The Use Of Pupil Self Assessment

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Student Number: 4784626

EDU-3B01

Introducing Educational Enquiry and Project

School of Education and Lifelong Learning (EDU)

Module Convenor: Dr. P. Iannone

Date submitted:

21st January 2013

Acknowledgements

Abstract

Over the last two decades the use of self-assessment in classrooms has increased in England. Various techniques have been considered and used including peer and self assessment. The majority of research conducted supports the benefits to an individual’s education.

My study will explore the use of self-assessment in a local primary school and whether it is perceived, by the school community, as a positive tool in the classroom. During the study I will be considering existing theories behind formative assessment and looking at the benefits and /or negatives these may have. The main purpose of the study is to look in particularly at the theories connected to self-assessment and I will conduct research into its use in a key stage two class.

Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

Title

Context

Purpose and Aims

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter 3: Methodology

Chapter 4: Analysis

Chapter 5: Conclusion

References and Bibliography

Reference List

Bibliography

Appendix 1

Chapter 1: Introduction

Title

A study of the use of pupil self assessment in a year six class of a local primary school.

Context

The main emphasis of the study is to examine formative assessment, in particular, the use of self-assessment in the classroom. At the beginning of the research proposal the subject of formative assessment was considered. However after being aware of the diversity of formative assessment the research was narrowed down to look in particularly at self-assessment. Since 1998 self-assessment has been part of under pinning the theory of education through the research conducted by Black and Wiliam in their publication ‘Inside the Black Box’ (1998). The research conducted by Black and Wiliam argues the importance of self-assessment (which is part of formative assessment) in education and the benefits children gain in their learning. In view of the research carried out self-assessment is considered an intrinsic educational instrument used in the classroom to help deliver the National Curriculum (DfEE, 1999). The National Curriculum states children should perceive self-assessment as a tool that may enable them to ‘identify the purposes of learning, to reflect on the process of learning, to assess progress in learning’ (ibid, p21). Shirley Clarke (2005) expands on the definition of self-assessment by stating ‘… assessment consists of sharing learning goals, effective questioning, effective feedback and self and peer evaluation’ (ibid, p12). The ability to use self-assessment successfully in the classroom could direct pupils to becoming more independent in their schooling. Berry (2004) comments ‘the main role of the teachers in formative assessment is to collect the information of students learning in everyday teaching and use it to improve teaching and learning’ (ibid, p3) allowing the students the opportunity to work towards becoming autonomous learners.

Within the school’s latest Ofsted report (2011), which the study was conducted in, positive signs of improvement with self-assessment were compared and highlighted with previous inspections. The author of the Ofsted report underlines ‘Assessment is accurate and regular, and is well-integrated into classes’ (ibid, p8). The Ofsted inspector appears to supports Black and Wiliam’s (1998) study which highlights the risk of ‘pupils who come to see themselves as unable to learn usually cease take school seriously. Many become disruptive, others resort to truancy’ (ibid, p141). The report draws attention that ‘lessons are very well planned and assessment is used well to ensure that the progress being made by all pupils is understood and classes structured accordingly’ (ibid, p7).

As a potential educational practitioner I consider self-assessment to be a crucial component of the learning process in the classroom. Since spending time in various primary schools I have observed that increased time is being spent using self assessment and in particular formative assessment. Based on my own experience and identifying previous research I was particularly interested in reviewing how the school (which I completed the research in) used self-assessment.

Purposes and Aims

The main purpose of my study is to identify and evaluate how the children perceive being asked by their teachers to self assess their own work. I will also seek to obtain the opinions of the teaching professionals as to whether they can appreciate the benefits of using self-assessment in their classroom. In particular I will be examining the teachers’ attitudes’ towards the different types of assessment tools which can be deployed in the classroom.

The main questions the study aims to answers are:

Do the children enjoy and value self-assessment?

Would the teachers agree or disagree with the use of self-assessment?

Is the use of formative assessment working in the classroom?

Literature Review

In schools in England the use of assessment is commonly used to evaluate a child’s progress. Assessment can be defined by the process of collecting, understanding and using the information to make a conclusion about a pupil’s accomplishment in their learning (Wynne, 2007). One of the many roles of a teacher is to give a piece of work to pupils and explain the learning objective of the task. During the task the teacher ensures that the children fully understand the task which they are required to complete. At regular intervals the work is evaluated and the process of evaluation forms the assessment of whether the learning objective has been met.

