Online Assignment Submission

School of Education

Student ID Number: 1509152

Programme: PGDipEd (Secondary) Religious Education

Module: SSS2

Assignment Title: In what ways can assessment promote learning in Religious Education teaching?

Date and Time of Submission: 19.12.15: 11:35am

Actual Word Count: 3,299

Extension: N Extension Due Date: N/A

I do wish my assignment to be considered for including as an exemplar in the School Bank of Assessed Work.

Please ensure that you complete and attach this Submission Form to the front of all work that is submitted online.

Please make sure that your assignment starts on the second page.

By submitting your work online you are confirming that your work is your own and that you understand and have read the Universitys rules regarding plagiarism and the consequences that will arise should you submit plagiarised work.

In what ways can assessment promote learning in Religious Education teaching?

Introduction

Within the language-game of education, the word assessment refers to the process of measuring student progress. Assessments can be deduced via an extensive range of stimuli, from classroom discussions to GCSE examinations, and they all fall to one side of the formative, summative distinction. Despite some people suggest[ing] RE is not a subject that can be assessed (Holt, 2015, p.57), assessment remains mandatory to any adequate classroom; meaning every teacher must make accurate and productive use of assessment (T6, DfE, 2011).

Within the context of RE, I prescribe that formative assessment should not only serve the purpose of promoting academic progress, but also facilitate the development of a profoundly personal type of learning. In contrast with most subjects, I do not think it is possible to Learn About RE without learning something personal From RE (Wright, 2003, p.285). To monitor all types of learning and adapt lessons accordingly; I argue RE teachers should be consciously aware of the informal assessment discussions that they already make subconsciously in the classroom. With every second that unfolds, teachers are presented with small-scale frequent opportunities to formatively assess their students (Ruiz-Primo, 2011, p.16). I postulate that by taking basic steps to exploit the utility of these opportunities, the promotion of learning will greatly benefit.

In Part I, I identify five principles from the literature that I shall formulate into two research hypotheses. In Part II, I explore the tenability of these hypotheses in a small-scale research project.

Part I

Summative Assessment

Principle One

Summative assessment serves the purpose of documenting achievement at the end of a learning period in a systematic way (Fautley and Savage, 2010, p.35; Harlen and James, 1997, p.366). This type of assessment can make learning purposeful by giving students long-term measurable goals.

A high grade can motivate a student to progress, which raises expectations of their work and these expectations have a strong influence on a students achievement (Hattie, 2012, p.266). Summative assessment inevitably makes a powerful indirect contribution to the promotion of learning.

From performance related pay to needing three A-grades to get into a university; summative assessments get everybody working but without prizes, Im not sure if anyone would care about the points?

(Head of Geography: Appendix A)

Unfortunately, in the light of my own experiences it rings true that this is often the case. Summative assessment exists to fulfil a managerial function; the collection of marks to fill up records[rather than] the analysis of pupils work (Black and Wiliam, 1998, p.6). A numerical mark provides nothing that can help students improve their work, and multiple research projects suggest constructive feedback is overlooked when grades are also present (Black et al., 2002, p.8). Pirsig (2004) famously deliberates whether summative assessments are an appropriate means of promoting learning; the idea that the majority of students attend a university for an education independent of the degree and grades is a little hypocrisy everyone is happier not to expose (p.182). It brings with it a carrot-and-whip grading, a mule mentality which [says] if you dont whip me, I wont work (Pirsig, 2004, p.183). Various writers claim they have progressed from the old-ways of behaviourism (Holt, 2012, p.21) appealing instead to the fad of constructivism (Erikson, 2001 in Sjberg, 2010, p.485), yet in practice the majority of pedagogies continue to advocate this mule-mentality. Summative assessment emphasises competition rather than personal improvement (Black and Wiliam, 1998) and this is problematic.

A poor quantitative grade will inadvertently support a fixed IQ mentality (Black and Wiliam, 1998, p.14); a mentality that says, I always get low grades and always will. I argue that this is a consequence of confusing summative assessments purpose. Summative assessment functions to report on learning, not to promote learning, and unless it fulfils this end exclusively it shall have unpredictable consequences on the promotion of learning.

This provides the reasoning in favour of our first principle summative assessment is not an appropriate means of promoting learning.

Formative Assessment

Principle Two

Formative assessment aims to adapt and inform future instruction to benefit students learning. Thus, an assessment is formative if it is used to aid learning (Weeden et al., 2002, p.19). Demonstrating its necessity the teachers standards state all teachers must adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of pupils (T5, DfE, 2012). Research indicates providing formative evaluation is amongst the most influential direct methods of promoting learning (Hattie, 2012, p.266) - in fact, there have been few initiatives in education with such a strong body of evidence to support [such] a claim (Black and Wiliam, 2002, p.1).

Principle One and the above reasoning favours this second principle formative assessment is an appropriate means of promoting learning.

Principle Three

Two factors contribute towards our third principle; RE usually has less curriculum time compared to most compulsory subjects, and all teachers are expected to regularly report students summative grades. This has meant that grading functions [have become] over-emphasised, while the giving of useful advice and [assessments] learning function [remains] under-emphasised (Black and Wiliam, 1998, p.6).

Across the department we have a lot of content to cover. Yes, I think formative assessment is important but our time is limited and we often struggle to fit it in.

(Head of RE: Appendix B)

This insight is not alien to the literature. Black and Wiliam (2001, p.12) motion that legislators need to make provisions for teachers; allowing more time for formative assessment by reducing subject content. I found this to be a widely supported notion. The schools Assessment for Learning Coordinator told me she often debated with the headteacher on the matter.

It is a conversation we have regularly. Day-to-day we dont have enough time to use formative assessment affectively. I strongly believe we need whole lessons dedicated to it.

(Assessment Coordinator: Appendix C)

This supports our third principle time constraints hinder an RE teachers ability to utilise formative assessment.

Principle Four

All subjects including RE should encourage the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of students (DfE, 2014a), protect them from radicalisation (DfE, 2015) and promote fundamental British values (DfE, 2014b). These government requirements play a significant role in RE; exploration of topics such as war and abortion can have a significant impact on young people. Surely it is important for teachers to facilitate positive personal development by monitoring progress? I raised the issue with my mentor.

You need to keep a close eye on it and monitor progress throughout the lesson. Use any opportunity to engage with them in a one-to-one discussion.

(Mentor: Appendix D)

One should assess the behaviour of their students; their attitudes, speech and body language - and use these assessments to inform the lesson. This is where many thinkers are mistaken by claiming that RE should not be assessed (Holt, 2015, p.57), or that RE needs to assess less (Blaylock, 2012, p.236). Within the teaching of RE, it is essentially a government requirement that the personal development of students is monitored closely.

This is our fourth principle in-the-moment informal formative assessments should promote healthy personal development.

Principle Five

In practice, much of what teachers and students do in the classroom can be described as potential assessments that can provide evidence about the students level of understanding (Ruiz-Primo, 2011, p.15). These assessments can be made on a diverse range of stimuli, from social interactions to written work; everything a student does is an opportunity to assess them.

The research evidence suggests that when formative assessment practices are integrated into the minute-by-minute activities of teachers, substantial increases in student achievement are possible.

(Leahy and Wiliam, 2009, p.15)

Real-time formative assessment enables a more dynamic and supportive learning environment as minute-by-minute assessments allows teachers to adapt lessons in the moment; ensuring students progress towards the learning goals of that lesson (Heritage, 2010; Leahy et al., 2005). Basic stimuli such body language have some utility, but they can only tell us so m