School assessments in Singapore are often associated with high stakes tests and examinations. Beyond such assessments, however, there is an increasing need for the implementation of student involved assessment in classrooms. Research shows this learning and teaching approach can involve and benefit students more directly. Building on two past research studies, Senior Education Research Scientist Dr Wong Hwei Ming from the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice at NIE tells us more about her latest study on student-involved assessment – in particular, student self-assessment – conducted in primary schools.

Defining Student Self-Assessment

According to Dr Wong Hwei Ming, student self-assessment occurs when learners deliberately reflect on their work, assess whether that work meets specific criteria, and then revise their learning based on these reflections.

“This learning approach gives students the space to self-reflect on aspects of their own learning such as knowledge, understanding and skills against a set of objective criteria and standards,” Hwei Ming says.

Student self-reflection can deepen their understanding of the subject matter and improve their learning outcomes. Teachers can also supplement and support the self-assessment process by providing their own feedback to the students.

However, research conducted on the use of student involved assessment such as student self-assessment has not been equally done across all levels; Hwei Ming points out how research in this field has been mainly located in secondary schools and higher education institutions. There is a perception, she says, that “young children’s cognitive immaturity will prevent them from self-assessing with acceptable accuracy” (Fontana & Fernandes, 1994, p. 407).

“On the contrary, my research carried out on younger students in primary schools indicated that with training, students are capable of using student-involved assessment, in particular student self-assessment. They are able to assess their learning fairly, given the time and practice,” she clarifies.

Building Teacher Learning Communities

In her latest study, Hwei Ming and her research team leveraged on teacher learning communities (TLCs) in schools to develop and refine teachers’ capacities in implementing student self-assessment.

“Professional development sessions on student self-assessments were introduced during monthly TLC meetings. The teachers were then engaged in the TLC learning cycles of using and revising the student self-assessments,” she explains.

Recordings, questionnaires, teacher and student focus group discussions were used to document and examine the implementation of student self-assessment in classrooms. Student and teacher views on the assessment itself were also collected.

A Positive Experience for Both Teachers and Students

Teacher Feedback

Hwei Ming shares that the teachers involved in the study viewed their student-self assessment experience positively. The teachers made the observation that their students have increased their awareness of learning, confidence and motivation, as well as efforts put in their work.

“Interestingly, some teachers also gave the feedback that the use of self-assessments has alerted them to students who are falling behind. This has allowed them to provide timely assistance to help these students,” Hwei Ming comments.

She also mentions that it has been inspiring to see how teachers are motivated to seek and value students’ feedback to improve their instruction, thus making it an interactive process between students and teachers.

Nurturing Self-Directed Learners

Hwei Ming shares that students found the experience to be most helpful for developing their self-directed learning skills. “The post-intervention questionnaire showed that almost half of the students believe that self-assessment has helped their independent learning the most. Almost half of them also reported they find it useful to be able to self-reflect and track how they are doing in their learning.”

The focus group discussions with students revealed that they have made efforts to change their learning behaviours since participating in the project. For example, they now practise the habit of checking their work and making revisions before submission, making less careless mistakes due to the use of rubrics, as well as being more aware of their areas of improvement.

Barriers and Future Recommendations

Hwei Ming reiterates how TLCs play an important role in the implementation of student self-assessment. Having a knowledgeable mentor to guide the teachers in the design of self-assessment pedagogies is an especially critical component.

“It is also vital to conduct regular reviews of teacher professional development needs, and for school key personnel to give regular feedback to improve teachers’ formative assessment practices. The support received from school leadership is invaluable,” she remarks.

However, she acknowledges that implementing the TLCs in conjunction with the student self-assessments was not without its challenges. A weak review structure in schools, for example, can hamper efforts to better support teachers’ formative assessment practices.

“Annual changes to TLC teams and shifts to focus on other pedagogical practices could also be barriers to ensuring sustainability and further dialogues amongst teachers about student-involved assessment,” she adds.

One recommendation she would like to see implemented is providing adequate training to students in the use of self-assessments as soon as they start primary schooling. Student self-assessment is an important skill to develop for lifelong learning which is aligned with Ministry of Education’s efforts under the Learn for Life movement to nurture the whole child and develop them into lifelong learners (MOE, 2018).

“Giving enough opportunities for students to practise self-assessment as well as strengthening support received from school leadership will make the execution of student self-assessment more effective as well,” she concludes.

References
Fontana, D., & Fernandes, M. (1994). Improvements in mathematics performance as a consequence of self-assessment in Portuguese primary school pupils. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 64(3), 407–417.

Ministry of Education. (2018, September 28). ‘Learn For Life’ – Preparing Our Students To Excel Beyond Exam Results. [Press release]. https://www.moe.gov. sg/news/press-releases/20180928 learn-for-life-preparing-our-students-to-excel-beyond-exam-results