There are two types of assessment teachers will typically use. Summative assessment is the use of examinations at the end of a module or year. The use of examinations is to test the ability of the pupil and identify the child’s knowledge and understanding in one specific area at a given time (Wynne, 2007). After the results of the examinations have been released these will form league tables which parents and the government use to identify if a school is achieving its purpose (ref). Stobert and Gibb (1999) used the term Assessment of Learning (AoL) to describe summative assessment and in schools the term AoL identifies the exam based assessment method.

Formative assessment can be seen as less rigid that summative. Formative assessment is the use of the child’s work to identify areas where they have learnt the knowledge and the teacher would use this as a starting point and then build on the child’s knowledge. Within formative assessment the use of various techniques is common practice. Some of the techniques include direct feedback to the children, self-assessment and peer assessment. Self-assessment is where a task is given by the teacher to the pupil and at regular intervals the pupil is asked to indicate their current understanding of the task. For example, schools may use a ‘traffic lights’ system where children will either display a red, amber or green colour to reflect on how they feel about the task. Peer assessment is the use of class members to talk about each other’s work. During peer assessment children would use their own current understanding of the task and identify areas of their peers work to comment on. Formative assessment can be identified in research as Assessment for Learning (AfL).

Formative assessment is a powerful method used to increase children’s learning (Cauley and McMillan, 2010). Various research projects have identified links connecting the use of formative assessment with significant benefits in the classroom especially for children who under perform (Black and Wiliam, 1998, McMillan, 2004). Studies have also highlighted if the incorrect use of formative assessment is used by teachers the benefit to the individual child is greatly decreased (Black and Wiliam, 1998). Therefore the importance of the teachers understanding the precise techniques is critical for the success of the method.

The use of a formative assessment cycle (figure 1) highlights five points which are required to ensure, that both, teachers and students understand the process effectively.

Figure 1 - Formative Assessment Cycle

After the formative assessment cycle has been used the information which is provided is intrinsic to the success of the child’s learning. Research conducted by Stiggins (2005) indicates pupils use the evidence from their work to ascertain whether the learning objectives have been met. If the child believes they have not reached the level of success, in their work, a clear understanding on the next stage of the cycle can be used. By using the formative assessment cycle students are continually encouraged to maintain the motivation to complete the task successfully.

Current research into AoL indicates a negative trend that over testing children causes a damaging effect on their overall learning experience. Wynne (2007) refers to testing of pupils as ‘high stakes’ (ibid, p1) and he argues the purpose of examinations could be perceived as for comparison purposes only between individuals and schools. The use of testing has drawn its critics on numerous levels however the emotional effect of many students appears to be of great concern to researchers. Wynne (2007) identifies a concern that pupils may suffer an emotional effect with the increase of examinations. However in recent months the government have indicated their intention to take education back to ‘grass roots’ and use summative assessment more within GCSE’s by removing certain elements of coursework. Whilst this could be seen as a way of improving standards it should be noted that not all children learn in the same way and could produce a negative effect on overall standards.

Over the past ten years governments have recognised the benefits of using Assessment for Learning and these can be viewed in strategy documents (REF). Although Pollard and Triggs (2000) argue the use of summative assessment in English schools still drives the argument as to the best method to testing our education system. The general public also appear to recognise the most credible measurement of the performance of schools is through the use of examinations (Hall and Burke, 2003). However research conducted by Hargreaves (2003) is made clear by stating ‘a distinction can be made between measurement and testing, is that tests are the instruments by which measurements are made’ (ibid, p10), highlighting the need for both summative and formative assessment to be intrinsic of each other to support the learning process and improve our education system in England.

In 1998 one of the largest research projects was conducted by Black and William. The outcome of the study highlighted significant benefits for the use of formative assessment within the classroom. The researchers used various methods including observations to identify whether any benefits were shown by the students. During part of the observations in the classroom Black and Wiliam identified teachers, in particular primary, who were more concerned with the amount of work produced and/or the appearance of the student’s work. The research identified that what appeared lacking in many classrooms was the correlation between the quality of work and the teaching approach. Wynne (2007) supports the view of Black and Wiliam as she argues it is important that ‘evidence of current learning is fed back into teaching and learning to help students take these next steps’ (ibid, p50). Both studies identify the importance of the teacher being aware of what the child already knows to enable them to build their learning to the next learning goal.

