Problemstilling: «In what way, and to what extent, do teachers in Cambodia emphasize assessment as a tool for learning?”
Undersøkelsen /metoden
Qualitative method where three employees at the Provincial Teacher Training College (PTTC) in Siem Reap, Cambodia, were interviewed. There was one teacher, one from management and one from administration. The employees were asked about how assessment is carried out in PTTC to get an insight. Follow-up questions were important to get a better understanding of how the assessment is conducted.
In addition, teacher students were asked in plural why they think assessment is important. They could answer in Khmer as there was an interpreter present. Pupils in Cambodia are assessed from grade 1 so these students will carry out assessment in primary school.
Due to the language barrier there might be misinterpretations in this material.
Resultater - Hovedfunn
I need to emphasize that this is a teacher college where about 200 of nearly 5000 adult applicants were admitted. This translates to the competition being fierce. The best students are admitted, and I was told that no student has ever failed the final exam after two years in PTTC. The competition in PTTC is therefore friendly and based on the students with the best grades being able to make a choice of which primary school to work at. I was told there are enough jobs for everybody.
The semester exam accounts for 40%. There are also three tests that together account for 30%. Each have a duration of 1-3 hours. 10% is accredited for participation, and there is a 20% assignment during the semester.
Some teachers return the semester tests to the students while others only give a general feedback to class. There are few rules for how the tests should be administered, and how often the students should be tested. Students rarely complain about their grade. A course description and evaluation are briefly presented in the beginning of the semester.
Diskusjon /refleksjon: Kvalitet og betydning (for utvikling)
Assessment is mainly used as a tool for evaluating students for the purpose of keeping track of their level in comparison with the other students. Learning the fundamentals of assessment is not a priority but how to organize it is a desired outcome. This is likely connected with the status of teachers in Cambodia. They are respected, and pupils/students do not question the information they are presented. This is unfortunate in regard to the potential learning outcome that could be harvested.