La evaluación educativa y su desarrollo como disciplina y profesión: presencia en Venezuela

assessment is an essential component of the educational process at all school levels. however, in venezuela it has been limited to the classroom and to the application of tests. this study has three aims: first, to present a summary of the evolution of po sitivism in its three most important versions, namely, classical, logical and postpositivist, and its influence in the development of assessment and research during the 20th century. secondly, to offer a panoramic view of the development of educational assessment as a discipline at the international level as well as the main features of this process in venezuela according to educational legislation during the period 1914-2009. thirdly, to present a synthesis of the concept of integral, contextual, critical-emancipative and pluralist assessment developed by the author in the universidad central de venezuela as an alternative to the positivist paradigm. the method consists in the critical analysis of the principles of positivism as the dominant paradigm in education and related areas until around 1970. the conclusions show that logical positivism is still present in the venezuelan education system although it is no longer the only option given the presence during the last three decades of qualitative and interpretive concepts and methods which have provided researchers and assessors with options that make the assessment process much more interactive, one in which the vision of assessment proposed in this work may contribute to the consolidation of a multi-paradigmatic approach in con cordance with the era of information and knowledge.