Learning and assessment in the primary school context 162

6.3.3 Assessment of senior drama through NCEA  

Assessment  of  learning  continues  to  be  a  contentious  issue  for  education  in  New   Zealand.     The   current   New   Zealand   government   has   implemented   accountability   measures   such   as   National   Standards   in   literacy   and   numeracy   and   there   are   moves   to   institute   performance-­‐based   pay   for   teachers   (where   performance   is   measured   by   student   achievement).     These   initiatives   have   been   met   with   fierce   opposition   from   principals   and   teachers,   who   fear   the   impact   this   will   have   on   teaching   and   learning.     Opponents   would   rather   see   increased   support   for   ‘assessment   for   learning’   approaches   than   standardised   testing   with   its   focus   on   measurement  (Thrupp  &  Easter,  2012).    

As   explored   in   the   previous   section,   the   nature   of   learning   in   the   Arts   is   quite   different  from  many  traditional  disciplines,  and  therefore,  the  traditional  modes  of   assessment   do   not   provide   the   best   ways   to   assess   it.     Assessment   in   drama   has   been  a  contentious  issue  in  the  field  because  of  the  key  role  assessment  plays  in   determining   purpose   and   scope   of   learning,   and   due   to   the   differing   conceptualisations   of   what   it   is   drama   educators   actually   want   to   achieve  

(Schonmann,   2007).   Kempe   and   Nicholson   (2007)   assert   that   good   assessment   practice   in   drama   will   provide   clear   information   about   student   achievement,   provide  information  about  barriers  to  achievement,  and  give  insight  into  teaching   and  learning.    In  this  way,  good  assessment  informs  teaching  practice.  O’Toole  and   Dunn   (2002)   emphasise   the   need   for   students   to   be   assessed   in   regard   to   their   ability   to   manage   drama   processes,   and  DeLuca   (2010)   believes   that   authentic   assessment  in  the  arts  must  measure  more  than  solely  technique  and  aesthetics;  it   must   engage   with   the   complexity   of   creativity   and   the   collaborative   inquiry   processes  that  give  rise  to  it.    Landy  (2006)  has  a  similar  emphasis,  purporting  that   the   purposes   of   assessment   in   drama   are   to   determine   readiness   to   engage   in   drama  activities  and  to  determine  competence  in  undertaking  dramatic  activities.     Anderson  (2012)  argues  that  assessment  needs  to  be  authentic  and  relevant  to  the   art   form   and   industries   of   drama   and   theatre.     Eisner   (2002b)   identifies   three   features  of  arts  education  that  provide  potential  for  meaningful  assessment.    These   include  the  technical  quality  of  work  produced,  the  display  of  inventive  use  of  an   idea   or   process,   and   the   expressive   power   of   aesthetic   quality   it   displays.     However,   Drama   as   a   subject   within   the   national   curriculum   faces   pressure   to   conform   to   assessment   practice   commonly   used   in   other   disciplines   where   outcomes  are  more  easily  measured  and  products  are  emphasised  over  processes.  

6.3.1 Learning and assessment in the primary school context

In   practice,   the   Arts   remain   on   the   margins   in   the   New   Zealand   primary   school   context  –  often  the  domain  of  specialist  primary  teachers  and  not  offered  in  depth   by   many   generalist   primary   teachers   (O'Connor,   2009b).     When   considering   the   whole  of  the  primary  sector,  drama  is  most  often  found  where  a  school  is  planning   to  present  a  major  school  production  to  the  parent  community.    Drama  for  learning   is   used   by   fewer   teachers,   however   there   are   pockets   of   teachers   who   are   exploring  process-­‐based  drama,  supported  by  the  work  of  tertiary  educators  and   programmes   such   as   Mantle   of   Expert   (V.   Aitken,   2011).     Research   suggests   that   the  Arts  are  often  not  formally  assessed  at  primary  level,  due  to  the  pressure  and   preoccupation  with  achievement  in  literacy  and  numeracy  (Byres,  2006).    

