ISSUES AND CONCERNS RELATED TO ASSESSMENT IN MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

ISSUES AND CONCERNS RELATED TO ASSESSMENT IN MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLSTOPIC 10Basic framework of the topicExam oriented systemEducational system in malaysiaFederal: MOEState: Kementerian Pelajran Sarawak (contoh)District: PPDSchool4Current education system in Malaysia?TOO EXAM ORIENTED!!!Current education system in MalaysiaMalaysia so far has focused on public examination results as important determinants of students progression to higher levels of education or occupational opportunities (Chiam 1984).UNTIL 2014...Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025Examined curriculum:Assessments now more oriented towards HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills). This can be seen through the introduction of KSSR as well as replacement of PMR with PT3 starting from 2014.Introduction of PBS is to ensure students developed holisticallySchool Assessments: written test that assess subject learning developed by the teachers and assess by the teachers.Central Assessments: test or projct work developed by the PPD \ etc but assessed by the teacher.Psychometric Assessments: Aptitude test for students to assess their innate and acquired abilities.Physical, sports, and co-curricular activities assessment: assessing students performances physically and their participation in cocurricular activities.Cognitive levels of assessmentsBloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive LevelsBlooms taxonomyKnowledgeRecalling information. Lowest level of learning outcomes in learning domain.Keywords: Define, list, state, identify, label, name, who? when? where? what?ComprehensionAble to understand and interpret. Usually involved activities like translating information.Keywords: Explain, predict, interpret, infer, summarize, convert, translate, give exampleApplicationThe ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations. Require a higher level of understanding than those under comprehension. Applying knowledge in daily lives(practical).Keywords: How could x be used to y? How would you show, make use of, modify, demonstrate, solve, or apply x to conditions y?

Blooms taxonomyAnalysisBreak down knowledge to several knowledge. Identifying small parts and analyse relationship between those broken down knowledge. Recognizing unstated assumptions and recognizing missing link in information.Keywords: Differentiate, compare, contrast, distinguish, etc.SynthesisThe ability to put parts together to form a new whole. This may involve the production of a unique communication. Learning outcomes in this area stress creative behaviors, with major emphasis on the formulation of new patterns or structure.Keywords: Design, construct, develop, formulate, imagine, create, change.EvaluationJudging the values of materials like poem or story for a given purpose. Keywords: Justify, appraise, evaluate, judgeSchool based assessmentSchool based assessmentTraditional way of assessing (examination) no longer satisfies the needs of our students. More school in Malaysia are shifting their focus into school based assessment as well. The traditional system of assessment no longer satisfies the educational and social needs of the third millennium. In the past few decades, many countries have made profound reforms in their assessment systems. Several educational systems have in turn introduced school-based assessment as part of or instead of external assessment in their certification. 14Five rules of thumb in designing sbaThe assessment should be appropriate to what is being assessed.The assessment should enable the learner to demonstrate positive achievement and reflect the learners strengths.The criteria for successful performance should be clear to all concernedThe assessment should be appropriate to all persons being assessedThe style of assessment should blend with the learning pattern so it contributes to it.In Malaysian context.Components of sbaCentralised Assessment Conducted and administered by teachers in schools using instruments, rubrics, guidelines, time line and procedures prepared by LP Monitoring and moderation conducted by PBS Committee at School, District and State Education Department, and LP School Assessment The emphasis is on collecting first hand information about pupils learning based on curriculum standards Teachers plan the assessment, prepare the instrument and administer the assessment during teaching and learning process Teachers mark pupils responses and report their progress continuously. 17Alternative assessmentAlternative assessmentsAlternative assessment can be described as types of assessment that offers different approach compared to traditional assessment.As the term indicates, alternative assessments are assessment proposals that present alternatives to the more traditional examination formats. They have become more popular of late because of some doubts raised regarding the ability of traditional assessment to elicit a fair and accurate measure of a students performance. Alternative assessment brings together with it a complete set of perspectives that contrast against traditional tests and assessments.

19In short..Alternative assessment = having same goals and objectives, but through different approaches.20Examples of differences between traditional and alternative assessmentsThey describe alternative assessments as performing the following: Ask the students to perform, create, produce, or do something. Tap higher-level thinking and problem-solving skills. Use tasks that represent meaningful instructional activities. Invoke real-world applications. People, not machines, do the scoring, using human judgment. Require new instructional and assessment roles for teachers.

21Why do we need alternative assessment?Alternative assessments are suggested due to the fact that traditional assessments cannot be relied on because it cant properly reflect the students abilities in daily lives. Alternative assessments are seen as more student centred as they cater for individual differences such as cultural background, etc. Alternative assessments are also said to be limited to the classroom and has not become part of mainstream assessment. Brown and Hudson, in advocating alternative assessment, seem to have taken a safer approach by suggesting the term alternatives in assessment. They believe that educators should be familiar with all possible formats of assessment and decide on the format that best measures the ability or construct that they are interested in. Hence, these alternatives would include all possible assessment formats both traditional and informal. 22