A case study of implemenation of assessment for learning in a Hong Kong secondary school: a small-scale multi-perspective approach

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to document a local Hong Kong secondary school’s implementation of assessment for learning in the form of a case study. While the majority of previous studies on “formative assessment,” a term used interchangeably with “assessment for learning” in this dissertation, have focused primarily on modifying teachers’ teaching methods and their perspectives regarding formative assessment, there are hardly any studies that invite other perspectives, such as the students’ (Carless, 2011). Adopting a qualitative approach using mostly interviews and some observation, the researcher conducted a case study at a local secondary school in Hong Kong to study how staff members of a school realize a government educational reform goal, the implementation of assessment for learning, into action. In order to gain further insight into this matter, the researcher also invited some student opinions through questionnaires regarding their learning experiences relating to the implementation of assessment for learning. Results of this study suggest a need for continual help on behalf of the local government to provide supplementary assistance in guidance and education regarding assessment for learning for teachers and staff members of schools that are planning to or are currently going through the implementation of assessment for learning. Furthermore, due to the increasing workload of teachers during the implementation of assessment for learning, the desire for an employment of additional teachers to distribute and lessen the workload is also prominent amongst teachers; therefore, additional funding for schools to hire more teachers would be most helpful. An online platform primarily for parents and students to track student learning progress employed by the school under study is commendable for its positive effects on learning attitudes and results. The “laissez-faire” philosophy of the principal of the school under study not only grants teachers professional autonomy, but also is central to the harmonious cooperative working climate of the teachers in the school. As for students, although assessment for learning is promising for the improvement of their academic results in the long run, it takes time and patience to get used to new methods of learning and thinking. In such a way, perhaps it would be more beneficial for assessment for learning practices to be introduced earlier in students’ learning careers in order to better internalize effective learning habits as well as positive learning attitudes.