Assessment in the music classroom: Inherent challenges and the PISA problematic

Assessment and evaluation is inherent in teaching and learning. At the same time, innate in the notion of assessment and evaluation is the goal to improve something and not simply to understand it. Evaluation and assessment in the arts’ classrooms is controversial and often discussions on issues related to the ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of assessment in arts education, lead to heated philosophical debates. The importance and ambiguity of the issue of assessment and evaluation in music education has led this writer to explore the views of Greek music teachers (future and in-service). The results of a small scale inquiry that are presented here, revealed a pattern that mirrored the general discussion on issues from around the world in relation to assessment in music education. In the last part of this paper The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is discussed under the light that is shed by issues of validity and homogeneity that have occurred. Also, the role and suitability of the arts within such an institution and with the use of such tools is considered.