The application of student portfolios in primary-intermediate and self-contained-multiage team classroom environments: Implications for instruction, learning, and assessment

Portfolios have gained wide acceptance as a learning and assessment tool. Y et, little research has been reported on the practices of teachers who are actually using portfolios within their classrooms and how those practices a re moderated by contextual variables. This research examined the instructio nal, learning, and assessment roles of student portfolios and explored, fro m the perspective of the classroom teacher, variations in portfolio applica tions associated with teaching level (primary vs. intermediate) and classro om environment (self-contained vs. multiage-teaming). Kindergarten through Grade 5 teachers in 13 elementary schools completed a survey questionnaire regarding the instructional and assessment uses to whi ch portfolios are put within their classrooms. To further examine for patte rns of portfolio use, a subset of teachers was interviewed to explore the p erceptions that teachers hold about the impact of student portfolios on the mselves and on their students. The results suggest that Kindergarten throug h Grade 5 teachers make deliberate decisions regarding uses of their studen ts' portfolios, decisions that appear heavily impacted by the maturity or s kill level of the child, the purposes of the application, and the classroom environment within which the application occurs. They also depend on wheth er the portfolio product is in a formative state (working portfolio) or fin al state (performance portfolio).