Using peer and self-assessment to prepare for National Qualifications in social studies

Additional Curriculum for Excellence themes

• Self-assessment allows pupils to identify what they are good at and what they need to improve on. Identifying what they are good at builds their confidence.
• Working together promotes respect for others' decisions, choices and views.

Project summary

The Highland Council covers a large area of Scotland and practitioners have worked for some years with researchers and consultants to embed formative assessment into everyday practice. From this work, it became clear that peer and self-assessment were central to developing the underlying principles of participation, engagement, dialogue and thinking. In 2007 the local authority offered secondary schools an opportunity to work collaboratively on the use of peer and self-assessment in preparing for National Qualifications. 

This social studies enquiry was co-ordinated by six teachers (of history, geography and modern studies) in four secondary schools who were keen to embed peer and self-assessment into their practice, and hoped to share their learning with others. 

For example, in a Higher History class, the aim was to investigate the benefit of preparing for National Qualifications by using traffic lighting and self and peer assessment in place of more traditional revision notes. In this project, students targeted what they ‘needed’ to work on, 'were directly responsible for their own learning', and more able students were 'really challenged'. Students suggested using this approach with each topic, and not just at the end of the year. A similar approach with Standard Grade resulted in students commenting that they appreciated getting help from their friends, and could better tailor their own revision at home. 

In geography, students were encouraged to produce notes on the aspect of the course they found most challenging and share these with others in the class to help them in their revision. Some students found it difficult to do this on their own in the Easter holidays and some did not like presenting their own findings to the class. However, most found the collated booklet helpful and the notes easier to use than other school-produced materials and some thought that the presentation had helped them to highlight important pieces of information. 

In general the ASG members found the enquiry effective. However, some felt that some students did not live up to the responsibility given to them, that students' own inhibitions affected their success and that very clear direction from the teacher was needed at the start.

Case study extract

In the beginning, the group noted:

'We hope that through our case studies we can flag up our hopes and aspirations in adopting these strategies, but we also want to reassure staff that we too had concerns about changing our style of teaching. Staff involved were therefore enthusiastic before commencing their peer and self-assessment case studies but apprehensive about challenges we might face.'

'... being involved in the case studies would encourage the creation of a support network amongst social studies staff that would enhance professional development and dialogue.'

At the end, the group noted that the use of peer and self-assessment strategies, related to success criteria, 'allowed teachers to identify the needs of individual pupils more easily; allowed pupils to identify the next steps for themselves/how they should progress; pupils were more motivated to work; pupils developed the transferable skill to learn independently'.

Contact details

If you would like further information on this case study, please contact the local authority assessment co-ordinator. You can find contact details for each authority area on our local authority co-ordinators' contacts page.