4/9/2018 Self-Assessment by children is essential for learning : Maths — No Problem!

Why self assessment by children is vital for

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by: John Dabell (https://mathsnoproblem.com/author/john-dabell/) |  May 16, 2018 @ 6:00 am

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Why self assessment by children is vital for learning

Children have a vital role to play in taking responsibility for their own learning, and in supporting the learning
of their peers. One of the foundational principles of formative assessment is to help children become actively
engaged in accurately assessing their own understanding and taking action on that assessment.

Teachers can create amazing lessons by engineering discussions, scaffolding learning and providing guidance on
the next steps in learning, but only pupils can do the learning. It can’t be done for them. In other words, pupils
need to be able to calibrate, self-assess and re ect. They need to self-monitor, ask searching questions of
themselves and others, and draw on a range of strategies to decide what they know, what they don’t know and
what they partly know. They therefore have a big role to play in making their knowledge visible and upgrading
their own understanding.

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4/9/2018 Self-Assessment by children is essential for learning : Maths — No Problem!

Assessment as learning develops and supports children’s metacognitive skills. This form of assessment is
crucial in helping children become lifelong learners as it focuses their efforts ‘re ecting’ on their own
learning. It powers a growth mindset where they see their maths ability as something that can change and
improve.

Why children need to learn about themselves as learners

By engaging in self-assessment, children learn to make sense of maths and use it as a stepping stone for new
learning. Monitoring and self-regulation skills are complex, and they don’t just magically happen. This is where the
teacher steps in. The teacher’s role in modelling and teaching children how to self-assess and peer assess is
crucial. This also involves guiding children in setting their own targets and goals and helping them monitor their
progress toward them.

Teachers and children need to share a common assessment language for discussing thinking, decision-making,
strategies, errors and misconceptions. When children are taught how to approach their own work and feedback, it
helps them be re ective about the quality of their thinking and their actions. This involves asking questions about
their own learning: what do I know? what do I need to know? what are the hurdles? How can I improve this?
Assessment as learning helps children to take more responsibility for their own learning and monitoring future
directions.

Providing models of good practice through careful coaching, helps children develop an awareness of success and
how to recognise and respond to problem areas. Assessment as learning joins together metacognition, self-
regulation and calibration so that children aren’t passive recipients of teaching and learning but they are actively
engaged in their own critique and assessment that is kind, speci c and helpful.

As children learn how to self- and peer assess this increases buy-in as they “grow to appreciate why they are
doing what they are doing.” (Peps Mccrea – Memorable Teaching, 2017) and children develop a sense of
ownership and ef cacy. As children learn how to learn, they become able to focus their learning on the areas in
which they feel they have the least con dence. They can begin to pinpoint which concepts they need to
concentrate their efforts.

The positive impact of journaling

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4/9/2018 Self-Assessment by children is essential for learning : Maths — No Problem!

One of the most powerful ways to promote self and peer assessment in a formative feedback classroom is to use
maths journals or maths learning logs/diaries. Journaling provides children with opportunities to focus on their
own learning journey and gives them opportunities to articulate their understanding, adjust and rethink. In order
to get their ideas on paper, children must organise, clarify, and re ect on their thinking. It gives children a real
sense of their strengths, weaknesses, distractions and obstacles.

Maths journaling is a naturally differentiated assessment tool and leads children to have a better conceptual
understanding over time as well as helping to develop their use of mathematical vocabulary, meta-language and
literacy across the curriculum. Journaling puts the responsibility for improvement rmly with children as they come
to realise that they have a powerful role in moving forward.

Using maths journals raises the pupil’s stakes in the learning process as it puts them at the centre of learning –
this is self-help assessment as learning. Journals also provide teachers with a rich resource of evidence to drawn
upon as it is a working document that gives an insight into children’s abilities, opinions, feelings, understandings
and misconceptions. For this reason, it creates a portfolio-like record of growth and progress.

The impor tance of a relaxed attitude to learning

It is crucial that children express what they really know, understand and can do if formative assessment is to be
used effectively. When we promote a growth mindset we allow ‘assessment as learning’ to ourish because
children feel more relaxed and better able to express their ideas and to admit what they need to do to get better.
Even mistake making can be a powerful component of learning. By embracing a culture of error where children
aren’t afraid to reveal their misconceptions and not everything can be right the rst time, they can take ownership
of their learning as they challenge themselves to solve a problem.

Formative self-assessment is designed to motivate children and convince them that they are able to improve their
performance through their own efforts and empower them to take control of their own learning. When
assessment as learning is fully embedded in a classroom then children are able “to be self-ef cacious, they know
how to learn and self-regulate, they can steer their own learning, and their self-esteem and therefore their
motivation – is high.” (Clare Lee – Language of Learning Mathematics, 2006)

Self- and peer assessment have an essential role to play in formative practice and to make this successful requires
training and practice so children know how to be active agents in their own development. To enable children to
re ect on their own and others’ work means they can use their critical faculties to be autonomous, strategic and
creative mathematicians with the capacity to self-improve and close gaps.

Children who self-assess in this way are motivated to learn, will tackle challenges in exible and re ective ways
and are con dent of success.

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4/9/2018 Self-Assessment by children is essential for learning : Maths — No Problem!

Wondering how assessment can support your teaching practice? Join us this 23 May for the
MNP Annual Conference. It’s your chance to hear the latest research and assessment methods
from word-renowned educators including Dr Yeap Ban Har and Tim Oates.

Save Your Spot (https://mathsnoproblem.com/en/events/singapore-maths-

leadership-conferencelondon-uk-may-23-2018/)

References:
Lee, C. (2006) Language for Learning Mathematics. Berkshire: OUP
Mccrea, P. (2017) Memorable Teaching: leveraging memory to build deep and durable learning in the classroom.
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

John Dabell (https://mathsnoproblem.com/author/john-dabell/) is an Education Consultant and Author who

specialises in primary maths, and a Maths — No Problem! (https://mathsnoproblem.com) blogger on Pedagogy.

Published on May 16, 2018

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 4/9/2018 Self-Assessment by children is essential for learning : Maths — No Problem!

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