An action research: Experiences and practices of designing 21st-century assessment activities of elementary teacher candidates

Year 2022, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 128 - 143, 31.01.2022

Sevil Orhan Özen Sercan Özen

https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1006470

Abstract

The aim of this action research is to improve the experiences and practices of elementary teacher candidates in designing 21st-century assessment activities. This study was conducted with two groups in Instructional Design Course in two different education terms. The first term has 52, while the second term has 42 elementary teacher candidates (ETCs). A rubric to design assessment activities was created with ETCs in the first term and they applied them to revise. Then the ETCs in the second term experienced by applying revised rubric during performance homework and fulfilled the self-assessment form including both rating scale and open-ended questions were used to tell their experiences. The responses to the rating scale were analyzed through descriptive analysis, while open-ended responses of ETCs were analyzed through content analysis. The findings indicate that ETCs have experience based on creating problem-solving, critical thinking, and productive product-based questions, using collaborative structure, using digital tools, creating feedback badges based on skill-based scoring. Also, ETCs reported they have improved professional and personal skills by designing 21st-century assessment activities. This study contributes to preparing ETCs for 21st-century learning.

Keywords

assessment, 21st century, feedback badges, collaborative, skill-based scoring

References

• Aksoy, N. (2003). Action research: A method for improving and changing educational practices. Educational Administration in Theory & Practice, 9(4), 474-489.
• Ananiadou, K., & Claro, M. (2009). 21st-century Skills and Competences for New Millennium Learners in OECD Countries. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 41. OECD Publishing (NJ1). https://doi.org/10.1787/19939019.
• Binkley, M., Erstad, O., Herman, J., Raizen, S., Ripley, M., Miller-Ricci, M., & Rumble, M. (2012). Defining Twenty-First Century Skills. In Griffin, P., Care, E., & McGaw, B. (Eds.), Assessment and Teaching of 21st-century Skills, Dordrecht, Springer.
• Bondy, S. (2001). Warming up to classroom research in a professional development school. Contemporary Education 72 (1): 8–6.
• Cevik, M. & Senturk C. (2019). Multidimensional 21st-century skills scale: Validity and reliability study. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 14(1), 011–028. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v14i1.3506
• Ennis, R. H., & Millman, J. (2005). Cornell critical thinking test: Level X (5th ed.). Seaside, CA: The Critical Thinking Company.
• Eti, I. & Sigirtmac, A. (2021). Developing inquiry-based science activities in early childhood education: An action research. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 7(3), 785-804. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.1973
• Evren, B. (2012). Fen ve teknoloji öğretiminde sorgulayıcı öğrenme yaklaşımının öğrencilerin sahip oldukları eleştirel düşünme eğilim düzeylerine ve fen ve teknoloji dersine yönelik tutumlarına etkisi. (Unpublished Masters’ Thesis). Adnan Menderes University, Aydın.
• Facione, P. A. (1990). The California Critical Thinking Skills Test-College level. Technical Report# 1. Experimental Validation and Content Validity. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED327549.pdf
• Geisinger, K. F. (2016). 21st-century Skills: What Are They and How Do We Assess Them? Applied Measurement in Education, 29(4). 245-249. https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2016.1209207.
• Gündoğdu, B. & Merç, A. (2022). A Systematic review of tech-supported collaborative creativity Practices in the field of education. Journal of Learning and Teaching in Digital Age, 7(1), 76-89. https://doi.org/10.53850/joltida.953760.
• Hebebci, M. T. ve Usta, E. (2018). Eğitim ortamlarında dijital rozet kullanımına ilişkin öğretmen görüşleri. Türk Bilgisayar ve Matematik Eğitimi Dergisi, 9(2), 192-210. https://doi.org/10.16949/turkbilmat.341178
• Kayagil, S. (2010). Prediction of mathematics achievement by critical thinking skills in seventh grade students. (Unpublished Doctoral Thesis). Selçuk University, Konya.
• Kemmis, S., Mctaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2014). The Action Research Planner: Doing Critical Participatory Action Research. Singapore: Springer.
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4560-67-2
• Lai, E. R., & Viering, M. (2012). Assessing 21st-century Skills: Integrating Research Findings. Pearson. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED577778
• Lawrance, S. A., Saran, R., Johnson, T. & Lafontant, M. (2020). Preparing 21st-century Teachers: Supporting Digital Literacy and Technology Integration in P6 Classrooms. In Mitchell, J. & Vaughn, E. N. (Eds.), Participatory Literacy Practices for P-12 Classrooms in the Digital Age. IGI Global. (pp. 140-162). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-0000-2.ch008
