Formative assessment in ECE_1

Conference: ICEDU 2023

Reference:

Alshamsi, S.& Eltanahy, M. (2022). Investigating the Most Effective Formative Assessment Strategies that Enhance Students’ Learning Outcomes in Early Childhood in a Public School in Al Ain, UAE. The 9th International Conference on Education (ICEDU 2022). 16-17TH March 2022. The International Institute of Knowledge Management, Thailand.

Abstract:

Assessment in early childhood is essential as a tool to produce educators with critical information about the development and the growth of the children. Teachers and parents need a timely data about students’ learning performance to assess the effectiveness of their teaching methodologies and to track students’ progress. In this regard, assessment research has emphasized the need for formative assessment practices in early childhood to support students based on their needs. As the effectiveness of different assessment strategies on students’ outcomes differ, the purpose of this study is to examine the most effective assessment strategies that enhance students’ learning outcomes in grade one in a public school in Al Ain City. Three of the commonly used formative assessment strategies were examined in this study, which are; checklist, exit ticket and interview assessments to explain their advantages and disadvantages. Action research was adopted to implement these strategies in one academic semester with 20 grade one students. Data was collected through weekly reflective journal, interviews for six grade one teachers in the same school. After implementation, the study found that checklist is the most effective tool, followed by interviews and then the exit ticket. The checklist provides an opportunity for skills, attitudes and behavioral evaluation of the students. Teachers are able to identify the skills that students should  acquire, and later outline the learning outcomes that identify what has been achieved and what has not based on the success criteria used. Interview assessment enables students to understand questions, think more deeply and become more confident in expressing themselves. Exit tickets outline the expected learning outcomes and avoid rushing from top to next before all is covered. Even though this study identified checklists as most effective formative assessment strategy in grade one, the study recommends combination of two or three of the strategies rather than using one strategy to enhance students’ learning outcomes.

Keywords:

Formative assessment, learning outcomes, grade one, checklist, exit ticket. assessment tools, early childhood

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