Guidance on assessment of student teachers

Many teachers, teacher educators, pupils and parents think of assessment as evaluating only what learners have learnt at the end of a week, term or year. Such summative assessment is important. However, ‘assessment for learning’ or formative assessment is important within the learning cycle because it gives

the educator and the learners
the teacher and the pupils 
the teacher educator and the student teachers

the opportunity to check progress while all are learning. This can then be the basis for further learning. Both formative and summative assessment can include self- and peer assessment as well as Teaching Practice Supervisor directed assessment.

On your visits to your student teachers, you should complete the teaching practice assessment sheet as usual. The scoring can differ from one institution to another but this list covers some suggestions that you may want to consider in your assessment of the student teacher. The Teaching Practice Supervisor should be specific in stating their marks and give reasons and examples.

Assessment of teaching practice by Teaching Practice Supervisor

Trainee’s Personal Behaviour

 
  • Trainee’s outward show (appearance)
  • Trainee’s contribution to school environment and other activities (culture, sport and social activities)
  • Trainee’s self-awareness

 

Lesson Preparation and Planning

 
  • Level of detail and accuracy in the lesson plan
  • Accuracy, adequacy and sequencing of content
  • Knowledge and appropriate use of objectives according to the domains of cognitive, affective and psychomotor
  • Coherent lesson design involving active learning according to the pupils’ levels and competences
  • Selection of appropriate instructional activity for the lesson objectives
  • Preparation and selection of appropriate instructional materials

 

Lesson Presentation and Classroom Management (See the Recognising a good lesson section in the Toolkit)

 
  • Stimulates the pupils
  • Knowledge of subject
  • Implementation of lesson plan (flexibility)
  • Knowledge of the pupils and their individual differences
  • Competency at using instructional materials especially the chalkboard
  • Responses to pupils’ behaviour
  • Use of voice
  • Pupil participation in the lesson by asking questions, debating and discussion
  • Classroom management and control
  • Relevant, interesting and motivational introduction
  • Logical and sequential development of lesson
  • Adequacy and accurate mastery of subject
  • Command of language (accurate, fluent and to the point)
  • Questioning (good quality, well distributed among the learners)
  • Learner-centred approach (lots of relevant activities)
  • Use of instructional materials
  • Learning consolidation through summary and conclusion

 

Evaluation

 
  • Evaluation of pupils’ learning
  • Analysis of lesson delivery against lesson objectives

Teaching Practice Supervisor Observation Form

Table of activities and case studies in the Toolkit