FORMATIVE EVALUATION
Other than the fact that memorization of school lessons often means they are quickly forgotten, many students struggle with learning when their natural curiosity is dismissed and learning is only a tool in order to get a certain grade.
Ilustration: Argjira Kukaj
Until now, the system of evaluation in education aims to assess the process of learning through numerical grades, a system which often can be reducing and does not necessarily reflect the gained knowledge and the level of learning. This can be best demonstrated by the results of PISA, which are in contradiction with the grades we see in many kosovan students. Students get high grades for learning specific topics, often memorized, while not gaining deep knowledge of the material. Other than the fact that memorization of school lessons often means they are quickly forgotten, many students struggle with learning when their natural curiosity is dismissed and learning is only a tool in order to get a certain grade. Learning something and memorizing only to get a good grade may not be the right motivation for everyone. If someone gets a bad grade, it is assumed that the student is not interested or is not capable and is blamed for it. The burden should be put on the educational system, which should be motivating students to learn for the sake of learning and to build on top of the capacities of each student.
There exists an alternative which is directed towards continual evaluation during class, where the learning process becomes the focal point instead of the final grade. This is done by assessing the abilities of each student, while always considering all the different factors that can contribute to different learning needs. The teacher should learn to see things from the learning level of a student in order to better meet their needs, and, simultaneously, to gather information about where the students stands in regards to reaching all the learning goals.
These goals can be decided together in class, and their evaluation can be done at the same time. An example of this evaluation would be: if a student makes a spelling mistake in an essay, the teacher does not underline the mistake in red, but instead shows the student what they did wrong and how to undo their mistake. This way, the knowledge of the student is assessed and also built, and makes the evaluation process more cooperating and transparent, in hope to strengthen the focus in the learning process. This can be more beneficial to the student, who will not be scared to get a bad grade and instead is excited to get feedback on their work.
Other than being a limiting evaluation method, grades can often become a stress factor in the lives of children. Outside pressure and expectations from teachers and parents to achieve certain grades can bring feelings of anxiety when these expectations are not met. This can lead to students quitting and concluding that they are not good enough, based on grades. Many parents and teachers can be disappointed with the academic achievements of students, and pressure for higher grades, which are seen as the ultimate measure of knowledge and ability. In this way, many different learning methods can be left behind. Very often, lack of effort by the teacher to adapt to different learning needs leads to blaming the student. Formative evaluation can be helpful in this, because it encourages the teacher to self-reflect on how they can improve their teaching methods to reach different goals, and to make sure each student is reaching their potential.
Even though the numerical evaluation is not done until the third grade, it has a differential evaluation and is similar to the traditional evaluation system and still creates short-term goals (gaining positive evaluation) and not the efficient building of knowledge and curiosity. There are many studies that show the positive effect of formative evaluation in building the capacities of students. According to a research report by the Department of Education in the United Kingdom, adapting methods of formative evaluation showed how students could learn and understand the learning material at a deeper level. There is another study which shows how students who went under formative evaluation had better results in final exams than students who were not assessed this way.
The removal of the grading system does not imply that parents will not be informed on their children’s progress. Through communications with teachers and their children, parents can better be informed about their children’s strengths and weaknesses in school, and at the same time they can be included in the creation of the knowledge of their children. Students can also be more included in making their own learning goals and their evaluation of self. By strengthening this process, students will be able to enjoy leaving learning challenges behind. With partnerships between institutions and NGOs, training related to different evaluation methods can be offered, where teachers can reflect back in a school environment.
About the author: Albanoi Retkoceri, from Prishtina is a student in the University of Prishtina, Departament of Social Studies.
