In lessons it is the duty of the teacher in every lesson to plan and set objectives which are SMART that is specific, measurable,achievable ,realistic and timed. However although it is everyone's wish to make all the objectives achieved in in class by all learners.It is difficult to be 100% successful .Nevertheless objectives need to be successful.
Mager puts objectives as a description of a performance you want learners to be able to exhibit or carry out before you conclude them to be competent.An objective is the outline of intended result of instruction rather than the process of instruction itself.
The curriclum designers advise teachers to state objectives in behavioural terms.That is outline what the learner is expected to do.
The purpose of objectives is to form a sound basis for selection or designing of teaching aids ,make clear of the content to be taught ,the teaching methods ,learners' organisation and activities.
Objectives form a sound basis for assessing and evaluating the teaching and learning process for its success.The objectives is a candlelight to see what remedial,extention work a teacher can take to help learners.The purposes of objectives in Education are endless ,but the above help to realise why behavioural objectives are advisable.
A well stated objectives is the one that succeeds in communicating an intended instructional result to the learner.One must ,after reading your objective,be in position to produce a student who performs according to the consistent of your stratergy. The best statement is the one that clearly state the intented goal.
In many cases teachers state objectives as aims which can not distinct the SMART. When teaching we are concerned with knowledge,skills , atittudes or moral values which are applied in diferent situation of life.A statement of objectives is useful to the extend that it specifies what learners will do or perform to demostrate any change in behaviour,knowledge ,attitudes ,moral value or mastery of a skill.We only determine what knowledge ,behaviour , attitude or morality people possess by what they do or say.Concepts which are concrete easly identified by using it.For example playing a guitar,moulding pots,practising soccer skills,sculpting.and so on.Whereas abstract concepts such as morality,attitudes or knowledge are observed through doing something that represents the meaning of abstractions.
How do you identify that learners understand,appreciate or have faith or master the moral concept of forgiveness? It is that which makes learners to do a demostration of the above and must be stated as an objective.As a guide to predict what the learner should be able to do at the end of the lesson.The respond must be in action words that clearly specify the action like run,smile ,write draw etc.
Perfomance are in two groups which are observed during the specific lesson through seeing or hearing and assessment such as giving a task during the lesson or at the end of the lesson.The second group can not be observed directly .The performance are mental invisible or internal.This is where teaching of Religious and Moral Education(RME) ,Social Studies etc are done.We can only ask our learners to say or do something visible for us to measure the success of mastery in such type of performance.Whenever the performance is internal add an indicator behaviour by which the main performance will be known for instance in RME give learner different situations to show how they can apply forgiveness ,for example in personal judgements or love.In languages how should be able to identify misspelt word in a given list(underlined or circled ) In Social Studies learners can be given a task to do community research of topic rules and laws.You easily identify whether learners are meeting the objectives and learn of their their community.
If statement doesn't state a performance it isn't an objective.It is something else.If objectives state a performance,it become easy to assess the success in teaching.A teacher who knows where he is going stand a better chance of getting there and know that he had arrived than the confused one.
The evaluation made easy as we can able to state the strengths and weaknesses of teaching methods,media,learners' organisation and activities so the extension and remedial work is planned on.We plan remedial action based on the learner's perfomance.
It is an educational and professional crime to evaluate the lesson which state non-behavioural objectives as they do not specify what the learner will do.How will you find out that learning had took place,the teaching methods were successful and the media is effective? How would you justify the time taken in a lesson,teaching appreciation of melody? When its end is set by a guide to measure the depth of appreciation.Why at first you set yourself in the task of teaching appreciation of positive moral code etc? There is a need to have clear objectives.
I conclude that it is important for all teachers to attend refresher course on the value and significance of setting SMART objectives.
17 October 2010
Assessment Objectives Guide Teachers in Preparing Students for External Assessment.
Assessment objectives should be put into consideration.Students' work or performance is judged and desired outcome of an effort has been achieved.It is now the question of how assessment objective guide teachers in preparing students for external assessment.Later we discuss the assesment objectives for ordinary level course in Zimbabwe when meeting the syllabus and national examinations in Food and Nutrition.
