Experienced Elementary Teachers’ Processes for Interpreting Artifacts of Student Thinking

Consensus exists in mathematics education that classroom assessment is an essential component of effective practice; however, the importance of teacher interpretation of student thinking in the assessment process is often overlooked. The purpose of this interpretative qualitative research study was to examine teachers’ interpretations of artifacts of student thinking. In particular, we sought to understand the personal resources teachers used to construct their interpretations. Nine experienced and professionally active teachers participated in two interviews. The first interview was semi-structured and focused on the participants’ professional experiences, conceptions of assessment, and assessment practices. The second interview was task-based and involved participants in the interpretation of student artifacts collected from second grade students in the area of place value. The results indicate that teachers applied to the act of interpretation a complex, but personal awareness of student thinking that influenced interpretation, including: (a) conceptions of levels of student performance, (b) expectations for student performance, and (c) awareness of common student difficulties. These results provide support for the conclusion that professional development related to classroom assessment should address the interpretative process of examining student artifacts, with emphasis on developing personal resources used in this process.