The term ‘scaffolding’ features highly within previous research conducted into formative assessment (Black and Wiliam, 1998). Scaffolding is the use of any pre existing knowledge held by an individual and using this knowledge as a platform to start building on. Studies have shown where a child has an appreciation of a task, albeit small, new learning can be constructed to scaffold their knowledge to a higher level (Clarke, 2009). Clarke (2009) identifies the use of effective questioning to support the theory of scaffolding an individual’s awareness. A popular method can be expressed in a simple why question such as ‘why does that method work’ within the classroom, which could encourage the child to explain in their own terms their understanding of the learning objective. This method ultimately allows the teacher to use the child’s answers to signpost them to the next level of their learning.

Formative assessment has been recognised, by research, to improve the quality of the pupil’s work. Black and Wiliam (1998) identified a significant increase in attainment by low achievers compared with other pupils when formative assessment was used by the teacher. The research also indicated that where a child viewed themselves as having a low ability in the classroom they would, in many cases, stop taking school seriously. However with the correct use of formative assessment most pupils would be able to see an improvement in their work.

In a busy classroom a teacher needs tools which will enable them to help their students to improve with their education. Studies have shown that the ability of pin pointing areas of weakness in a child’s learning allows the child to see what is wrong with their work. After the teacher has discussed the issue with the child, the feedback can be used to allow them to use this understanding to improve their work and continue improving in their area of weakness. Researchers have recognised the importance of pupils having a comprehension of why they are learning. Therefore based on empirical evidence it is important that both teachers and children are aware, and comfortable, with the process of self assessment.

The process of giving the correct feedback to a child is critical however it is imperative that the child is aware of what is expected of them. A common theme in previous studies relates to pupils not fully understanding what is expected of them. Gipps (2012) argues children perceive teachers as the knowledge bank and the pupil’s main aim is to answer the criteria set by the teacher. Therefore Gipps states ‘that the student comes to hold a notion of the standard or desired quality similar to that of the teacher’ (ibid, p106). Gipp’s research demonstrates that unless the child knows how to achieve the required level their development will be considerably hindered. James (1998) supports Gipps argument and confirms without children being ‘let into the secrets’ (ibid, p173) the use of self assessment would be ineffective. The evidence supplied by James and Gipps identify the importance of effective use of formative assessment in the classroom.

In recent studies an overwhelming amount of evidence points to the requirement of teachers using assessment which is learner centred. Learner centred assessment focuses on assisting the pupil to create improvements in their work at regular intervals throughout their learning (Hall and Burke, 2003). In the classroom a teacher may use several strategies of helping pupil’s reach a successful conclusion with a particular task. Hall and Burke (2003) support self assessment by not simply focusing on the results of the final outcome of a task but the actual basis of the successes and failures throughout the learning process. Within the research conducted by Hall and Burke (ibid) their observations indicated the drawbacks of offering only extrinsic rewards to children. Children were observed focusing on working towards the chance of being given a sticker or a star giving the impression, to the researchers, that the reward was the incentive without actually knowing if the task was actually understood. Clarke (2009) agrees with Hall and Burke’s view by stating ‘external rewards, such as merit marks and stickers, act in the same way as grades, demoralising the less able and making complacent the more able’ (ibid, pp51). However Clarke (2009) goes on to identify that teachers should consider identifying intrinsic enthusiasm, within the child, as a method of an individual recognising their own successes and then recognise their achievement with the child. Therefore the need to offer stickers, for example, may no longer be central to a child’s motivation to be successful.

The ability to prepare children for the world of work appears to be one of the obligations of teachers in a society that is changing very fast. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 1999) argue the requirement for children to acquire the skills to appreciate and be familiar with the process of learning is essential to the success of businesses. During recent discussions in the business world, business leaders are looking for future employees who are self motivated, team players and able to adapt to new situations (ref). The research provided by Hargreaves (2007) supports the OECD argument by clearly stating ‘collaborative learning and its assessment improve performance’ (cited in Wynne, pp31). Black (2006) supports Hargreaves’s view that by using formative assessment correctly the process increases the ability of the child to work effectively in a team.

