SECTION D

Principles of Classroom Assessment

2a) Classroom assessments are used to determine the extent to which learning is taking place

and allow us to predict future achievement and current knowledge. Assessment results are used

for decision making by governments, school administrators, teachers, parents and students alike.

As a result assessment design is crucial for ensuring that results accurately reflect student

progress and learning against intended learning outcomes.

In order for results to truly reflect the extent to which learning took place there must be

(i) validity and (ii) inclusion and equity in assessments. These principles are important because

they help protect the integrity of an assessment.

Validity in assessment refers to the extent to which a test accurately measures what it is

intended to measure. According to Shimberg (1990) validity affects the confidence with which

inferences can be made about learning based on test scores. It is important that tests are valid to

ensure learning is effectively measured against intended learning goals. There are several factors

that contribute to the validity of a test.

According to Griswold (1990) the length of a test can affect its validity. As he explains

short tests are less likely to sufficiently represent the amount of subject content required for

student learning to be truly assessed. A two hour, five (5) page test will contain items that cover

more subject content than a one hour, two (2) page test. The results of the longer test will more

accurately represent students’ degree of learning because more content was tested.

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 According to Asaad (2004) and Gronlound (1990) another factor affecting test validity is

the direction or instruction given for test items. If directions for items are unclear students may

misinterpret them and answer accordingly. When this occurs the validity of the test is affected

because low test scores may not reflect the absence of learning but rather a misunderstanding of

the question. A question that reads “For what reason did the Africans come to the Caribbean?” is

quite vague because a time period for their arrival was not specified. Some students may

interpret the question to refer to the period of slavery while others may refer to their arrival in

modern times. Low scores for this question may reflect a misinterpretation of the question rather

than students lack of knowledge of the concept being tested. The question should have been

phrased “Why were Africans first brought to the Caribbean in the 1600s?” in order to direct

students to a specific time period.

Test validity is also affected by the extent to which it assesses student knowledge across

the different cognitive levels of Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy of learning (African Educational

Research Journal, 2014). Tests should be balanced to assess both lower and higher order thinking

skills in order to assess student learning in the different domains.

Another principle that affects the quality of an assessment is the extent to which it is

inclusive and equitable. According to Gardner (1983) students have multiple intelligences which

affect the way they learn. In order for assessments to be inclusive and fair, tests should include

items that are appropriate for assessing different types of learners. While essay writing is

appropriate for assessing linguistic learners, illustrations are better suited for visual learners.

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 Tasks and procedures used for assessments should not disadvantage any group or

individual. Assessments should be varied and adapted to students’ learning style to ensure that it

gives all students a fair opportunity to demonstrate their degree of learning.

Validity, inclusion and equity are all important principles of assessment. The validity of a

test affects the extent to which scores truly affect learning and can be used to make

generalizations about learning. Inclusion and equity in an assessment affects the extent to which

all learners are given a fair opportunity to be tested using items that match their learning style.

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b) This critique of my social studies end of term exam is geared toward improving my

competency in assessment construction. The test was designed to be completed by Form 1

students at the end of Term 1 in December 2017 (See below). The duration of the test was ninety

(90) minutes and it was constructed with the intention of assessing student learning in the

following areas: personal identity, the family, dealing with conflict, self esteem and human

resources. This test was students’ first summative assessment in social studies after entering

secondary school in September 2017.

It was important that the test was of a high quality because the results were intended to

provide teachers with an opportunity to make inferences about students’ learning abilities.

Additionally administration intended to use test results to rank Form 1 classes. Assessing the

extent to which the test conformed to assessment principles of validity, inclusion and equity

contributed to determining the quality of the test and improving my competence in test

construction.

My analysis revealed there were some items on the test that conformed to the principles

identified (its length) and others that did not (ambiguous instructions; no variation in items). The

test was four (4) pages long and consisted of twelve (12) questions to be completed within ninety

(90) minutes. Based on Griswold’s (1990) theory the length of the test, coupled with the amount

of time allocated, indicates the test was valid because long tests are more likely to contain items

that that assess more subject content. I used a scheme of work and lesson plan to guide my test

construction because they detailed the content and objectives to be tested. These documents

influenced the length of the paper because they determined the amount of topics to be covered.

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 My examination of the directions given for items on the test revealed that some

instructions were unclear. While the majority of questions simply asked students to explain,

identify or justify their responses, there were also questions that were difficult to interpret. One

question asked students “Which of the following statements belong to human resources (write H)

and which of the following belong to physical resources (write P)”. These unclear instructions

would have resulted in students misinterpreting the question and recording incorrect responses.

The validity of the test was also affected by its inability to assess students’ across

different levels of Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy of learning. In my attempt to design a test suited to

the abilities of Form 1 students I neglected to include test items that assessed higher order skills

such as analysis and evaluation.

