Watch this video which explicates what AfL is, through the 3Es, and how students can and should play an active role in AfL:

• Explaining (intended learning outcomes and standards)

• Exploring (the process of learning)

• Engaging (in quality feedback)

How does the video:

• Connect with what you already know and are practicing in terms of AfL?

• Extend your understanding or suggest new priorities in practice?

• Pose challenges that you may face in carrying out AfL in the spirit described in this video?

Based on findings of our AfL research, we offer some recommendations for teachers who want to adopt a learner-centred AfL process. The brochure and poster can be downloaded below.

AfL Research in Singapore secondary schools

A research survey on AfL perceptions, policies and practices participated by 13 secondary schools in Singapore, found that teachers appear already convinced of the value of AfL practices, particularly those that involve and engage students. However, they report carrying out such learner-centred AfL practices less frequently. Conversely, teachers felt that assessment practices associated with grading and reporting are less important but reported frequent use of such practices. Low scores of proficiency in general suggest teachers’ acknowledgement that they need to learn more about AfL. Read the full article here.

Further analysis into responses from the Middle Leaders (MLs) suggest that AfL has also gained traction among the MLs as suggested by the assessment practices they value more (e.g. self and peer assessment), and to help bring about valued practices among teachers, MLs used three leadership approaches best characterised as Technical, Tactical and Ethical. The link to the full article can be found here.

Through interviews and observations from 7 of the 13 schools, it was found that when teachers are too concerned about getting students good results for exams, they tend towards more performance-oriented practices rather than learner-centred AfL strategies that aim for broader learning goals. Teachers may need support in terms of negotiating priorities as well as time and space to plan and carry out practices that are not too narrowly focussed on exams.

AfL research in East Asia

A review on selected AfL research in East Asia suggests that AfL and summative-oriented assessments can be harmonised productively in the classroom and there are opportunities to further think about a version of AfL that is sensitive to the East Asian context. Get the full article here.

Deneen, C. C., Fulmer, G. W., Brown, G. T. L., Tan, K., Leong, W. S., & Tay, H. Y. (2019). Value, practice and proficiency: Teachers' complex relationship with assessment for learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 80, 39-47.

Leong, W. S., Ismail. H., Costa, J. S., & Tan, H. B. (2018). Assessment for learning research in East Asian countries. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 59, 270-277.

Tay, H. Y., Tan, K. H. K., Deneen, C. C., Leong, W. S., Fulmer, G. W., Brown, G. T. L. (2019). Middle Leaders’ Perceptions and actions on assessment: The technical, tactical and ethical. School Leadership and Management.

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) under the Education Research Funding Programme (OER 12/15 CCD) and administered by National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Singapore MOE and NIE. We would also like to thank all the schools who participated in this study.

Project Team

Dr Leong Wei Shin (Principal Investigator), Dr Tay Hui Yong, Dr Kelvin Tan, Dr Christopher Deneen, Dr Gavin Fulmer, Dr Anastasiya Lipnevich (Co-Principal Investigators), Professor Gavin Brown (Consultant), Dr Karen Lam, Lin Rongchan (Collaborators).