Methodology

Research question

The main aim of the study is to investigate the use of self-assessment in the classroom of a local primary school. Primary research was conducted in the class to obtain statistics from the pupils of their perception of how self-assessment may benefit their learning and opinions were obtained from the teachers involved with the year six cohort.

Context of study and participants

The primary research involved a year six class consisting of 26 children of which ten were boys and sixteen were girls from a local authority primary school. The class contained a mixture of ability groups and social backgrounds. Due to the purpose and aims of the study the whole class were asked to complete a questionnaire which I had designed and agreed with the teacher. The research involved the children in the class giving their opinion on six statements relating to self-assessment. As the questionnaire was anonymous a true cross section of opinions based on both gender and capability could be collected. Cohen (2003) supports the concept of researchers using a sample of participants on a random basis to provide validity to any potential findings. The school only had one year six class therefore the sample size was smaller than I would have preferred to allow for a true reflection of the school’s policy. As I was looking at the perception of self-assessment in the classroom my sampling needed to be of a purposive nature as I was targeting a specific group. The school that I chose for my study is a local authority primary school located on a housing estate. I have been a volunteer at the school for the past two years and have had a good relationship with the class and teachers. When I approached the deputy head teacher for permission to carry out my study she indicated the school would be very interested in the children’s opinion of self-assessment and its use in their classroom.

Ethics

As I had been volunteering at the school prior to the research was being conducted this allowed me the opportunity to speak directly with the deputy head teacher. After discussing the research topics I was considering with her I decided on focussing my study on self-assessment and in particular formative assessment. My next stage of the research process was to seek ethical approval from the University of East Anglia Ethical Committee. I was aware that the needs of the school, participants of the study and my own needs needed to be maintained. Therefore my original questions and methodology were open for change. During the ethical process I had to reconsider observing the children as the committee believed it would be difficult to receive permission from the parents. It was also suggested I sought an ‘opt out’ form for parents to sign if they did not want their children involved in the questionnaire. After a two week period I received ethical approval for my research to start albeit without the use of class observations.

Once I had been given permission to gather my primary research from the school I was aware of the university’s policy on ethics and data collection with human participants. The policy clearly states ‘The University is committed to promoting high ethical standards in research and to safeguarding the dignity, rights and welfare of all those involved in research’ (University of East Anglia, 2012). As part of the ethics process it was important to me to fully explain the nature of my research to all of the participants as they were under the age of eighteen. Consent forms and factsheets were given to all pupils to enable their parents/guardians to understand and have the option of withdrawing their child from the research (Appendix?). The fact sheet consisted of details of the aims and purposes of the study, how the children’s responses would be dealt with in an anonymous way and how the individual child could choose not to take part would be permissible.

After sending out an ‘opt out’ consent form I was pleased to find that no parents/guardians objected to their child being part of the study. On the day the research was scheduled to take place the class had been quite disruptive during their morning lessons. I wondered whether I ought to delay the questionnaire as I was unsure if the children’s responses would be a reflection on how they felt about self-assessment or how they had been disciplined in their lesson. I spoke to the teacher who suggested I go ahead as he was confident the children would be able to focus on the questionnaire task.

Data Collection

The use of qualitative and quantitative research techniques are important to consider with any potential study (Hitchcock and Hughes, 1995). Over the past two decades the shift towards using more of a qualitative method has brought research back into the classroom and away from statistics (ibid). I decided to use both research methods to give my study a cross selection of opinions through the use of interviews and also data from questionnaires which could indicate the perception of the class members. Cohen (2003) supports the theory of using different data collection processes as ‘the single observation…provides only a limited view of…human behaviour’ (ibid, p112). After considering alternative theories I decided I would like to use three data collection sources.

To improve the reliability and impartiality of the research collected for my study, the use of three research methods was considered for producing a triangulation of the data. Previous empirical research using a single method appears to only give one view point, whereas using more than one research technique provides more credibility to any findings (Cohen, 2003). Mason (2006) comments ‘…commonly used logic in mixing methods is where researchers wish to add some breadth or depth to their analysis’ (ibid, p3). Whilst the use of three sources of obtaining data would have been preferable, during the ethical process for obtaining permission for the research I struggled to obtain consent from the parents to observe the children. Therefore I decided to base my research on two data sources rather than three.

