THE ROLE OF INFORMAL ASSESSMENT IN TEACHERS PRACTICAL ACTION

research informs two questions; in what ways do teachers distinguish b etween children, and, how do these perceived differences relate to the provision for learning made for children in practice in classrooms A sample of three teachers of 5-7 year-olds had their classroom action v ideotaped. The technique of stimulated recall was used to collect data on teachers' thinking on action as taped. Findings were that all thre e teachers made considerable distinctions at the conceptual level betw een the children. They did not make distinctions at the level of plann ing activities and in providing materials, nor were there significant differences in interaction patterns between each teacher and their tar get children. The study raises a number of questions relevant to under standing life in classrooms and to the improvement of practice.