Educational Assessment as a Value-Laden Socio-Cultural Activity, Influence by Politics and History - Assignment Example

Running Head: EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT IS A VALUE-LADEN SOCIO- CULTURAL ACTIVITY, INFLUENCE BY POLITICS AND HISTORY Educational Assessment is a Value-Laden Socio-Cultural Activity, Influence by Politics and History Name Institution Date Educational Assessment is a Value-Laden Socio-Cultural Activity, Influence by Politics and History Introduction Educational assessment is an activity that is inevitable in the realm of education. To found out or determine if the practices initiated are working or producing the desired results, from time to time educational assessment is carried out. The functionality of the programs introduced can only be ascertained if the educational assessment is put in place to give credibility to the programs. In many situations or contexts, educational assessment has been without controversies. Joughin (2008) argues that there are many aspects that surround how the process is carried out and why the call for it is necessary. In this paper educational assessment is explored with a critical look at its value-laden socio-cultural characteristic and the influence of history and politics on it. Those issues surrounding educational assessment plays a big role in its shaping up the roadmap for the practice and the emerging issues along the way. Educational assessment is a value-laden social-cultural activity, influenced by politics and history. As a learner and an educator this statement carries with it undisputed truth. Although the parts that make up the education process-pedagogy, assessment and curriculum-are bound into a cycle full of interrelationship recent policy in education has majored on curriculum and assessment. This means that education assessment is not independent from socio-cultural activity and politics of the day. In one way or another socio-cultural aspect will always find itself engraved in some part of the assessment criterion. When curriculum are developed their main aim is to make the subjects of their concern better people in the society, therefore regardless of the location and origin and socio-cultural aspects will always be embedded in the school curriculum and therefore when it comes to assessment this aspect will have a big influence (Boud & Falchikov, 2007). As a learner one grows through the social aspect in the society to an extent that it shapes the way somebody perceives the serious matter of life. A learner grows in a setting where he is from every side surrounded by the social activities in the society. The policy of inclusion is highly practiced in Australia in the education practices. According to Smith and Cumming (2009), despite the inclusion being a special education issue, it also contains implications that are broader. Schooling that is inclusive makes up part of school change and leadership programs that are effective. Schools that are inclusive try in all aspects to offer complete education to all the students who are enrolled in them. There is recognition there is growing in the DET policy statements that should are supposed to attempt to be inclusive as much as possible. When education assessment is done such as aspect like inclusion which is a top most agenda for some educational experts will not escape the assessment criteria. The theory of socio-cultural being is of the view that there are no activities that exist in isolation but on the contrary they make up a portion of broader systems of relationships, socio structures, in which they are best understood. In the paradigm of socio-cultural, learning is viewed as a process that allows the participation of the community practice, whereby expertise is advanced in social together with cognitive ways by means of cultural tools that are learned by working together with members who are experts. Tools that constitute the culture, for instance, assessment activities and the classroom language, people interrelationship, particularly, power relations and the social structure draw the path or learning possibilities (Joughin, 2008). Learning that give way to autonomy and participation that is full in the community will not to individual heads or external tools or to assigned tasks or to the environment among other things. This interpretation makes the teacher able to have a perspective of assessment methods as mere practices which form patterns of creating participation and consequently add up to identities of pupils as knower’s and learners. This is seen as a challenging and new perspective on the aims of assessment that gives substantial importance to assessment in the classroom, and aligns closely with the aim of coming up with autonomy of the learner through practices of AFL. It follows that educational assessment can not be devoid of socio-cultural portions that defines the end results (Boud & Falchikov, 2007). According to Makin et al. (2007), there are a lot of interrelationships and the emerging cultural and social contexts of student and teacher beliefs about assessment and learning, issues of power and identity of the learner and the control have become of critical importance in the learning realm. The interrelationships form a complex association. The assessment, it has been observed to be a cultural activity that is complex and situated in the relationship between the teacher, the learner and the task of assessment in the social, cultural and relationship context in which it is perfected. Each classroom situation will possess unique patterns which defines the relationship of the assessment. The learners and educators have to understand the influence of socio-cultural aspect in the learning environment. The socio context in the classroom has to be fully understood. Whereas the reality is that teachers tend to always blend approaches, the beliefs held by the teachers together with the assessment practices they identify to use come up with messages that define the students’ learning identity. In the behaviorist point of view is that learners are receivers who are passive, since knowledge is seen as stable, external and objective, any absence of learning can be traced to the qualities that are innate of the learner as opposed to the teaching only. In this perspective a substantial proportion of failure or performance that is poor is viewed as natural and students may do what is required minimally, with the belief that it does not make any difference to their own understanding if the abilities are somehow fixed. This particular perspective possess a mutually reinforcing set of ideas that persist to shape current practice and thinking even while whereas the theories on which they are founded have been challenged significantly. The point that is being stressed all through is that educational assessment can not be devoid of socio-cultural activity and political influence (Makin et al., 2007). In order for the students to be directed by the teacher to take part in AFL practices and form a community of practice that empower all the students to develop their own identity as being learners who are autonomous, the teachers have to work beyond the given curriculum, assessment