At the beginning of my study I interviewed three year six teachers to obtain their individual perceptions of self assessment (appendix?). Before I conducted the interviews I approached the school for their opinion on how many teachers should be involved. It was decided by the school and I that as only three teachers were potentially involved with the teaching of the years six class I would utilise these teachers for the interviews. I decided to organise the interviews using a ‘semi structured’ structure as this allowed for a dialogue between the interviewee and interviewer to obtain qualitative information (Hitchcock and Hughes, 1995). One significant advantage for semi structured interviews is that it provides the opportunity for the interviewer to create a relationship with the interviewee encouraging candid and complete responses. Hitchcock and Hughes (1995) support the view researchers should create ‘…rapport, empathy and understanding between the interviewer and interviewee’ (ibid, 159). However I am aware of the ‘researcher effect’ (ibid, p160) when using semi structured interviews. One issue I am aware of could be the information supplied in the interviews may be distorted by me due to the format of the interviews.

I designed a questionnaire to enable the children of the class to record their opinion of self assessment in their classroom (Appendix?). My main purpose of obtaining data from the children was to seek whether the pupils considered self-assessment a worthwhile activity and to ascertain whether self-assessment might improve the children’s learning. I wanted to make the design of the questionnaire engaging for the children to remain interested in the study and encourage their enthusiasm to take part in my research. At the beginning of my data collection in the classroom I took the time to explain to the children what the study was about and I felt, by their response, that they were willing and eager to participate.

Part of the questionnaire was aimed at my being able to ascertain whether the children enjoyed marking their own work. I wanted to explore if using self assessment enabled the pupils to try harder and to establish whether I felt that the class understood the purpose of marking their own work. The questionnaire used a structured format for the sole purpose of obtaining quantitative statistics for evaluation purposes. There were two classification questions followed by four further statements with three possible answers. All year six students present in class completed the research, totalling 26 completed questionnaires.

Data analysis

After the primary data had been collected I used several methods to analysis the figures and interviews. The first part consisted of collating the responses from the pupil’s questionnaire and creating pie charts to show the results. The second part involved reviewing the interview transcripts and coding the information. As a result of coding similar opinions within the interviews the data would then be grouped together and new theories would evolve. Strauss and Corbin (1967) defined the process of coding as ‘grounded theory’ and allowed the research to be driven by the primary research rather than the researcher’s initial theoretical framework. On this basis I decided to use the grounded theory method to enable my study to be based on primary research rather than empirical research. The advantage of using this approach allowed me not to be distracted by other studies that had been completed previously and only use literature as a guideline.

Analysis

In this chapter of the study I will be using the data collected from the interviews and questionnaires to deal with the questions set out in the purposes and aims section. To assist with the analysis of the data the first part will be addressing whether the children benefit from and value self-assessment. The second part of the analysis will explore the teachers’ opinion and whether self assessment is working in their classroom.

Do the children benefit from and value self-assessment?

The children in the class had used a form of self assessment in the classroom for the previous three years. It was important, to the study, to seek their understanding of why they were asked on a regular basis to indicate their understanding of their work. Within the questionnaire, given to the pupils, the overwhelming evidence supports the view using formative assessment was beneficial to their learning. For question three of the questionnaire, eighty eight per cent agreed that they enjoyed marking their own work, with seventy three per cent strongly agreeing and fifteen per cent agreeing. Question four resulted in a higher percentage indicating ninety two per cent of the pupils agreed that marking their own work helped them improve their learning, of the ninety two per cent, fifty eight percent strongly agreed and thirty five percent agreed (Appendix?). My initial examination of the data indicates that the children are able to see the benefits of self-assessment and they do value the process of marking their own work. On closer inspection the results of the questionnaire have a resonance with the research completed by James (1998) in that ‘if students are to learn from their own performance in order to improve, they need to be able to assess and evaluate their actual performance against standards’ (ibid, p176). Question five asked the children whether they understood why they were asked to mark their own work. Only twelve per cent of the class strongly disagreed with the remaining eighty eight agreeing that they realised the reason why they were asked to use formative assessment in the classroom. Question six showed only fifteen per cent, of those asked, disagreed with the statement and seventy five per cent thought marking their own work encouraged them to work harder.

