Assessment for teaching and learning
The view that assessment contributes significantly to teaching and learning is strongly
supported by research and is endorsed in recent policy documents, including the
Primary School Curriculum. There is agreement that assessment has a central role to
play in the teaching and learning process. In particular, the Introduction to the Primary
School Curriculum (1999) states
Assessment is central to the process of teaching and learning. It
is used to monitor learning processes and to ascertain
achievement in each area of the curriculum. Through assessment
the teacher constructs a comprehensive picture of the short-term
and long-term needs of the child and plans future work
accordingly. Assessment is also used to identify children with
specific learning difficulties so that the nature of the support and
assistance they need can be ascertained, and appropriate
strategies and programmes put in place to enable them to cope
with the particular difficulties they are encountering.
Assessment assists communication about children’s progress and
development between teacher and child, between teacher and
parent and between teacher and teacher …
(Primary School Curriculum, 1999, page 17)
This document recognises that assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning;
significant importance is ascribed to assessment for learning which is discussed in
detail in Section 3, Re-envisioning assessment