts of teachers supported by proactive leadership, keeping a consistent focus to change the practices at classroom level empower teachers to become formative assessment leaders.

Keywords

  • Professional learning community
  • Formative assessment
  • Continuous and comprehensive evaluation
  • Change
  • Collaboration

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    For instance, articles of educational relevance were regularly posted on school bulletin boards from daily newspapers, key statements from Assessment Reform Group were found to be posted, etc.

References

  • AfL. (2009). Position paper on assessment for learning. Third international conference on assessment for learning. Retrieved December 21, 2010 from http://www.fairtest.org/position-paper-assessment-learning

  • Birenbaum, M., Kimron, H., Shilton, H., & Shahaf- Brazilay, R. (2009). Cycles of inquiry: Formative assessment in service of learning in classrooms and in school-based professional learning communities. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 35, 130–149.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Birenbaum, M., Kimron, H., & Shilton, H. (2011). Nested contexts that shape assessment for learning: School-based professional learning community and classroom culture. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 37, 35–48.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). (2014). CBSE CCE Report. India: New-Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cizek, G. J. (1995). The big picture in assessment and who ought to have It. Phi Delta Kappa International, 77(3), 246–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education (7th ed.). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuban, L. (1998). How schools change reforms: Redefining reform success and failure. Teachers College Record, 99(3), 453–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, J. (1929). The sources of a science of education. New York: Horace Liveright.

    Google Scholar 

  • DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (2002). Professional learning communities at work: Best practices for enhancing student achievement. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez, C. (2002). Learning from Japanese approaches to professional development: The case of lesson study. Journal of Teacher Education, 53, 393–405.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Government of India (GOI). (1953). Report of the secondary education commission: Mudaliar commission report. India: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • GOI. (1970). CABE Committee on examination reforms. Retrieved from http://www.teindia.nic.in/mhrd/50yrsedu/g/T/V/0T0V0E03.htm

  • GOI. (1986). National policy on education. Ministry of Human Resource Development. Department of Education: India. Retrieved from http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NPE86-mod92.pdf

  • GOI. (1993). Learning without burden. India: Ministry of Human Resource Development. Department of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment: Making it happen in the classroom. California, USA: Corwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, A. (2007). Doing and writing qualitative research. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi: Sage Publications.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • James, M., & Lewis, J. (2012). Assessment in harmony with our understanding of learning: Problems and possibilities. In J. Gardner (Ed.) (2nd ed.), Assessment and Learning (206–229). London: Sage Publictions.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin, M. W., & Talbert, J. E. (2006). Building school-based teacher learning communities: Professional strategies to improve student achievement. New York: Teachers College.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Concil of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). (2005). National curriculum framework. India: New Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nawani, D. (2015). Rethinking assessment in schools. Economic and Political Weekly, L, 3, 37–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrenoud, P. (1998). From formative evaluation to a controlled regulation of learning processes: Towards a wider conceptual field. Assessment in Education, 5(1), 85–102.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Priestley, M., & Sime, D. (2005). Formative assessment for all: A whole-school approach to pedagogic change. The Curriculum Journal, 16(4), 475–492.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenholtz, S. J. (1989). Teachers’ workplace: The social organization of schools. New York: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shephard, L. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4–14.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Stenhouse, L. (1975). An introduction to curriculum research and development. London: Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., & Thomas, S. (2006). Professional learning communities: A review of the literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7, 221–258.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E. (2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization, 7(2), 225–246.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E., McDermott, R., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice. USA: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiliam, D., & Thompson, M. (2007). Integrating assessment with instruction: What will it take to make it work? In C. A. Dwyer (Ed.), The Future of Assessment: Shaping Teaching and Learning (pp. 53–82). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India

    Garima Bansal

Authors
  1. Garima Bansal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Garima Bansal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education and Modern Languages, University of Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia

    Ismail Hussein Amzat

  2. Faculties of Humanities and Business, President University, Cikarang, Indonesia

    Nena P. Valdez

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Bansal, G. (2017). School-Based Professional Learning Community: Empowering Teachers as Assessment Leaders in the Change Context. In: Amzat, I., Valdez, N. (eds) Teacher Empowerment Toward Professional Development and Practices. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4151-8_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4151-8_17

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-4150-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-4151-8

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

search

Navigation