Ian Clark | Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (original) (raw)

Papers by Ian Clark

education policy analysis archives, 2004

This article has two inseparable aims: (a) to analyse the relative merits of single-sex and co-ed... more This article has two inseparable aims: (a) to analyse the relative merits of single-sex and co-educational constructs on self-concept, academic performance and academic engagement; (b) to investigate the manner in which each type of schooling interacts with the individual student; student “peers,” close family, and teachers.

Formative assessment is a potentially powerful instructional process because the practice of shar... more Formative assessment is a potentially powerful instructional process because the practice of sharing assessment information that supports learning is embedded into the instructional process by design. If the potential of formative assessment is to be realized, it must transform from a collection of abstract theories and research methodologies and become a creative and systematic classroom practice. Policy-makers and school administrators must support this transition from theory into practice, particularly in the early stages of professional adaptation, and design assessment systems that teachers may internalize and enact efficiently. The article explores the hypothesis that many public school teachers are 'trapped' within environments which deter them from enacting open and inventive social learning strategies in their own classrooms, which when implemented have great potential to support autonomous learning, realize achievement, and create economically productive lifelong l...

Wherever the challenge of promoting effective learning exists in our classrooms there also exists... more Wherever the challenge of promoting effective learning exists in our classrooms there also exists the opportunity for better formative assessment. The time has passed when educational policy makers should support practitioners and embrace the preponderance of relatively recent research which recommends formative assessment interventions in the classroom. One such programme has been gathering increasing momentum in recent years and has become known as Assessment for Learning (AfL). AfL uses formative assessment methods to inform, support and enhance the learning process. The focus of this system is placed on: the quality of learning, the provision of advice and feedback for improvement and a strong emphasis on cooperative learning groups. AfL is founded upon five fundamental principles, all of which revolve around the hub of positive interactions in the classroom: students must a) be able to understand clearly what they are trying to learn, and what is expected of them; b) be given feedback about the quality of their work; c) be given advice about how to go about making improvements; d) be fully involved in deciding what needs to be done next, and e) be aware of who can give them that help.

This article has two central aims. Firstly, to discuss how a sociolinguistic approach to language... more This article has two central aims. Firstly, to discuss how a sociolinguistic approach to language learning creates measurable increases in performance and secondly to highlight the need for a greater quantity and quality of research in this area. The article begins with a discussion on the discontent that exists regarding studies which investigate how sociolinguistic variables influence the quality of classroom learning. This will be followed by a brief discussion on the now mature field of classroom interaction, which will reaffirm the potential of this approach to deliver measurable increases in performance across the curriculum before moving on to briefly discuss how these general understandings are relevant to the discipline of second language acquisition. The remaining content of the article will be confined to a discussion concerning the sociolinguistic roles 'acted-out' by learners in pairs and small groups. The work of Neomy Storch has been selected as a research feature because it presents a particularly clear argument for the potential of the sociolinguistic perspective.

Frontiers in psychology, 2015

Definitions of meta-cognition typically have two components: (1) knowledge about one's own co... more Definitions of meta-cognition typically have two components: (1) knowledge about one's own cognitive functioning; and, (2) control over one's own cognitive activities. Since Flavell and his colleagues provided the empirical foundation on which to build studies of meta-cognition and the autonoetic (self) knowledge required for effective learning, the intervening years have seen the extensive dissemination of theoretical and empirical research on meta-cognition, which now encompasses a variety of issues and domains including educational psychology and neuroscience. Nevertheless, the psychological and neural underpinnings of meta-cognitive predictions and reflections that determine subsequent regulation of task performance remain ill understood. This article provides an outline of meta-cognition in the science of education with evidence drawn from neuroimaging, psycho-physiological, and psychological literature. We will rigorously explore research that addresses the pivotal rol...

Improving Schools, 2014

The central and distinguishing thesis of social and cultural perspectives on outcome equity is th... more The central and distinguishing thesis of social and cultural perspectives on outcome equity is that public school classrooms are culturally biased environments. Such environments disaffect children who arrive at school from the economic or cultural margin. The ‘formative learning environment’ (FoLE) establishes and sustains legitimate partnerships for the purpose of supporting learning and minimizing the outcome inequities experienced by students from conditions of social adversity. Research consistently finds that when children learn in FoLEs, they begin to participate actively in their own learning progression by consciously monitoring and regulating product-oriented learning. The focus of the article is placed upon the conceptual knowledge required to design FoLEs which shield marginalized and disaffected students from academic failure.

