How can you assess pupils' development of global awareness
Examine the following quotations on assessment.
Assessment is about looking deliberately for windows that allow a glimpse into what is happening in children's minds as they process information and experience. It is always speculative and open to inaccuracy!
(Steiner, 1993, p. 27)
Individual teacher assessment can be notoriously unreliable. We are all easily misled by the 'halo effect' of neatly presented written work or socially skilled children's conversation into thinking that a particular pupil's understanding is greater than it in fact is. Perhaps we also tend to focus too readily on what children cannot do rather than on what they can. Pupil performance needs to be gathered from as wide a range of sources as possible.
(Wiegand, 1997, in Tilbury and Williams, p. 267)
What evidence do you need?
Click on a link below for suggestions of practical methods of collecting evidence to assess knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes gained through the teaching and learning of the global dimension and global citizenship.
Practical suggestions
(Adobe PDF 5.0)
Now complete the activity on the right, which will help you assess how your pupils think and act regarding a series of social, global and environmental issues. It involves an interactive quiz for pupils aged 9-12. When completed, the quiz provides a 'footprint' measurement.
Activity Resources:
- Images
- Interactive
- Sound
- Text
- Video
Activity
- Go to the Global Footprints website. Click on 'Quiz' and then the 'Teacher notes' for an explanation of the aims of this activity and how it can be most effectively used. Global Footprints
- Try this quiz with a group of pupils. Use it to assess their thinking and behaviour on the range of global issues examined and to identify areas where you feel teaching input is needed. Is this quiz a useful tool for assessment and does it aid future planning?
- Use some of the information boxes on each issue as starting points for discussions and activities.
- Return to the quiz following this input and see if there are changes in the pupils' scores and therefore in their thinking and actions.
Note: This quiz can also be used as a basis for designing your own 'before and after' questionnaire for assessing the impact of teaching programmes on pupils' knowledge, skills, attitudes and actions.
