Abstract
Contemporary mathematics assessment reflects an international consensus regarding the nature of mathematics learning. For many teachers and students, assessment, like the rationalization of surds, had become an end in itself. Assessment should be recognized, not as a neutral element in the mathematics curriculum, but as a powerful mechanism for the social construction of mathematical competence. The imperative for educators is to realize and exploit the significant role that assessment plays in this process. This chapter considers recent developments in the assessment of mathematics under four broad headings: Policy, Practice, Practicalities and Praxis. The discussion focuses on key issues, and examples are provided of significant international initiatives. Investment in quality assessment offers governments and school authorities a powerful, cost-efficient means to model exemplary practice, while meeting the evaluative obligations of public accountability. The international implementation of the new assessment agenda has identified some educational imperatives related to Inference, Consequent Action, Equity, Practicality, Ownership, and Credibility. Although these issues require our urgent attention, the mathematics education community is fortunate to have such commonality of vision, enriched by such diversity of implementation.
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Clarke, D. (1996). Assessment. In: Bishop, A.J., Clements, K., Keitel, C., Kilpatrick, J., Laborde, C. (eds) International Handbook of Mathematics Education. Kluwer International Handbooks of Education, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1465-0_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1465-0_10
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