ABSTRACT
Teaching is a diverse, complex activity with no clear rules except that the teacher should teach and the child should learn. The statutory requirements for primary teacher training states that trainees must demonstrate that they: ensure effective teaching of whole classes, and of groups and individuals within the whole class setting, so that teaching objectives are met, and best use is made of available teaching time. The criteria used to select the teachers were agreed on the basis of discussion between the research team and the LEAs. Formative assessment involves using the assessment information to feed back into the teaching/learning process; some observers believe that assessment is only truly formative if it involves the pupil. The descriptive feedback often follows formative assessment and offers pupils the information needed to close the gap between actual performance and desired performance. An essential aspect of metacognition is that learners monitor or regulate their own learning, and here self-assessment and self-evaluation are crucial.