According to Farrant(1980)"assessment is the process by which a quality of an individual work or performance is judged." Gay (1979) defines objectives as,"the desired outcomes of an effort ,the results intended at the end of a series of activities."
Therefore assessment objectives help the teacher in the coverage of the syllabus content.The teacher is guided in a way that can make use of topics and introduced in a sequential manner and that consider actions of the level of the pupils as well as the degree of difficulty has be given.
Assessment objectives is the candlelight for the teacher to break down concepts into weekly objectives and by so doing the teacher can formulate daily objectives.These daily objectives ensures effective break down of concepts into teachable units on the assessment objectives.
When formulating the weekly objectives ,from the assessment objectives in conjunction with the syllabus content, the teacher will be constructing the school syllabus, and the school syllabus is a mechanism that the teacher uses to ensure the proper implementation of the official syllabus.
The assessment objective is the yard stick for the teacher to develop necessary skills for the pupils ,as per according to the assessment objectives.These skills are later going to be tested in the external examination and it is the right of teachers to make sure that these skills have been achieved by pupils so that will not be difficulties in applying these skills in an examination situation.
Assessment objectives can be known as process objectives.This is because these are on going process that the teacher uses.These process objectives describe outcomes desired during the excution of the effort.In other words tey relate to development and excution, and then at the end when these efforts are achieved then these assessments objectives ,according to Gay(1979)can be called product objectives.
These product objectives describ outcomes intended as a result of the effort.Process objectives don't typically involve student behaviour ,desired student outcomes are almost ,always product oriented.Process objectives deal with strategies and activities when are intended to result in an achievement of the pupil's skills.These assessment objectives give direction to all subsequent activities and achievement of these objectives is ultimately measure .Ways of measuring these assessment objectives will later to be discussed.
Assessment objectives give to the demands of assessment of degree of progress at any point in time ,facilitate communication concerning an effort's purposes and form the basis for assessment of an effort's achievements. Thus ,it is critical that the best possible objectives both technically and interms of content be selected or developed .It is on the assessment objectives that at the end of the achieving process or assessment objectives ,skills should have been developed in pupils.
Assessment objectives also serve as the guide line for both the learners and the teacher.Students do what axactly expected of them ,thus allowing pupils to focus their efforts appropriately .They give direction to all instructions and to the subsequent measurement of these assessment objectives, in such a way that they will be able to evaluate themselves, to check whether what they would have taught is correct.
According to Farrant(1980)"assessment is the process by which a quality of an individual work or performance is judged." Gay (1979) defines objectives as,"the desired outcomes of an effort ,the results intended at the end of a series of activities."
Therefore assessment objectives help the teacher in the coverage of the syllabus content.The teacher is guided in a way that can make use of topics and introduced in a sequential manner and that consider actions of the level of the pupils as well as the degree of difficulty has be given.
Assessment objectives is the candlelight for the teacher to break down concepts into weekly objectives and by so doing the teacher can formulate daily objectives.These daily objectives ensures effective break down of concepts into teachable units on the assessment objectives.
When formulating the weekly objectives ,from the assessment objectives in conjunction with the syllabus content, the teacher will be constructing the school syllabus, and the school syllabus is a mechanism that the teacher uses to ensure the proper implementation of the official syllabus.
The assessment objective is the yard stick for the teacher to develop necessary skills for the pupils ,as per according to the assessment objectives.These skills are later going to be tested in the external examination and it is the right of teachers to make sure that these skills have been achieved by pupils so that will not be difficulties in applying these skills in an examination situation.
Assessment objectives can be known as process objectives.This is because these are on going process that the teacher uses.These process objectives describe outcomes desired during the excution of the effort.In other words tey relate to development and excution, and then at the end when these efforts are achieved then these assessments objectives ,according to Gay(1979)can be called product objectives.
These product objectives describ outcomes intended as a result of the effort.Process objectives don't typically involve student behaviour ,desired student outcomes are almost ,always product oriented.Process objectives deal with strategies and activities when are intended to result in an achievement of the pupil's skills.These assessment objectives give direction to all subsequent activities and achievement of these objectives is ultimately measure .Ways of measuring these assessment objectives will later to be discussed.
