Prospective teachers’ conceptions of assessment: an observational-correlational research in the 24 CFU Training Course

Abstract

The article presents the design and main results of an observational-correlational research conducted on a non-probabilistic sample of 345 students attending the 24 CFU Training Course activated by the University of … in the academic year 2020/2021. The research aimed to investigate the conceptions about the nature and purpose of assessment held by aspiring secondary school teachers without an organic and specific educational background in the pedagogical-didactic field, also analyzing them in relation to some variables concerning their experiences related to school assessment. The data was collected through an online questionnaire administered at the beginning of the training path. The results emerging from descriptive and correlational data analysis offer interesting suggestions for the design of teacher education programs aimed at promoting the development of solid assessment skills within the framework of the pedagogical values of a democratic and inclusive school.