Primary School Pupils’ Self-Assessment: the Attitude of Students, their Parents and Teachers

Abstract

The article deals with the more significant theoretical and practical aspects of primary school pupils’ self-assessment achievements: the concept, the purpose and significance of promoting self-assessment, opportunities of primary school pupils’ self-assessment. The results of the exploratory research are presented: the attitude of primary school pupils, their parents and teachers towards the self-assessment of the pupils of this age.

The object of the research – the attitude of primary school pupils, their parents and teachers towards the self-assessment of learning achievements.

The aim of the research – to examine the attitude of primary school pupils, their parents and teachers towards the self-assessment of learning achievements.

The quantitative research was done in February 2012 at secondary schools: Vilnius Ateities High School, Švenčionys Primary and High Schools aiming to find out the attitude of teachers, students and parents towards the assessment of learning outcomes and self-assessment in primary education.

Research instrumentation formed: surveys for teachers, students and their parents.

Research scope: 70 surveys for teachers, 70 for students and 70 for students’ parents were formed and distributed. The received reversibility quota reached 100 %.

The research showed that the assessment of learning outcomes is important and significant to all members of educational process (students, parents and teachers). Besides, parents feel that they are able to participate in the assessment together with teachers and they want to be considered as their partners. Thus all the above mentioned members / partners of the educational process should be included into the process of the assessment of students’ progress and achievements.

The basis of the assessment of learning achievements and progress in primary education is the self-assessment of students. It is an interesting, human and effective way of assessment that allows children to lead their own learning by their selves with responsibility, to be equitable partners of teachers and personally observe their own progress.

The main participants of the education (learning) process (pupils, their parents and teachers) acknowledge that primary school pupils are capable to evaluate their learning achievements. Teachers are the most optimistic about the self-assessment of the pupils of this age, meanwhile parents are the most pessimistic. Most of parents and teachers of primary school pupils understand the pupils’ self-assessment as a method of developing pupils’ responsibility for their learning. Parents of primary school pupils much rarely than teachers relate the self-assessment with the education of the pupil as an equal teacher’s partner and with the education of the pupil who is capable to manage his/her learning on his / her own.

Only a minority of parents of primary school pupils accept the idea that pupils of this age are capable to manage their learning on their own. The answers of primary school pupils and teachers indicate that primary school pupils are allowed to evaluate themselves, however, students’ self-assessment is now associated with the generalizing assessment. The daily learning is related to teacher’s evaluation rather than students’ self-assessment.