Changing Educational Assessment International Perspectives and Trends [Paperback]

Assessment is a key area of interest and debate in education. Its increased use by governments as a powerful means of influencing educational practice are now features of the educational scene worldwide. This volume was the first major international review of such developments and it explores the impact of assessment on all areas of education, from teaching skills to policy-making.

The contributors take a global perspective to spotlight the common problems facing teachers and students, policy-makers and politicians through the world as they seek to reconcile issues of equity and national development, educational imperatives and finite state resources. The contributions discuss the changing role of assessment and public examinations, and consider such specific issues as the development of a market economy in educational provision, the difficulties of measuring standards in international studies, and accreditation of absolute rather than relative competencies.

Part 1: Comparative Perspectives on Educational Assessment1 The Role of Assessment, Re-Examined in International Context Angela Little2 Trends in the Assessment of Teaching and Learning: Educational and Methodological Perspectives Carol Anne Dwyer3 Reshaping the Standards Agenda: From An Australians Perspective of Curriculum Assessment David Cohen4 National Assessment: A Comparison of English and American Trends Caroline Gipps5 Possibilities and Limitations in Cross-National Comparisons of Educational Achievement Les McLeanPart 2: Comparative Perspectives on Public Examinations 6 Trade-offs in Examination Policies: An International Comparative Pespective Harold J Noahand Max A Eckstein7 Examination Systems in Africa Thomas Kellaghan8 The Introduction of Continuous Assessment Systems at Secondary Level in Developing ClL