Inclusive assessment in response to learning disabilities

Abstract

Socio- cultural perspective has emphasized the profound interrelationship between teaching and learning and assessment processes (eg Gipps, 2002). Also noted the importance for the development of inclusive schools and classrooms, that teachers adapt certain assessment tools (eg Tharp, Estrada, Dalton, and Yamauchi, 2000). According to this approach, the present work aims to analyze the adaptability of these practices to the students difficulties and to understand some of the factors that influence teachers to develop assessment practices more inclusive. To do this, we have analyzed the processes of teaching, learning and assessment of 21 groups of students in the 4th year of secondary school (16 years). These 21 groups corresponding to four Secondary Schools. Each school used all groups in the subject of Mathematics to students of 4th ESO was provided. For each of the processes, were conducted several interviews with the respective teachers, and samples of assessment instruments used were collected both with students with learning difficulties as the others. The collected data were analyzed according to a category system based on the analysis model of interactivity proposed by Coll and colleagues, reviewed and adapted to the study of situations and evaluation activities (Coll, Barberà and Onrubia, 2000). Results show that assessment practices developed by teachers and students do not have a high degree of adaptability. Also show that although the assessment practices used to assess students with learning difficulties in mathematics are different from those used with other students, were not more adaptive and inclusive.