In order to improve my skills in future test construction I intend to use a table of

specification to increase the range of skills tested (Newell, 2002). This table will be used to

target cognitive objectives across Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy for testing (Gronlound, 1990). I also

intend to order questions to gradually progress from lower to higher order skills to ensure

students are not intimidated by early items on a test (Asaad, 2004).

In addition to inconsistencies in the validity of the test, it also failed to conform to the

principles of inclusion and equity. When the test was designed I was still in the process of

developing my practice and untrained in effective test construction. Unaware of the importance

of inclusive and equitable testing, all twelve (12) test items involved reading and writing.

Students who experience challenges with these tasks would have experienced difficulty

understanding the question and expressing their responses.

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 For future tests I intend to vary assessments to ensure they are more inclusive and

equitable. This is necessary to give all students a fair opportunity to be tested in a manner that

matches their learning style. Students will be given the option to either write or draw their

responses. Additionally, consideration will be given to restructuring the end of term exam to

facilitate a combination of written, physical and project based assessment to more accurately test

student learning.

Reflecting on my critique I recognize the extent to which my competence in assessment

construction has improved during the Pedagogy as Process course. The knowledge and

experience I have gained has allowed me to identify flaws in the instrument that I was untrained

to before.

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NAME: ______________________________________ CLASS: ____________________

DEBE SECONDARY SCHOOL

END OF TERM EXAMINATION
DECEMBER 2017
SOCIAL STUDIES
FORM 1
Time: 1 ½ hours

Instructions: ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS ON THIS TEST

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1. (i) Identify any three (3) aspects of self

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________ (3 marks)

(ii) What is meant by the term self-esteem?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
(2 Marks)

(iii) State any three (3) indicators of high self-esteem

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________
(3 Marks)

2. (i) List the five (5) types of family

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________
(5 Marks)

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 (ii) Describe any two (2) family types.

(a) _____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

(b) _____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

(6 Marks)

3. Identify the types of union in each of the following situations.

a) Moira and Rajan had a big wedding three years ago and now live together with their
small daughter Sita. __________________________

b) Rachael has two small children by Jacob. He comes to see her and the children
frequently but also has a girlfriend in another town.
__________________________

c) Tom and Rebecca have lived together for over 20 years and have three children
ranging in age from 10-18 but they have never been legally
married._________________________

(3 Marks)

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 (3d) FAMILY TREE

Paul = Rowen Darren = Martha

Boys
Mathew = Sarah David = Maria Girls
= Marriage

Joshua Tom Michaela

Sherry Sam

Using the family tree above, answer the following questions:

What is the relationship of:

a. David and Maria to Tom and Michaela ___________________

b. Sam and Sherry to each other ___________________

c. Joshua and Tom ___________________

d. David and Joshua ___________________

e. Michaela to Sherry ___________________

f. Paul and Rowena to Joshua, Tom and Michaela ___________________

g. Sherry and Sam to Darren and Martha ___________________

(7 Marks)

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4. Choose any three (3) functions of the family and explain each one

A. Function 1:
_________________________________________________________________
Explanation:
________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

B. Function 1:
_________________________________________________________________
Explanation:
_________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

C. Function 1:
_________________________________________________________________
Explanation:
________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(9 Marks)

5. (i) Identify any two (2) causes of conflict in the neighbourhood.

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

(2 Marks)

(ii) Suggest two (2) non-violent methods of dealing with conflict in the neighbourhood.
a) _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

b) _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

(4 Marks)

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6. What are the six (6) stages in the life cycle of an individual?

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

(6 Marks)

7. Complete the table below by indicating changes that adolescence experience during their
transition from childhood to adulthood.

PHYSICAL CHANGES EMOTIONAL CHANGES HORMONAL CHANGES

1. 1. 1.

2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

(9 Marks)

8. TRUE/FALSE

a) Adolescence is associated with a growing dependence. ___________

b) Peers become more important for most teenagers. ___________

c) Adolescence is a time for developing your own moral and ethical standards. _________

d) Thinking skills improve with adolescence. ___________

e) Relationships with parents and other adults usually improve. ___________

(5 Marks)
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9. (i)Define the following terms:

Human Resource

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Physical Resource

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
(4 Marks)

(ii) Which of the following statements belong to human resources (write H) and which of
the following belong to physical resources (write P)

(a)skills. _______ (e) knowledge ______

(b)buildings _______ (f)beaches ______

(c) abilities _______ (g)creativity ______

(d) air ________

(8 Marks)

10. Describe any three factors that influence our human resources

(i)_________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(ii)________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(iii)________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(9 Marks)

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11. Explain two (2) roles of education in the development of human resources
(i)

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(ii)

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(6 Marks)

12. Explain three (3) ways health impacts human resources

(a) ________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(b)
___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(c)
___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

(9 Marks)

TOTAL 100 marks

END OF TEST

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