Quality Development and School-based Evaluation

The course is based on the notion that all schools must carry out an assessment of heir own activity, as an element of the educational systems’ strategy for quality assurance and development. The concept of quality in education will be discussed. The course gives a general introduction to school evaluation, its functions, methods of evaluation, the political educational context, and which strategies and systems of assessment are applied both nationally and internationally. The idea of accountability will be discussed. Evaluation seen in connection with development and school-based evaluation will be discussed, including the evaluation of a school’s social milieu, assessment of schooling and pupil evaluation, and how various persons employed in schools may participate in reviews. Coursework will be carried out through practical examples, field trips to schools renowned for good results in school evaluation, and discussing various ethical and political problems connected to school evaluation.

After having completed the course, the aim is for students to have acquired insight into the concept of quality education, have gained systematic knowledge of various models of assessment and forms of evaluation are relevant in connection with the survey of schools’ activities, as well as having gained insight into ethical questions concerned with school appraisal.

Teaching method and activities: 2 hours of lectures per week, 1 hour seminar per week.
Compulsory activity: Written assignment (4-6 pages).
Form of assessment: 4-hour individual written exam.