Part of my study addressed the idea of whether the children thought marking their own work helped improve their learning. Fifty eight per cent strongly agreed that self-assessment helped improve their work whereas forty two percent either agreed or strongly disagreed with the statement. Due to the high level of students who did not strongly agree my research could support an area of weakness in the classroom. Therefore a lack of training the students in self-assessment could prevent certain pupils appreciating the benefits of self-assessment. Clarke (2001) notes for any self-assessment to be effective the correct level of guidance should be given to those involved. I feel that if additional training was supplied in the class the level of pupils who recognise the benefits may increase.

Overall the data from the questionnaires suggests, in general, the children are aware of the use of formative assessment in their classroom. The data also proposes the majority of those who completed the research strongly agreed with all the statements. One of the main findings in the statistics highlights the majority of the class were conscious of why they are asked to mark their own work. Whilst sixty five per cent strongly agreed with the statement a large proportion either strongly disagreed or agreed (thirty five per cent). The data could highlight more emphasis in the class is required to accentuate the reason children are asked to mark their own work on a regular basis.

Reflecting on the pupil’s responses, due to the school only having one year six class it is difficult to draw any conclusive conclusions from the data recorded from the pupils questionnaires. If a similar study was to be completed in the future the research should include all classes in the school. The benefit of a larger sample size would allow for a comparison between responses to the statements, gender and age. In particular being able to establish if gender has an effect on the perception of self-assessment would be interesting. For the purposes of this study although gender was recorded due to the low number of class members the benefits of comparing gender would not appear to be suitable.

Would the teachers agree or disagree with the use of self-assessment?

The interviews conducted with three teachers in the school confirmed the advantages of using self-assessment in the classroom. The teachers all agreed giving the children the facility to use self-assessment was not only effective for them to be aware of their own learning but also for the teachers to be able to adapt there teaching. A frequent theme from the teachers’ interviews identified the children were able to clearly evaluate their own progress rather than waiting for the teacher to comment on their work. Teacher A stated that the pupils in some classes were excited by using different coloured cups to indicate their level of understanding. During the conversation with the teacher I explored the use of the coloured cups and how the class used the method to show their understanding. The coloured cups (red, orange and green) signifying the three colours of traffic lights are shown at regular intervals throughout the lesson. Individuals would show green if they fully understood the learning outcomes and whether they had achieved them. Alternatively they would show orange (amber) or red if they were not completely sure of whether they were achieving what the teacher had planned. The benefit of using a straightforward coloured cups method in the classroom allowed the teacher to divert her attention to the children who needed additional assistance whilst at the same time being fully aware of children who were displaying green and who felt they were achieving the goals of the lesson. Hall and Burke (2003) support the use of visual aides in the classroom to benefit the teaching. In research carried out by Hall and Burke (ibid) they identified ‘…assessment that is learner-centred- i.e. assessment that is geared to helping the learner make progress is a major characteristic of successful teachers’ practice’ (ibid, p1).

Throughout the teachers’ interviews it became clear to me that the teachers were fully aware of the advantages of using self-assessment in the classroom. All of the interviewees at various points of their interviews remarked on the issue of how children’s learning can be affected by having a low self-esteem. One of the teachers commented ’one of my biggest issues is getting the children to believe in themselves and their abilities’ (Teacher B, 2012). Black and Wiliam (1998) support the teachers understanding of the benefits of improving children’s self-esteem by identifying in their research ‘the ways in which assessment can affect the motivation and self-esteem of pupils and the benefits of engaging pupils in self-assessment, both deserve careful attention’ (ibid, p5). However Hall and Burke (2003) argue about the dangers of giving too much praise to a child. Their observations of children have indicated ‘children quickly learn that it is the performance or the task itself that matters not the learning that the task demonstrated or facilitated’ (ibid, p10). Based on the pupil’s questionnaires and teacher interviews the study has not seen any evidence of the concerns Hall and Burke (2003) note.

