Vocational Education Teachers' Perceptions of Their Use of Assessment Methods

The purpose of this study was to describe West Virginia secondary vocational education teachers' use of student assessment information in making instructional decisions. A cluster sample of 240 teachers was needed for the study. A four-part questionnaire was designed to measure selected variables. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Teachers had an average of 15 years of teaching experience and nine years of related work experience. Attitudes toward assessment were viewed as "positive" by respondents. Secondary vocational education teachers neither agreed nor disagreed that they were constrained in their assessment activities. However, vocational education teachers must have opportunities during the school day to collaborate on the analysis of student work and to plan appropriate instructional improvements.