and pedagogy of a paradigm that is purely paradigm. Politics and social aspects will always be embedded in the educational practices. Educational assessment will include things are being classroom encounters going out to deal with politics and socio-cultural aspect. The bureaucracy is the education systems will bring the political aspects in the assessment. There many functions that are the learning realms which can not rule out internal and external politics. Education systems in the world tend to be copied from one country to another. It will be observed that changes in the education sector have been adopted top conform to a certain pattern that is existing in another country. Despite things patterns there is also many internal politics that define the way education is carried out in a particular context. Berry and Adamson (2011) note that policies and regulations are many times formed with a lot of politics that influence decision making in the education sector. This political aspect goes on to influence the educational assessment practices. Educational assessment has consequently been largely influenced with historical and political events. As the politics of the day shape up, it brings with it changes that are sometime reflected in the educational assessment and practices (Elliott & Thomas, 2009). Forms of government when they change they have made assessment practices in the education sector to change with equal measure. It is obvious that the education docket is politically represented in the ruling government through the minister of education. Developments in the curriculum of education have a lasting impact both on the learner and the educator. While the learners have to cope with the changing grasp of the curriculum, the educator has to undergo training in order to be able to dispense his services in the best way possible. The educator has to learn how to cope and adapt in the fast paced world with many historical events. Adaptability for the case of the educator is inevitable. The historical and political influence in education assessment can not completely separate from the educational assessment. Practices in the educational assessment are drawn or made up of the socio-cultural, historical and political influence and foundation (Berry & Adamson, 2011). According to Centre for Educational Research and Innovation and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2004), curriculum in education can not be based purely on the classroom aspect without political and historical aspects being engraved in. In many circumstances educational assessment are instigated by the arm of government that is politically motivated to bring regional balance and regulations that streamlines educational activities. Services of special education were originally formed outside the usual state of education systems. These kinds of schools were put in place by concerned citizens and parents. The department of education in the state took responsibility for students who were seen as educable and often placement was in terms of degree of disability and diagnosis. Such aspects of special schools have to be streamlined by the government and the politics of the day permeates in when it comes to allocation of resources. Educational assessment is in itself made up of historical events that have led to changing of rules and regulations that pertains assessment and the expectations that is anticipated from the learners as well as the educators. There is no learning that can take place without the influence of the government and the socio-cultural aspects surrounding. Any contemplation to introduce something new in the educational assessment will come with the participation of the governmental agencies and the proper authorities that are expected to draw the necessary path in the education sector. It is just important that that a political agency in the education sector will always take the role of arbitration in case there are accusations and counter-accusations surrounding, or where malice and prejudice is purported to have been involved in the educational assessment. Educational assessment is value laden since it is used to gauge the quality of what is being delivered in the education sector (Atweh, Forgasz & Nebres, 2001). History defines the future of any nations and it is embedded in the socio-cultural aspects of the people of that particular nation. The politics surrounding the education system will watch out against any introduction of practices that will be outside the regulations that are outlined in the provisions of the constitution. Politics, socio-cultural and history can not be separated from the events taking place in the education sector. States in Australia have to a large extent witnessed the various influences of historical events that come with many adjustment that should be introduced and a specified pace. Where special education is offered the government come in to offer the required equipments and facilities that make the learning in these scenarios to be comfortable and appealing to both the learners and educators. As the education practitioners struggle to implement the changes that are politically instigated, they try also putting at the forefront educational outcomes that are applicable in the classroom. The beliefs of the students concerning learning are mostly grouped into two separate categories of student learner self-concepts. Students who are performance oriented have the belief that achievement in academics is defined by ability that is fixed and will in many circumstances just work to please the teacher in charge. Conclusion Educational assessment is an aspect of education that is imperative. Nevertheless, it comes surrounded with many aspects that determine the direction of the whole practice. It has been seen that socio-cultural issues shape the direction of educational assessment and so are historical and political issues. Any advancement or implementation done in the education assessment should take into consideration value, socio-cultural, historical and political issues. The learners and educators are equally affected with these issues in different ways. References Atweh, B., Forgasz, H., Nebres, B. (2001). Sociocultural research on mathematics education: an international perspective. London: Routledge. Makin, L., Jones, C. & McLachlan, C. (2007). Literacies in childhood: Changing views, challenging practice. Melbourne: Elsevier Australia. Smith, C. & Cumming, J. (2009). Educational assessment in the 21st century: connecting theory and practice. NY: Springer. Joughin, G. (2008). Assessment, Learning and Judgment in Higher Education. NY: Springer. Berry, R., Adamson, B. (2011). Assessment Reform in Education: Policy and Practice. NY: Springer. Centre for Educational Research and Innovation & Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2004). Quality and recognition in higher education: the cross-border challenge. OECD Publishing. Elliott, M. & Thomas, I. (2009). Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia: Theory and Practice. Federation Press. Boud, D. & Falchikov, N. (2007). Rethinking assessment in higher education: learning for the longer term. Taylor & Francis. Read More