The practice of assessment for learning and metacognitive teaching in Hong Kong classrooms

This paper first explores the concepts of assessment for learning and metacognition, their importance in learning and teaching, and their relationship with each other. Through class observation, the authors conducted a study to examine the practice of assessment for learning and metacognitive teaching by Hong Kong teachers. Findings show that teachers' awareness and competences in both areas were fairly weak. It is recommended that more professional development programs for practicing teachers and training courses for student teachers about these areas should be provided, if the core aim of "learning to learn" advocated in the recent education reform is to be achieved effectively. Copyright © 2008 Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research. All Rights Reserved.