Exploring the school assessment culture: A Critical Ethnographic Perspective

INTRODUCTION

Living in a turbulent time increases the chances that schools will have to regularly deal with complex and abrupt situations. Though educational assessment is not a new development in schools, the trajectories of assessment practices in recent years may reveal how traditional meanings are transforming due to the economic pressures and societal demands on schools. Following the neoliberal agenda that seeks to increase competitiveness among schools, where assessment is meant to produce measurable results and ensure greater accountability.

GOALS AND METHODS

To analyse how assessment is enacted and how it shapes assessment culture in schools a critical ethnographic study continuing for 15 months was conducted in a selected school in Lithuania. According to Carspecken (1996) who provided the theoretical and practical guidance on conducting critical ethnography, such research always seeks to explore social inequalities, power, culture, and human agency. The underpinning theoretical framework of critical research includes philosophical pragmatism, critical theory, and phenomenology.

The data collection and analysis were done cyclically and involved participant observation, focus groups and individual interviews. The data analysis included coding, preliminary meaning reconstruction, pragmatic horizon analysis and validity reconstruction. The research followed Carspecken’s five stages of critical ethnography design.

RESULTS

The result of the critical ethnography is a rich description of the school’s assessment culture, which revealed how learning outcomes were perceived and school assessment practices. The description also attempted to explain teachers’ motives for selecting certain teaching and assessment practices including their perspective on the role of feedback and grading.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that everyday interactions among students and teachers are conditioned by public demands to perform well academically on the high stakes examinations and the fear of spoiling a school’s reputation. Nevertheless, teachers' efforts and dedication to their students mitigate the negative effects of standardised testing on certain groups of students.