As  the  only  primary-­‐level  teacher  in  this  study,  James  offers  a  unique  perspective   on  the  issues  in  assessment  of  drama  at  this  level.  A  performing  arts  specialist  and   a   curriculum   advisor   in   his   school,   James   has   the   freedom   to   explore   drama   education  within  his  extension  English  class,  Drama  option  classes  and  the  Drama   Club   –   and   this   freedom   is   reflected   in   his   pedagogical   approach   to   assessment.   Once  his  students  have  begun  to  engage  with  a  context  or  dramatic  provocation,   the  direction  of  the  learning  is  determined  by  their  curiosities  and  by  the  learning   experiences  James  creates  to  enable  their  inquiries/discoveries.    James  then  works   to   co-­‐construct   learning   intentions   and   their   assessment   alongside   his   students.     He  explains:  

The   success   criteria   for   a   unit   aren’t   preset   and   extrinsic   and   the   kids   enjoy   arriving   at   them   for   themselves.   The   unit   is   often   driven   by   questions  that  the  children  share,  and  yes,  something  has  to  be  at  stake.   My   role   here   is   to   help   them   articulate   these   intentions   and   questions   clearly,  and  to  sometimes  provoke  new  ones.    James  

James’  approach  aligns  with  the  work  of  Elliot  Eisner  who  began  to  consider  the   notion  of  ‘expressive’  outcomes  in  his  theorising  of  learning  in  the  arts,  in  contrast   to   the   focus   on   instructional   outcomes   that   could   be   measured   in   behavioural   terms.    These  ‘expressive’  outcomes  could  not  be  known  in  advance  and  students   and   teachers   arrived   at   these   through   a   process   of   mutual   discovery   (Efland,   2004).    While  James  admits  it  can  be  challenging  to  plan  and  teach  in  this  way  (that   is,   responding   to   the   emerging   interests   of   students),   James   believes   there   are   benefits   to   allowing   children   to   determine   the   direction   of   their   learning   and   to   develop  competence  as  “inquirers”.    

Inquiry-­‐based   learning   approaches   have   increased   in   New   Zealand   primary   schools   in   recent   years,   with   many   primary   school   programmes   dividing   into   a   default  curriculum  of  literacy,  numeracy  and  inquiry.    While  this  inquiry  learning   trend  might  support  James’  student-­‐centred  approach  to  learning,  he  cautions  that   the   use   of   inquiry   learning   as   a   solution   to   an   overcrowded   curriculum   is   still   a   concern  for  drama  (and  all  the  Arts)  because,  “teachers  do  not  understand  the  time  

the   Arts   require”.   Consequently   explorations   in   and   through   the   Arts   can   be   superficial,  lacking  the  quality  of  teaching  needed  to  provide  depth  of  learning  for   children.     Furthermore,   James   perceives   a   privileging   of   technical   knowledge   (Habermas,  1972)  in  these  inquiry  contexts,  and  a  devaluing  of  the  social,  somatic   and   aesthetic   dimensions   of   learning.     It   would   seem   there   is   still   a   need   for   primary   teachers   to   discover   what   aesthetic   inquiry   through   the   Arts   can   offer   children  and  can  contribute  to  learning  in  other  disciplines.  

James   believes   the   process   of   performance   drama   can   provide   a   wealth   of   opportunities   for   teachers   wishing   to   address   learning   across   many   different   curricula.    He  also  sees  drama  as  enhancing  views  of  what  literacy  is.    He  finds  the   meaning-­‐making   and   dialogic   interaction   that   occurs   in   Drama   (for   example,   through   acts   of   story-­‐telling)   provides   children   with   valuable   literacy   strategies   and  creative  opportunities.    It  also  enhances  the  views  students  have  of  themselves   and   others.   James   recognises   the   potential   drama   offers   for   engaging   children   in   reflection,  due  to  the  many  opportunities  for  reflecting  in  role,  on  the  edge  of  role   and   out   of   role.     He   maintains   that   this   level   of   reflection   enables   learning   and   assessment   to   happen   across   many   dimensions   (and   many   disciplines)   of   the   curriculum.   James   and   his   school   were,   at   the   time   of   our   interview,   exploring   ‘assessment   as   learning’,   including   learning   stories   where   students   are   more   involved  in  the  assessment  process,  drawing  on  group  reflection  and  reflection  in   role  –  assessment  in  “the  thick  of  learning”,  and  using  a  wider  range  of  work  from   students  as  evidence.      

James  would  like  to  see  more  primary  specialist  drama  teachers  collaborating  and   sharing   work   to   extend   their   practice.     He   identifies   a   need   for   ongoing   professional   networking   for   drama   teachers   in   schools   because   drama   teaching   pedagogy   and   practice   often   places   drama   teachers   in   opposition   to   educational   trends:  

So   my   journey   has   led   me   to   being   at   odds   with   some   of   the   dominant   trends   in   primary   schools;   being   on   the   margins   can   be   bracing.   The   downside  is  a  sense  of  isolation,  and  the  lack  of  resourcing.  James  

Primary  level  drama  teachers  like  James  battle  on  within  their  school  contexts  with   less   support   and   affirmation   of   their   contrary   approach   to   curriculum   and   assessment.