Frontiers in psychology, 2015

Many of the instructional practices that have been advanced as intrinsically motivating are inher... more Many of the instructional practices that have been advanced as intrinsically motivating are inherent in socio-constructivist learning environments. There is now emerging scientific evidence to explain why interactive learning environments promote the intrinsic motivation to learn. The "two-body" and "second person" approaches have begun to explore the "dark matter" of social neuroscience: the intra- and inter-individual brain dynamics during social interaction. Moreover, studies indicate that when young learners are given expanded opportunities to actively and equitably participate in collaborative learning activities they experienced feelings of well-being, contentment, or even excitement. Neuroscience starts demonstrating how this naturally rewarding aspect is strongly associated with the implication of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway during social interaction. The production of dopamine reinforces the desire to continue the interaction, and heigh...

The curriculum is the totality of experiences which are planned for young learners through their ... more The curriculum is the totality of experiences which are planned for young learners through their education, wherever they are being educated. It determines the ethos of the school as a learning community, curriculum subjects and areas, interdisciplinary learning, and opportunities to attain personal and learning goals. An effective curriculum, which meets the needs of the twenty-first century learner improves numeracy and literacy, promotes health and well-being, and supports the social and technical skills required for learning, life and work (lifelong learning). Relatively recent developments in the policy frameworks of numerous nations have seen the implementation of an interactive style of teaching and learning called formative assessment. Formative classroom assessment is a potentially powerful instructional process because the practice of sharing assessment information that supports learning is embedded into the instructional process by design. This article uses a range of sources, including policy and framework documentation relating to the development and implementation of a curriculum which drives interactive assessment practices designed to make evidence of learning visible as assessment data with potentially lifelong effects. The purpose of this article is to delineate a ‘formative curriculum’ designed to drive classroom practices that create responsible citizens, confident individuals, effective contributors, and successful learners.

Proponents of formative assessment (FA) assert that students develop a deeper understanding of th... more Proponents of formative assessment (FA) assert that students develop a deeper understanding of their learning when the essential components of formative feedback and cultural responsiveness are effectively incorporated as central features of the formative assessment process. Even with growing international agreement among the research community about the benefits of FA in improving student learning, examination performance and promoting life-long learning, the standards-based reform agenda found in the US has created a politically inhospitable climate for the assessment-driven transformation of classroom practice. This article draws from some 75 sources on instruction and assessment in order to make sense of a) the debate surrounding FA in the US and b) the cultural and individual developmental issues encapsulated within the
extensive conceptual territory that is FA. The article has five main sections: the emergence of the term ‘formative assessment’; FA in the context of the US; the strategies and principles on which
formative practices are founded; the debate in the US on formative assessment; formative assessment and culturally responsive pedagogy.

In recent years, a growing political emphasis has been placed upon the development of transformat... more In recent years, a growing political emphasis has been placed upon the development of transformative assessment-driven reform in schools. There is global consensus on the value of
assessment activities that are carefully designed to be consistent with desired learning outcomes, and which coherently connect learning theory, the curriculum, classroom activities and assessment. The consensus ends when there is debate between those who believe that schools produce more able students when they are faced with summative assessments and those who
propose the implementation of formative assessment strategies in classrooms. This article presents a literature review which investigates the large-scale transformation of classroom practice in the Scottish region of the UK, known as Project1. The article begins with a summary overview of Project 1 and continues with a conceptual discussion of formative and summative assessment. The latter sections of the article delineate the key architectural principles underpinning formative assessment in practical settings before going on to present the professional evaluations of Project 1 by participating teachers.

In K–12 education, formative assessment is a pedagogical process gathering momentum among researc... more In K–12 education, formative assessment is a pedagogical process gathering momentum among researchers and practitioners. It has become a common theme at educational conferences, a key Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) research theme since 2002 and the subject of increasingly frequent requests for government funding in various nations around the world. A school that implements formative assessment reform is engaged in a dynamic process that links instruction and curriculum with assessment in order to support individual learning in the social setting of the classroom. Formative assessment is described, with the elements and principles that direct the assessment process delineated. The importance of high-quality interactions to formative assessment is
considered, as well as an evaluation of the theories that form the basis for the formative assessment process.