Assessment objectives give to the demands of assessment of degree of progress at any point in time ,facilitate communication concerning an effort's purposes and form the basis for assessment of an effort's achievements. Thus ,it is critical that the best possible objectives both technically and interms of content be selected or developed .It is on the assessment objectives that at the end of the achieving process or assessment objectives ,skills should have been developed in pupils.
Assessment objectives also serve as the guide line for both the learners and the teacher.Students do what axactly expected of them ,thus allowing pupils to focus their efforts appropriately .They give direction to all instructions and to the subsequent measurement of these assessment objectives, in such a way that they will be able to evaluate themselves, to check whether what they would have taught is correct.
PURPOSE AND METHODS OF EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT!
Assessment and testing are important aspects in monitoring the progress of learners in teaching and learning environment.
According to Farrant(1988)assessment is done to test how much is known about something that has been learned by pupils. It impose weaknesses in learning and monitor teaching on what is not be taught ,maintain standards and discriminate between of different ability. In addition assessment predicts the suitability of individual children for particular courses or careers in future. Children are selected for further education in higher education or professional courses using their assessment scores. Above all assessment motivates both teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning progress.
Therefore the assessment is the tool which provide factual information about learners' abilities and performance which enables meaningful comparisons and classifications to be possible.
Most of schools assess pupils fortnightly or on termly basis for careful and objective assessment using reliable standards. As a teacher you may pleased by the child who is taught for example addition in mathematics and is mastering the techniques of his/her above age.
In using assessment technique the teacher plan revision tests of what they have done some other time. Its like a revision of the main concepts they have learnt in previous lessons. Because they will be used in the future lessons as a base from which to develop. Thus following the teaching principle which says, from known to unknown or simple to complex. It is also primordially of great significance to note that the 'known' concepts will guarantee learning progress because learners are not being pluged into jungle of unrelated novelty.
The teacher's assessment if carried out by carefully planned testing it provides a feedback of how successful is the teaching process on how well the learner is performing and where particular strengths and weaknesses lie. It is also a good yard stick for fairly reliable indication of the learner's progress.
However the school must conduct staff development work shops to help teachers to propery set well structured tests to eliminate questions which have more than one possible answer in multiple choice. Or questions which are frequently misunderstood by pupils or such questions which give advantages to certain group of learners on certain factors rather than those being tested.
Farrant(1988)provides rules that apply when compiling tests at school:
(1)Questions should test learning rather than memorisation.The question should not depend on knowing the answer to another. (2)Avoid poor wording or tricky questions that is any way confusing.
(3)Questions should have only one correct answer or be open ended and should cover as as much as possible of the learning to be tested rather than a few selected areas.
(4)Questions should be presented with the easier ones first, and then ask children to attempt all questions.
(5)Set a time limit only when speed is of great importance in an element of what is being tested. Otherwise allow the time required by slow learners to do all they can manage.
(6)Don't make answers offered in multiple choice questions, so obviously wrong that they can exclude by pupils without careful thoughts.
In primary schools teachers should test pupils with an objective and purpose to produce good results for children who can able to further their higher education and further their talents with confidence and clarity of the strengths in education system.
According to Farrant(1988)assessment is done to test how much is known about something that has been learned by pupils. It impose weaknesses in learning and monitor teaching on what is not be taught ,maintain standards and discriminate between of different ability. In addition assessment predicts the suitability of individual children for particular courses or careers in future. Children are selected for further education in higher education or professional courses using their assessment scores. Above all assessment motivates both teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning progress.
Therefore the assessment is the tool which provide factual information about learners' abilities and performance which enables meaningful comparisons and classifications to be possible.
Most of schools assess pupils fortnightly or on termly basis for careful and objective assessment using reliable standards. As a teacher you may pleased by the child who is taught for example addition in mathematics and is mastering the techniques of his/her above age.
In using assessment technique the teacher plan revision tests of what they have done some other time. Its like a revision of the main concepts they have learnt in previous lessons. Because they will be used in the future lessons as a base from which to develop. Thus following the teaching principle which says, from known to unknown or simple to complex. It is also primordially of great significance to note that the 'known' concepts will guarantee learning progress because learners are not being pluged into jungle of unrelated novelty.
