C-US ISCAR Regional Meeting July 1st – July 3rd 2013 Laval University Rollande Deslandes Education Department, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières SSHRC.

C-US ISCAR Regional Meeting

July 1st – July 3rd 2013

Laval University

Rollande Deslandes

Education Department, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

SSHRC Funding (Deslandes, 2008-2011, coll. Rivard)

Boundary crossing: Collectively redefining the educational activity

with at-risk students

© 2003 Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research

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Family-School Communication in the Context of Learning Assessments (3rd phase, 2010-2011)

Subjects: A collective of teachers

Rules and Policies-MELS: politics on evaluation, report card, knowledge and competencies -Teachers: processes

CommunityTeachers, rather low SES

Role divisionElaboration of workshops on learning and assessment

Instruments: workshops based on Kolb’s experiential approach

Subjects: students’ parents

Rules and Policies -MELS: politics on evaluation, report card, knowledge and competencies -Teachers: processes

CommunityParents, Rather low SES

Instruments: workshops and focus groups

Role division Participation in the workshops; discussion, exchanges

Shared Object : make sense and understandthe evaluation process

Engeström, Y. (2001). Expansive learning at work: Toward an activity-theoretical reconceptualization. Journal of Education and Work, 14, p. 136Deslandes, R. et Rivard, M.-C. (in press).

Results: better understanding of the curriculum, of the competencies, of the evaluation process and of the final LETTER on the report card

Tensions • Surprised by the importance of observation as a means for

assessing learning and for collecting data• Doubts - How can the teacher really focus on one child at a time and come

out with an evaluation mark that really reflects the child’s level of competency attainment?

- How can a teacher come to know each child enough in order to be fair in the evaluation?

• Disappointments• Regarding the frequent use of C+• Misunderstanding as a C + is a poor result for several parents• Important point to remember when the child receives his/her

report card in order to react properly

Tensions

6th Grade • Explanation for the parents’ low participation rate • Time constraints on the part of parents• Fear of being judged• Parental responsibilities• Connotation associated with the word “evaluation”• Continuous changes in the education system• Challenges linked to children’s schooling• Assessment is the teacher’s expertise domain

Tensions