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Abstract

Many pre-service teachers lack deep understanding of assessment concepts and have low self-efficacy for using assessments but pre-service on-campus programs have been shown to support their assessment literacy development. Likewise, individualized tutoring has helped pre-service candidates improve instructional practice and peer debriefing has been found to help push their thinking. However, questions remain regarding the usefulness of these techniques to develop candidates’ assessment literacy. The primary aim of this exploratory qualitative study was to describe pre-service teachers’ perceptions of assessment literacy and the process of their assessment literacy development during a literacy assessment class containing an individualized tutoring component. Five teacher candidates in a literacy assessment and instruction course at a large urban university in the US engaged in individual semi-structured interviews and submitted written reflections and artifacts which were analyzed following the constant comparative and content analysis methods. Findings were that individualized tutoring allowed participants to apply the assessment techniques they were learning in class to determine their suitability with the diverse urban learners. Likewise, peer debriefing enabled them to share knowledge and ideas, offer mutual support and engage in collaborative problem solving to improve their tutoring. These findings support the conclusion that individualized tutoring and peer debriefing within a graduate class can be effective tools for deepening candidates’ reflection, connecting theory to practice, and providing feedback on instructional technique to support their assessment literacy development.

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