The teacher's assessment if carried out by carefully planned testing it provides a feedback of how successful is the teaching process on how well the learner is performing and where particular strengths and weaknesses lie. It is also a good yard stick for fairly reliable indication of the learner's progress.
However the school must conduct staff development work shops to help teachers to propery set well structured tests to eliminate questions which have more than one possible answer in multiple choice. Or questions which are frequently misunderstood by pupils or such questions which give advantages to certain group of learners on certain factors rather than those being tested.
Farrant(1988)provides rules that apply when compiling tests at school:
(1)Questions should test learning rather than memorisation.The question should not depend on knowing the answer to another. (2)Avoid poor wording or tricky questions that is any way confusing.
(3)Questions should have only one correct answer or be open ended and should cover as as much as possible of the learning to be tested rather than a few selected areas.
(4)Questions should be presented with the easier ones first, and then ask children to attempt all questions.
(5)Set a time limit only when speed is of great importance in an element of what is being tested. Otherwise allow the time required by slow learners to do all they can manage.
(6)Don't make answers offered in multiple choice questions, so obviously wrong that they can exclude by pupils without careful thoughts.
In primary schools teachers should test pupils with an objective and purpose to produce good results for children who can able to further their higher education and further their talents with confidence and clarity of the strengths in education system.
PURPOSE AND METHODS OF EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT!
Assessment and testing are important aspects in monitoring the progress of learners in teaching and learning environment.
According to Farrant(1988)assessment is done to test how much is known about something that has been learned by pupils. It impose weaknesses in learning and monitor teaching on what is not be taught ,maintain standards and discriminate between of different ability. In addition assessment predicts the suitability of individual children for particular courses or careers in future. Children are selected for further education in higher education or professional courses using their assessment scores. Above all assessment motivates both teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning progress.
Therefore the assessment is the tool which provide factual information about learners' abilities and performance which enables meaningful comparisons and classifications to be possible.
Most of schools assess pupils fortnightly or on termly basis for careful and objective assessment using reliable standards. As a teacher you may pleased by the child who is taught for example addition in mathematics and is mastering the techniques of his/her above age.
In using assessment technique the teacher plan revision tests of what they have done some other time. Its like a revision of the main concepts they have learnt in previous lessons. Because they will be used in the future lessons as a base from which to develop. Thus following the teaching principle which says, from known to unknown or simple to complex. It is also primordially of great significance to note that the 'known' concepts will guarantee learning progress because learners are not being pluged into jungle of unrelated novelty.
The teacher's assessment if carried out by carefully planned testing it provides a feedback of how successful is the teaching process on how well the learner is performing and where particular strengths and weaknesses lie. It is also a good yard stick for fairly reliable indication of the learner's progress.
However the school must conduct staff development work shops to help teachers to propery set well structured tests to eliminate questions which have more than one possible answer in multiple choice. Or questions which are frequently misunderstood by pupils or such questions which give advantages to certain group of learners on certain factors rather than those being tested.
Farrant(1988)provides rules that apply when compiling tests at school:
(1)Questions should test learning rather than memorisation.The question should not depend on knowing the answer to another. (2)Avoid poor wording or tricky questions that is any way confusing.
(3)Questions should have only one correct answer or be open ended and should cover as as much as possible of the learning to be tested rather than a few selected areas.
(4)Questions should be presented with the easier ones first, and then ask children to attempt all questions.
(5)Set a time limit only when speed is of great importance in an element of what is being tested. Otherwise allow the time required by slow learners to do all they can manage.
(6)Don't make answers offered in multiple choice questions, so obviously wrong that they can exclude by pupils without careful thoughts.
In primary schools teachers should test pupils with an objective and purpose to produce good results for children who can able to further their higher education and further their talents with confidence and clarity of the strengths in education system.
According to Farrant(1988)assessment is done to test how much is known about something that has been learned by pupils. It impose weaknesses in learning and monitor teaching on what is not be taught ,maintain standards and discriminate between of different ability. In addition assessment predicts the suitability of individual children for particular courses or careers in future. Children are selected for further education in higher education or professional courses using their assessment scores. Above all assessment motivates both teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning progress.
