Between Student Observation and Student Assessment: A Critical Reflection.

This paper examines the problematic associated with the current expectation that teachers assess their students' mathematics learning and understanding by listening to their talk and observing their actions. The paper suggests that the problems are of two different kinds. One kind involves difficulties that could be overcome; the other kind is related to the intrinsic nature of understanding what someone else is saying or doing and therefore cannot be overcome. Several cases that highlight the two different kinds of problems associated with teachers' making sense of students' talk and actions are analysed. Implications for teacher education are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]