With regard to the children achieving self-esteem, two of the teachers commented on the catchment area of where the school was located. Teacher B explained that the social and demographic area, in their opinion, had a significant disadvantage for the children inspiring to achieve more at school. The teacher went on to explain that a large proportion of the school’s community were likely to come from homes where the children were part of the third generation whereby their family had never had a job. During the interview the teacher went on to explain that whilst they were aware of the significant educational benefits of pupils raising their self-esteem the ability to put a process into practice was littered with issues. One of the issues raised was how the family in general viewed education and its value in their society. The teacher explained that whilst it was their intention to continue building the pupil’s self-esteem by using self-assessment as a working tool only a small proportion of the school’s community would benefit. Hall and Burke (2003) support the view of teacher B by stating in their study ‘learning power does not develop automatically…learning is grounded in their beliefs about a whole host of aspects of learning – beliefs that have been learned from their particular experiences of life’ ibid, p110). Reflecting on the statement given by the teacher it was interesting to realise that I had not considered any social concerns as potential barriers to raising a person’s self-esteem prior to the research.

A common concept in the interviews identified all of the teachers were fully aware of how important it was for the children to understand what they were being asked to complete and how they would succeed. Teacher C confirmed he still used the method of requiring the children to write in their books at the beginning of a class the ‘What Are we Learning Today’ (WALT). During the interview the teacher C remarked ‘I give the children a WALT to allow the children to have a clear signpost of the lesson’ (Teacher C, 2012). However throughout the interview the teacher did not specify how the class were going to achieve their intended destination. Hall and Burke (2003) identified ‘for feedback to be useful, the learner must know what to do and how to do it’ (ibid, p55). It could be argued that only using a WALT demonstrates Clarke’s (2005) research results relating to the use of a WALT as she explains ‘devices used in the late 90’s (WALT/WILF(what I’m looking for) for learning) are seldom used as teachers want more clarity and fewer gimmicks to support them’ (ibid, p2).

Having given the teachers the opportunity to explain their professional thoughts relating to self-assessment, I asked them if they believed that self assessment was a good tool in the classroom. All three teachers categorically confirmed they wholeheartedly supported the use of self-assessment. Two of the teachers had been in teaching for over twenty years and explained they had seen various strategies introduced and withdrawn. They had experience of using a variety of techniques in the classroom including peer assessment and formative assessment which they feel has allowed them, as teachers, to enhance their teaching skills. The third teacher had been qualified for eight years remarked he has always used self-assessment in his classroom and it was quite ‘natural’ for him to allow the children to explore their own learning. He explained for the first two years, of teaching, he was nervous of what he perceived as ‘losing control’ of the classroom by using self-assessment. He went on to explain that he was now more confident in his teaching methods and aware of their benefits to him (and more importantly the children) by using different assessment approaches. The teacher went on to explain ’using self-assessment allows me the opportunity to see the pupils flourish in the classroom and for them to accept that they are learning’ (Teacher C, 2012). Research conducted by Hall and Burke (2003) supports the view of teacher C however their study identified ‘it is not easy for a teacher to step back from a directional role to a facilitative one, particularly in the present climate of accountability and league tables, but it is worth trying’ (ibid, p107).

One of the main problems the teachers identified on a day to day basis were time restraints and as a result of lack of time additional pressure to deliver the National Curriculum. Whilst research and practice continue to support the use of self-assessment, consideration for the time required to implement any assessment in schools should be considered (Black and Wiliam, 1998). Black and Wiliam (1998) support the teachers view as the political and public viewpoint appears to be in favour of more summative assessment methods. Wynne (2007) comments ’the policy in England remains one that creates a classroom and school ethos that…favours repeated summative assessment and inhibits the formative use of assessment’ (ibid, p3). Based on Wynne’s research teachers could be teaching children simply to pass tests rather than enhancing their skills which pupils can learn and use for themselves.

Conclusion

My research looked at whether the use of formative assessment in the classroom as a strategy of self assessment was a successful one. As highlighted in the literature review, Black and Wiliam (1998) arguably agree with a resounding yes and I have found that my study agrees with their research. The key conclusions from my research collected for my study are as follows:

The children in the class are able to see the benefits of marking their work and over seventy percent strongly agree they enjoy the process.

Pupil self-assessment could only work efficiently in the classroom if;

The class members are trained and aware of why they are using self-assessment. Black et al (2004) argue learners need to be able to have the skills to self assess to enable them to mark their work honestly, critically and beneficially. In the class I researched, I discovered that a large proportion of the children did not understand why they were asked to reflect on their own work. Attention would be needed to ensure that all of the class understand the benefits in order to make the most of self-assessment.