Therefore the assessment is the tool which provide factual information about learners' abilities and performance which enables meaningful comparisons and classifications to be possible.
Most of schools assess pupils fortnightly or on termly basis for careful and objective assessment using reliable standards. As a teacher you may pleased by the child who is taught for example addition in mathematics and is mastering the techniques of his/her above age.
In using assessment technique the teacher plan revision tests of what they have done some other time. Its like a revision of the main concepts they have learnt in previous lessons. Because they will be used in the future lessons as a base from which to develop. Thus following the teaching principle which says, from known to unknown or simple to complex. It is also primordially of great significance to note that the 'known' concepts will guarantee learning progress because learners are not being pluged into jungle of unrelated novelty.
The teacher's assessment if carried out by carefully planned testing it provides a feedback of how successful is the teaching process on how well the learner is performing and where particular strengths and weaknesses lie. It is also a good yard stick for fairly reliable indication of the learner's progress.
However the school must conduct staff development work shops to help teachers to propery set well structured tests to eliminate questions which have more than one possible answer in multiple choice. Or questions which are frequently misunderstood by pupils or such questions which give advantages to certain group of learners on certain factors rather than those being tested.
Farrant(1988)provides rules that apply when compiling tests at school:
(1)Questions should test learning rather than memorisation.The question should not depend on knowing the answer to another. (2)Avoid poor wording or tricky questions that is any way confusing.
(3)Questions should have only one correct answer or be open ended and should cover as as much as possible of the learning to be tested rather than a few selected areas.
(4)Questions should be presented with the easier ones first, and then ask children to attempt all questions.
(5)Set a time limit only when speed is of great importance in an element of what is being tested. Otherwise allow the time required by slow learners to do all they can manage.
(6)Don't make answers offered in multiple choice questions, so obviously wrong that they can exclude by pupils without careful thoughts.
In primary schools teachers should test pupils with an objective and purpose to produce good results for children who can able to further their higher education and further their talents with confidence and clarity of the strengths in education system.
COUNSELLING IN THE SCHOOL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT!
School children need to be counselled in some situations they may counter in life problems or challenges. Anyone in life can need to be counselled at one point in time.
Counselling is a help relationship which it is communication driven. It involves an interpersonal relationship between someone actively seeking help and a trained person who is willing to give that help so that the person who is seeking a counselling makes an informed decision.
Counselling affords the client an opportunity to explore ,discover and clarify ways of living in life in a manner that satisfies the person being counselled.
School children are shy , nervous and anxious people who need a teacher with qualities of a good counsellor. A counsellor who is confident ,attentive ,in other words a teacher who is an active listener ,being tactful ,observant and can reassures the child that he/she can get the much needed advice.
The counsellor shows much understanding ,when can encourages children to make their own informed decisions ,by not imposing them to take decisions as they can be imposed from the counsellor.
A counsellor maintains eye contact to draw attention of the child so that the sense of trustworth or honest is being developed. Calm keeps confidentiality if the child is counselled in a well organised situation ,through giving a chance to explain in a temperate and non judgemental communication.
A teacher who is not prejudice and also is concerned with gender sentitivity is in a position to counsel learners in an acceptable manner.
The modelled teacher as counsellor is polite ,disciplined and knowledgeable about the environment he/she operates ,for example rural or urban ,or well diverse in different economical status of community families.Thus being sensitive to cultural activities,considerate to understand the children 's culture needs.
The qualities of a good counsellor in a school environment must be presentable ,examplary ,empathetic and creative to suit in every child's needs at some various situations in his /her learning environment.
Types of counselling are determined by the number of children based on their needs,interests , developmental age or maturity in terms of infants,juniours or idolesents.
A teacher can counsell children as a group or one on one index client ,thus dealing with individual 's concerns at a time.
Some children need counselling as a family which may involves a homogeneous group of children who share same problems and might benefit from shared therapy and common solutions that come out of that counselling for example people live positively with HIV or orphans.
Developmental age group involves:
•Child counselling which involves working with children below the age of 13.
•Adolesense or teenage counselling is specifically for those at their rapid ,fast phase of development .These children need counselling to the problems they may encounter at this crisis age.
