Comfort Ateh

Comfort Ateh started off as an Agronomist graduating from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1997 with a PhD in Agronomy and later pursued education at the University of California Davis, graduating with a PhD in Science Education in 2011. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Secondary Education Program teaching Educational Measurement, Science Methods, and Urban Education courses as well as supervising student teachers in the field. Comfort’s research focuses on formative assessment in understanding and implementing instructional strategies that engage and enhance students’ learning.

Her first book, Science Teacher’s Voices: Elicitation Practices and Insight on Formative Assessment focuses on high school science teachers’ elicitation practices and highlights the essence of and challenges in eliciting students’ knowledge during instruction. The book presents cases examined through a video stimulating recall technique that gives voice to teachers to share their perspectives on their elicitation practices. Pre- and in-service teachers will benefit from the book in reflecting on their formative assessment practices in reference to the cases described. Professional development providers and teacher educators will also find the book as a resource in guiding teachers to enhance their formative assessment practices.

View more of Comfort Ateh’s works here

About Science Teachers’ Voices

Eliciting students’ knowledge is an important first step in formative assessment that enhances students’ learning. Therefore, knowledge on teachers’ elicitation practice can inform their formative assessment practice. This book is on secondary school science teachers’ perspectives on their elicitation practices during instruction. Eleven science teachers in different domains were videotaped as they taught their classes and immediately interviewed using the video stimulated recall technique that gave them a voice. These teachers shared their thought processes in eliciting students’ knowledge as well as challenges that impeded their elicitation practices. This book explores the teachers’ voices in discussing their elicitation practices. It presents exemplars of elicitations in discussing the science teachers’ practices and their perspectives. This book will serve as a reference for teachers in reflecting on their elicitation practices and in gaining insight on their formative assessment practices. The book will also serve as a resource for professional development that targets specific challenges in teachers’ elicitation practice and in formative assessment in general.