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- Vol 5 RE: Chapters 2, 3, 9, 10
summative assessmentassessment validityassessment reliabilityteacher judgementmoderationassessment consequencescurriculum narrowingassessment purposesBook Evidence summaryAt a glance
Harlen examines summative assessment used for reporting, certification, selection, accountability, and evaluation, and asks how methods should be judged. Four recurring criteria are validity, reliability, impact on teaching and learning, and resources required.
Key ideas
External tests can offer standardisation and comparability but sample limited outcomes, create measurement error, and can narrow curriculum or pedagogy when stakes are high. Teachers’ judgements draw on richer evidence gathered over time and across contexts, but require clear criteria, shared standards, moderation, and quality assurance to become dependable. Assessment methods are not inherently formative or summative; purpose and use determine their function, and classroom evidence can contribute to both. A balanced system aligns intended learning, teaching, tasks, interpretation, and reporting while making uncertainty visible.
Why it matters
Harlen supports greater use of moderated teacher assessment rather than treating tests as the only objective evidence. Decisions should consider consequences for learners and curriculum alongside technical properties, ensuring that efforts to increase reliability do not undermine validity by measuring a narrower version of learning.
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Edition abbreviations
- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
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