The school, in general, creates an environment suitable for all the children to use self-assessment. This includes, displaying thought provoking statements on the walls of the class, part of each lesson is devoted to allowing children to reflect on their progress, teachers being able to use the self-assessment tool to adjust their teaching to suit individual needs (where possible) and giving helpful training in self assessment skills.

An open and honest discourse between the teacher and the pupils identifying the benefits of self-assessment. I feel it is equally as important, to create an ethos in the class that allows for the children to talk between themselves to enhance peer assessment (Hall and Burke 2006).

Whilst researchers and teachers see pupil self-assessment as a positive and successful device it does not always translate that it is being used in the classroom (Berry, 2004). One of the problems recorded in the analysis chapter identified the reason some schools choose not to use self-assessment over other assessment types. Crucially the over use of summative assessment may maintain the current situation as schools are driven by targets and league tables.

The school has a clear management strategy in place to enable self-assessment to be used throughout each class and lesson. Each teacher has a framework which they work within allowing them to use and implement an appropriate self-assessment device.

After considering the findings of my study, I feel that if the study was to be replicated or lengthened in the future a deeper, more investigative study might highlight several issues which were not reflected in my report due to the limitation of time and parental consent. These are:

If the children in the class were given more training how would these improved skills reflect in their work? Whilst the use of self-assessment was clearly used in the classroom not all of the children could understand the ultimate benefits to their work. Within the literature review, training is identified as being essential to the success of self-assessment and the future benefits to the children’s academic and life skills.

Do boys see self-assessment as a masculine activity? Over sixty percent of the class were girls and it would have been interesting to analysis the data by gender response. Working in the class it appeared, to me, the boys simply ‘went along’ with self-assessment without questioning why they had to mark their work. Whereas the girls choose to engage with marking their own work and it seemed they fully appreciated the benefits.

Is it essential for the teacher to conduct self-assessment throughout the lesson or just at the end? The majority of the children only spent their time with one teacher throughout the day due to the small size of the class. During each lesson the children were only asked to show their understanding of the learning at the end of the session. I would consider it crucial for the self-assessment process to be continually conducted throughout the lesson to enable the teacher to work with the pupils who appeared to be struggling (Clarke 2005).

The methodology used in any research conducted may be crucial to the success of its findings. As I chose a qualitative and quantitative method at the beginning I believed my study would have the depth to support or disagree with previous research conducted about self-assessment. Reflecting on my choice of methods of collecting data I would have preferred to obtain more statistics to enable more analysis of the data to be conducted and completing random interviews with a small selection of the pupils from the class. One of the shortfalls of my research centred on the limited amount of those involved in the study. Whilst the purpose of the study was to look at the use of self assessment in one class I could have considered asking the whole school to be involved and then using these statics to reflect on the individual class which I had set out to study. After analysing the data I feel I did not have any statements from the children to support the findings. Whilst I agree statistics can be influential in any research not having any qualitative data to support the raw data can leave the figures unsubstantiated and purely down to the researcher to interpret.

Recommendations

After considering the research I have gathered alongside research from previous studies I would suggest the following recommendations:

Teachers should consider seeking additional training in the skills of making and implementing self-assessment in the classroom work (Hall and Burke, 2003). Part of the training should include the use of effective conversation and questioning with the children to enhance the benefits of self-assessment.

The school might like to consider giving formative assessment as much importance as summative assessment in the classroom. Research has identified a culture of over testing children may have adverse effect on their learning (Berry, 2004).

Pupils could be offered specific training in methods that will help them use self-assessment. The school should then follow up with opportunities for the children to use self-assessment in all of their classes (Black and Wiliam; 1998; Hargreaves, 2003; Wynne, 2007).

At the beginning of my study I wanted to research an issue which would help me in my future career within the teaching profession. As a result of my extensive reading and personal research I have gained a deeper understanding of how the effective use of formative assessment can benefit a pupil’s self-assessment. When I enter the teaching profession it awill be very important to me to be able to cement my knowledge of self-assessment firmly in the classroom. My goal will be to promote the benefits of self-assessment to the children to enable them to become proactive in their learning and not to rely purely on the teachers input. I feel it is important for all children, regardless of attainment, to use formative assessment as a tool which will ultimately benefit them in their learning. To conclude my study in the words of Hargreaves (2003) ‘emphasis is on the child’s future learning processes rather than performances’ (ibid, p7).