Section 5
ASSESSMENT AND RECORDING
Introduction
The Scottish Office Education Department's guidelines Assessment
5-14 give schools advice on how to review and develop their
assessment policies for all areas of the curriculum. The ways
in which primary and secondary schools assess their pupils' progress
in mathematics should be consistent with that general guidance.
The present section deals specifically and briefly with methods
of planning, conducting and recording assessment in mathematics.
Basic points about assessing mathematics
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Assessment in mathematics, as in other aspects
of the curriculum, involves obtaining evidence about the extent
and quality of pupils' attainments. Its prime purpose is to improve
pupils' learning. It does this by providing pupils, parents and
teachers with feedback which can be used in reviewing programmes
of study and planning further learning.
Assessment should be aligned with the curriculum. Teachers will
wish to assess how well their pupils are developing ways of working
with mathematical problems and enquiries, are learning concepts,
facts and techniques and acquiring the attitudes, awareness and
personal qualities associated with success in mathematics.
For assessment to be effective, it must begin in the planning
of mathematical programmes, topics and blocks of teaching. It
continues through all classroom interactions to the point when
findings are summarised for reports on pupils' progress and for
evaluation of learning and teaching. Whenever attainments and
learning difficulties are identified, the cycle begins again of
planning, teaching, recording, reporting and evaluating. It is
essential that assessment should reflect broad classroom approaches
to the teaching and learning of mathematics, and provide a positive
stimulus to future development.
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Assessment methods
Teachers will wish to use a variety of assessment methods, depending
on what is to be assessed. Checking written work, observing activities,
discussing events with pupils are all likely to be included. Pupil
self-assessment has a place; it is valuable for its motivating
effect and for the insight it offers pupils on how to improve.
Targets of a practical nature, such as ability to measure volume,
in standard units, should be assessed in a practical way, by observing
pupils in action, for example, or from the products of their activity.
Attainment in related targets may be revealed within one event,
for example ability in recording numbers, approximating and calculating
can be demonstrated through work in measurement.
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