The Views of Prospective Class Teachers about Peer Assessment in Teaching Practice

Abstract

The present study was conducted in order to determine the opinions of prospective teachers about peer assessment in teaching practice. Twenty two prospective teachers in the 4th year of the Primary School Class Teaching Program at Cumhuriyet University participated in the study. In every teaching practice, prospective teachers observed their peers and filled out peer assessment forms which include teacher competences; and the assessments were discussed in the theoretical part of the teaching practice, this takes 2 hours. At the end of the teaching practice where peer assessment was made, the opinions of prospective teachers about peer assessment were taken via a semi-structured negotiation technique, and content analysis was carried out. Of all the prospective teachers, 90.91% stated that the use of peer assessment in teaching practice was beneficial. Prospective teachers think that peer assessment helps develop skills in using standards while making assessments; increases the awareness of the individual's strengths and weaknesses; supports learning from the strengths and weaknesses of colleagues; increases the responsibility towards mutually supportive learning and development; improves teacher competences; gives the opportunity to make comparisons with other colleagues) (diversity of practice); increases cooperation and interaction; decreases the anxiety that results from being assessed; enables the teacher to focus on teaching; improves openness to criticism; develops assessment skills; improves empathetic skills and critical thinking; brings peer assessment skill and strengthens the relationship with colleagues. The findings of the present study show that peer assessment is an effective method in the configuration of the teaching process.