•Adult counselling is generally for people who are no longer in primary or secondary school education,possibly community members or colleagues. They may need counselling or may consult you as teacher.
•Some people may need oriented counselling so they are looking at the purpose for which they expect counselling to be done.
•The preventive counselling is done to have preventative skills as to avoid a certain outcome to occur ,it may also involve problem solving therapy.
•Bereavement counselling focuses on children's sense of loss and attendance to the grief for example loss of parents,property etc.
•Spiritual counselling involve helping children to be refers to their religious leaders.
•Supportive counselling helps those people living in desperate inevitable situation like being living with incurable diseases for example HIV&AIDS, physical challenges etc, to cope with the challenges or problems.
*There are so many forms of counselling like marriage ,guardianship etc.
Inconclusion a teacher who is looking to be a counsellor should consider the importance of being confident , calm,observant. Who maintains eye contact and keeping confidentiality. A teacher who cannot decide for the child ,a non judgemental and not prejudiced. A counsellor who knowledgeable with zeal of understanding , emphathetic and cultural sensitive.
Counselling is a help relationship which it is communication driven. It involves an interpersonal relationship between someone actively seeking help and a trained person who is willing to give that help so that the person who is seeking a counselling makes an informed decision.
Counselling affords the client an opportunity to explore ,discover and clarify ways of living in life in a manner that satisfies the person being counselled.
School children are shy , nervous and anxious people who need a teacher with qualities of a good counsellor. A counsellor who is confident ,attentive ,in other words a teacher who is an active listener ,being tactful ,observant and can reassures the child that he/she can get the much needed advice.
The counsellor shows much understanding ,when can encourages children to make their own informed decisions ,by not imposing them to take decisions as they can be imposed from the counsellor.
A counsellor maintains eye contact to draw attention of the child so that the sense of trustworth or honest is being developed. Calm keeps confidentiality if the child is counselled in a well organised situation ,through giving a chance to explain in a temperate and non judgemental communication.
A teacher who is not prejudice and also is concerned with gender sentitivity is in a position to counsel learners in an acceptable manner.
The modelled teacher as counsellor is polite ,disciplined and knowledgeable about the environment he/she operates ,for example rural or urban ,or well diverse in different economical status of community families.Thus being sensitive to cultural activities,considerate to understand the children 's culture needs.
The qualities of a good counsellor in a school environment must be presentable ,examplary ,empathetic and creative to suit in every child's needs at some various situations in his /her learning environment.
Types of counselling are determined by the number of children based on their needs,interests , developmental age or maturity in terms of infants,juniours or idolesents.
A teacher can counsell children as a group or one on one index client ,thus dealing with individual 's concerns at a time.
Some children need counselling as a family which may involves a homogeneous group of children who share same problems and might benefit from shared therapy and common solutions that come out of that counselling for example people live positively with HIV or orphans.
Developmental age group involves:
•Child counselling which involves working with children below the age of 13.
•Adolesense or teenage counselling is specifically for those at their rapid ,fast phase of development .These children need counselling to the problems they may encounter at this crisis age.
•Adult counselling is generally for people who are no longer in primary or secondary school education,possibly community members or colleagues. They may need counselling or may consult you as teacher.
•Some people may need oriented counselling so they are looking at the purpose for which they expect counselling to be done.
•The preventive counselling is done to have preventative skills as to avoid a certain outcome to occur ,it may also involve problem solving therapy.
•Bereavement counselling focuses on children's sense of loss and attendance to the grief for example loss of parents,property etc.
•Spiritual counselling involve helping children to be refers to their religious leaders.
•Supportive counselling helps those people living in desperate inevitable situation like being living with incurable diseases for example HIV&AIDS, physical challenges etc, to cope with the challenges or problems.
*There are so many forms of counselling like marriage ,guardianship etc.
Inconclusion a teacher who is looking to be a counsellor should consider the importance of being confident , calm,observant. Who maintains eye contact and keeping confidentiality. A teacher who cannot decide for the child ,a non judgemental and not prejudiced. A counsellor who knowledgeable with zeal of understanding , emphathetic and cultural sensitive.
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