Teachers’ Perceptions on Classroom Assessment and Their Practices

The aims of this study were to examine the in-service teachers' perceptions on classroom assessment and to explore their classroom assessment practices. A total of 450 teachers from seven states and seven regions participated in this study. Classroom Assessment Practices Survey Questionnaire (CAPSQ) developed by Gonzales (2014) was used as the research instrument. In order to analyze the current situation of teachers, the descriptive statistics such as frequency percentage, ranking and arithmetic mean were used. Based on these findings, the participant teachers have a positive preference on three parts of classroom assessment preferences. Specifically, Assessment as Learning Factor showed a Weighted Mean of 3.65, Assessment of Learning Factor or Summative Assessment had a Weighted Mean of 4.2 and the results revealed that the Weighted Mean of Assessment for Learning Factor or Formative Assessment is 4.15 whereas participant teachers may have less concentration in Assessment to Inform Factor showing the Weighted Mean of 2.7. In addition, a large proportion of teachers (nearly 73% to 93%) respond Classroom Assessment as summative assessment and formative assessment very frequently. In general, most of the participant teachers have an optimistic insight on classroom assessment. Furthermore, the findings also revealed that the participant teachers used traditional assessments more frequently than alternative assessments. Among the various assessment strategies, the results revealed that the majority of participant teachers (nearly 86% to 91%) mainly use paper and pencil test (Mean>4.5). Since teachers commonly use classroom assessment strategies as tests and exams, they rarely use alternative assessments to assess their students. The teachers’ perceptions of classroom assessment may have influence on their classroom assessment practices. Concerning the alternative assessments practices, the participant teachers reported that they frequently use assessment strategies which mainly focus on to recall and to explain what is taught in classroom whereas the participant teachers occasionally use to assess how to apply concepts and ideas in a new way, how to analyze a situation or condition, how to decide a stand and how to create a new product or point of view or idea (Weighted Mean=3). Moreover, the majority of the participant teachers have positive attitudes towards teaching profession (Weighted Mean=4.2). Regarding discussion with colleagues about students, the majority of participant teachers (nearly 67%) have discussion with other teachers about what helps students learn best and how to improve assessments (Weighted Mean=3.8)