Developing self-assessment as a tool to foster student learning in teaching practice

This study is an investigation in using self-assessment in teaching practice in teacher education. It aims to develop students’ capacity for self-assessment and to explore if there are any changes in students’ teaching and learning practice after using self-assessment to evaluate their teaching performance. The design of self-assessment was guided by recent development in self-assessment and the centrality of ‘assessment for learning’ for teacher education. Students self-assessed at the beginning, middle and end of teaching practice. Participants comprised 57 in-service students who were invited to go through the self-assessment process. Questionnaire and focus group interviews were employed to examine the usefulness of the self-assessment and students’ changes. Analysis indicated that students found the self-assessment enhanced their understanding in teaching and learning, especially in the area of reflective thinking. Students’ learning changed to be more positive and active.