Current assessment practices in schools in Malta and Gozo - a research project

Abstract

• As part of its action plan, the Educational Assessment Focus Group carried out a survey on current assessment practices in schools in Malta and Gozo. Two complementary research tools were used to collect the data for this project. All Heads of Schools were invited to be interviewed and fill in a questionnaire. In total, 62% of the schools (119 / 191) collaborated in the interview process and 52% (98 / 191) returned the completed questionnaire. • In the year 2002, only 24.5% of the schools that participated in the survey (24 / 98) said that they have an assessment policy document in their school. The survey responses indicated that that several approaches have been used in formulating this document. • The majority of schools that responded to the questionnaire, with the exception of three, answered the question on current assessment practices. Overall, the data showthat the range of urrent assessment practices in schools is wide and varied. These practices are generally formative or summative and relate to ways of collectinginformation and ways of recording and reporting information to students and parents/guardians. Annual tests and examinations, half yearly tests and examinations, the correction of class and home work and classroom-based tests are the most common ways of collection information whereas the most common practices related to record keeping are recording information to pass on to parents/guardians, filling in the cumulative record cards and using merit cards and certificates of merit. Overall, record keeping is not popular in Maltese schools. • The schools reported that a variety of modes are used to give students feedback about their progress. It is common practice for teachers in Malta to mark and/or correct student work, whether the work in question is class work, home work or tests. It is also common for teachers to writecomments on the students’ exercise books and test papers. This form of individualised feedback is sometimes used in conjunction with, replaces or is replaced by short interactions between the teacher and the student. Other common practices are class discussion once the work is returned to the students and sending reports home after the half yearly and annual tests and examinations. All school representatives reported that most of the feedback about children’s progress is given to parents/guardians orally during Parents’ Day/s. All schools hold at least one Parents’ Day but it is quite common for schools to have two such days. • The data relating to successful assessment practices indicated that current practices are still very much embedded within a traditional culture of examinations and testing and assessment is used for summative purposes. The majority of the participants felt that examinations and tests were still the most effective and reliable method of collecting information regarding student progress. Despite this emphasis on traditional assessment practices, however, most of the participants did agree that it was also important to make use of formative assessment in order to help and support the learning process. • The schools’ current concerns regarding assessment practices range from practical issues regarding time constraints, inadequate recording systems and the need for staff training to more philosophical concerns such as the impact of examinations on students and parents, to issues regarding the reliability and validity of our assessment practices and the pressing need for levels of achievement and assessment criteria to ensure fair and valid means of recording and reporting on student progress. • The participants focused on a limited range of innovative practices that they intend to implement in their schools in the near future. All of the innovations form part of the new national minimum curriculum.