Revisiting core issues in dynamic assessment

Murphy, Raegan; Maree, David J. F.

Revisiting core issues in dynamic assessment

Files

RM_RevisitingAV2009.pdf(113.47 KB)

Accepted Version

Date

2009-12

Authors

Murphy, Raegan

Maree, David J. F.

Publisher

Psychological Society of South Africa

Abstract

Dynamic assessment is currently poised at a juncture at which theoretical and practical assessment resolutions are necessitated. Such issues concern theoretical approaches towards psycho-educational assessment. In order to partially explore these basic assessment approaches, a questionnaire was delivered via electronic mail to one hundred internationally, currently active dynamic assessment researchers and practitioners. The findings from the responses formed the basis for an informal content analysis, which was conducted utilising themes as primary meaning unit and word counts as secondary meaning unit of analyses. The one common and uniting feature about the current research in this area is the broad range of theoretical approaches towards assessment and the current lack of unanimity across types of approaches. Responses showed that varied theoretical frameworks are employed in dynamic assessments which do not necessarily cohere with other traditional approaches. It is contended that an exploratory revisiting of core assessment approaches would assist in positioning practitioners’ and researchers’ theoretical approaches in future assessments.

Keywords

Assessment approaches , Content analysis , Dynamic assessment , Questionnaires , Theory , Underpinning

Citation

Murphy, R. & Maree, D. J. F.; (2009) 'Revisiting core issues in dynamic assessment'. South African Journal of Psychology, 39 (4):420-431.