Formative assessment is a potentially powerful instructional process because the practice of shar... more Formative assessment is a potentially powerful instructional process because the practice of sharing assessment information that supports learning is embedded into the instructional process
by design. If the potential of formative assessment is to be realized, it must transform from a collection of abstract theories and research methodologies and become a creative and systematic classroom practice. Policy-makers and school administrators must support this transition from theory into practice, particularly in the early stages of professional adaptation, and design assessment systems that teachers may internalize and enact efficiently. The article explores the hypothesis that many public school teachers are ‘trapped’ within environments which deter them from enacting open and inventive social learning strategies in their own classrooms, which when implemented have great potential to support autonomous learning, realize achievement, and create economically productive lifelong learners. This article therefore reviews the literature on formative assessment in practical settings, and investigates the extent to which teachers perform the basic functions of gathering and using evidence to further learning and development in pursuit of the lifelong learning competencies that are essential in the ‘new economy.’

This article seeks to reach beyond explanations regularly cited for the relatively poor performan... more This article seeks to reach beyond explanations regularly cited for the relatively poor performance of Japanese students on English tests required for entrance to anglophone universities. It ventures the notion that it is Japanese culture itself that prevents the creation of circumstances conducive to effective language acquisition. This article concerns itself with a relatively new and understudied domain - the sociocultural perspective regarding L2 learning interactions. The sociocultural perspective (also known here as the neo- Vygotskian approach) builds on Vygotskian theory by recognizing that, no matter how well teacher-fronted a class may be it is collaborative learning relationships that have the potential to facilitate L2 learning more effectively than expert/novice or other kinds of peer/peer interaction in the classroom. The following seeks to discuss how the daily social and cultural practices in which Japanese students participate frustrate collaborative learning relationships in the L2 classroom.
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The article draws from 199 sources on assessment, learning, and motivation to present a detailed ... more The article draws from 199 sources on assessment, learning, and motivation to present a detailed decomposition of the values, theories, and goals of formative assessment. This article will discuss the extent to which formative feedback actualizes and reinforces self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies among students. Theoreticians agree that SRL is predictive of improved academic outcomes and motivation because students acquire the adaptive and autonomous learning characteristics required for an enhanced engagement with the learning process and subsequent successful performance. The theory of formative assessment is found to be a unifying theory of instruction, which guides practice and improves the learning process by developing SRL strategies among learners. In a postmodern era characterized by rapid technical and scientific advance and obsolescence, there is a growing emphasis on the acquisition of learning strategies which people may rely on across the entire span of their life. Research consistently finds that the self-regulation of cognitive and affective states supports the drive for lifelong learning by: enhancing the motivational disposition to learn, enriching reasoning, refining meta-cognitive skills, and improving performance outcomes. The specific purposes of the article are to provide practitioners, administrators and policy-makers with: (a) an account of the very extensive conceptual territory that is the 'theory of formative assessment' and (b) how the goals of formative feedback operate to reveal recondite learning processes, thereby reinforcing SRL strategies which support learning, improve outcomes and actualize the drive for lifelong learning.

education policy analysis archives, 2004

Frontiers in psychology, 2015

Improving Schools, 2014

Frontiers in psychology, 2015

Formative assessment is a potentially powerful instructional process because the practice of shar... more Formative assessment is a potentially powerful instructional process because the practice of sharing assessment information that supports learning is embedded into the instructional process
by design. If the potential of formative assessment is to be realized, it must transform from a collection of abstract theories and research methodologies and become a creative and systematic classroom practice. Policy-makers and school administrators must support this transition from theory into practice, particularly in the early stages of professional adaptation, and design assessment systems that teachers may internalize and enact efficiently. The article explores the hypothesis that many public school teachers are ‘trapped’ within environments which deter them from enacting open and inventive social learning strategies in their own classrooms, which when implemented have great potential to support autonomous learning, realize achievement, and create economically productive lifelong learners. This article therefore reviews the literature on formative assessment in practical settings, and investigates the extent to which teachers perform the basic functions of gathering and using evidence to further learning and development in pursuit of the lifelong learning competencies that are essential in the ‘new economy.’