• Lipman, M. (1988). Critical Thinking: What Can It Be? Educational Leadership, 46(1), 38-43. http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198809_lipman.pdf
• MEB. (2019). İlköğretim Öğretim Programları (1-8. Sınıflar). http://mufredat.meb.gov.tr/Programlar.aspx
• Morales, M. P. E. (2016). Participatory Action Research (Par) Cum Action Research (Ar) in Teacher Professional Development: A Literature Review. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2 (1): 156–165. doi:10.21890/ijres.01395
• National Education Association. (2015). Preparing 21st-century students for a global society: An educator’s guide to the “Four Cs”. http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/A-Guide-to-Four-Cs.pdf.
• National Research Council. (2011). Assessing 21st-century Skills: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/13215.
• Ndibalema, P. (2020). Unlocking the Potential of ICT for Transformative Learning among Youth: A Path to 21st Century Competencies. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 3 (3) , 245-271. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.777647
• OECD (2014). PISA 2012 Results: Creative Problem Solving: Students’ Skills in Tackling Real-Life Problems (Volume V), PISA, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264208070-en
• OECD (2017). PISA 2015 Assessment and Analytical Framework: Science, Reading, Mathematic, Financial Literacy and Collaborative Problem Solving, revised edition, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264281820-en
• P21. (2006). A state leader’s action guide to 21st-century skills: A new vision for education. Tucson, AZ: Partnership for 21st-century Skills. http://apcrsi.pt/website/wp-content/uploads/20170317_Partnership_for_21st_Century_Learning.pdf.
• P21 (2019). Framework for 21st-century learning definitions. The Partnership for 21st-century Learning. A network of Battelle for kids. http://static.battelleforkids.org/documents/p21/P21_Framework_DefinitionsBFK.pdf.
• Shute V. J., & Becker B.J. (2010) Prelude: Assessment for the 21st-century. In Shute, V.J. & Becker, B. J. (Eds.), Innovative Assessment for the 21st-century. Springer, Boston, MA.
• Shute, V. J., & Zapata-Rivera, D. (2010). Educational measurement and intelligent systems. In Baker, E., Peterson, P., & McGaw, B. (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Education-3rd Edition. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Publishers.
• Silva, E. (2009). Measuring skills for 21st-century learning. Phi delta kappan, 90(9), 630-634. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/003172170909000905
• Spector, J. M., Ifenthaler, D., Samspon, D., Yang, L., Mukama, E., Warusavitarana, A., Lokuge Dona, K., Eichhorn, K., Fluck, A., Huang, R., Bridges, S., Lu, J., Ren, Y., Gui, X., Deneen, C. C., San Diego, J., & Gibson, D. C. (2016). Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment for 21st-century Learning. Educational Technology & Society, 19 (3), 58–71. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.19.3.58
• Treffinger, D. J., & Isaksen, S. G. (2005). Creative problem solving: The history, development, and implications for gifted education and talent development. Gifted Child Quarterly, 49(4), 342-353. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698620504900407
• Voogt, J., & Roblin, N. P. (2010). 21st-century Skills: Discussion Paper. Report prepared for Kennisnet, University of Twente. The Netherlands. http://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/254371.
• Voogt, J., & Roblin, N. P. (2012). A comparative analysis of international frameworks for 21st-century competences: Implications for national curriculum policies. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 44(3). 299-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2012.668938
• Whitebread, D., Coltman, P., Pasternak, D. P., Sangster, C., Grau, V., Bingham, S., Almeqdad, Q., & Demetriou, D. (2009). The development of two observational tools for assessing metacognition and self-regulated learning in young children. Metacognition and Learning, 4(1), 63-85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11409-008-9033-1
• Yalçın, S. (2018). 21st-century skills and tools and approaches that are used to measure these skills. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences 51(1), 183-201. https://doi.org/10.30964/auebfd.405860
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2016). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. 10. Baskı. Ankara: Seçkin Yay.
• Yıldırım, S., Yıldırım, G., Çelik, E. & Kara, A. (2014). Determination of student opinions about digital badges. Journal of Research in Education and Teaching 3(4), 208-216. https://doi.org/10.29000/rumelide.540989
• Zhuang. X., MacCann, C., Wang, L., Liu, L., & Roberts, R. D. (2008). Development and validity evidence supporting a teamwork and collaboration assessment for high school students. ETS RR-08-50. Princeton, NJ: ETS. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1111347.pdf