What is the methodology of dynamic assessment?

• A. Test-teach-retest
• B. Pretest-posttest
• C. Observation with no intervention
• D. Cross-sectional comparison

Answer: (A)

Dynamic assessment asks not only what a learner can do now, but how their performance can improve with guided support. It follows a test-teach-retest sequence: begin with an initial assessment to establish a baseline skill, then provide focused, mediated instruction or scaffolding tailored to the learner’s needs, and finally re-assess to see how much and how quickly performance improves and what strategies the learner uses. This approach reveals learning potential and responsiveness to instruction, which is central to the method. The other approaches do not capture this within-child responsiveness: a pretest-posttest design measures change after an intervention but often lacks the dynamic, on-the-fly teaching component; observation with no intervention misses the instructional element; cross-sectional comparison looks at differences across individuals at a single time point rather than a learner’s capacity to learn during guided sessions.