Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the historical development of "Docimologie"-a theory of educational evaluation in France. The theory arose out of the need to secure the justice of selection in examinations. It derives from the philosophy of Pieron, the founder of Docimologie. He was of the opinion that aptitude is innate and that its distribution in a homogeneous group follows normal distribution. Therefore, he believed that the justice of selection is reserved by measuring the aptitude using standardized tests. Until the 1930s, Docimologie criticized traditional examination formats like essay-type examinations, because their subjectivity could affect the justice of selection. One dispute over this argument was whether the reliability of measurement was more important than the validity of evaluation. In the 1960s and 1970s, Docimologie not only criticized traditional examinations but also proposed methods of measurement with enhanced reliability. Furthermore, it was fused with the theory of evaluation in the United States. This changed the purpose, main principles, criteria, and objects of evaluation in Docimologie, and the theory declined in the 1980s. It was thought that these developments would not improve the quality of instruction at schools.
