Teach English in Yutun Zhen - Jining Shi

In education how much a child has succeeded in his aims, can only be determined through evaluation and testing. Thus, there is a close relationship between evaluation and testing. Evaluation is concerned with assessing the effectiveness of teaching, teaching strategies, methods, and techniques. It provides feedback to the teachers about their teaching and the learners about their learning (Disha, 2018).While testing refers to a method used to examine someone's knowledge of something to determine what he or she knows or has learned. Testing measures the level of skill or knowledge that has been reached. (The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, 2019) The process of evaluation is pertinent as it helps to build an educational programme, assess its achievements and improve upon its effectiveness. It serves as an in-built monitor within the programme to review the progress in learning from time to time. It also provides valuable feedback on the design and the implementation of the programme. Thus, evaluation plays a significant role in any educational programme (Disha, 2018). For example, A secondary school incorporated a strategic evaluation in order to determine if parents and community were apart of children’s outcome. The results were reaffirmed and were used in the school’s goals and target towards children. (Education, 2016) In a teaching and learning community, evaluation encourages and rewards effective teaching practices on the basis of student learning outcomes (Doherty et al., 2002; Shapiro and Levine, 1999). Assessment of student learning at its best enables students to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and to determine the kinds of information they need to correct their learning deficiencies and misconceptions. When the evaluation is properly employed, students learn that they can engage in self-assessment and continuous improvement of performance throughout their lives. While evaluations are very critical there are drawbacks affiliated with such a system. For example, Summative Evalauation is a form of evalauation that normally results in low self esteem among students where evaluation is concerned . If children constantly fail repeated test they develop low self esteem overtime. Similarly, it can also resut in anxiety especially among girls where big bang test are concerned because it expands a gap between both higher and lower achieving individuals. (Reddy, 2019) At the school level, educators create tests to measure their students' understanding of specific content or the effective application of critical thinking skills. Such tests are used to evaluate student learning, skill level growth, and academic achievements at the end of an instructional period—such as the end of a project, unit, or school year. (Kelly, 2017) Additionally, testing is paramount as it is used to assess what students have learned, used to identify students’ strengths and weakness, to measure effectiveness and so on. The obvious point of classroom testing is to assess what students have learned after the completion of a lesson or unit. When the classroom tests are tied to effectively written lesson objectives, a teacher can analyze the results to see where the majority of students did well or need more work. These tests are also important when discussing student progress at parent-teacher conferences. (Kelly, 2017) Similarly, (Roediger, 2011) affirms as he states that testing is important as it is a form of retrieval practice, a learning strategy that requires students to bring previously learned information to mind. Research by cognitive psychologists demonstrates that retrieval practice has positive effects on student retention, overall. While some might see courses with many tests as assessment focused, frequent tests can benefit both students and class by simultaneously facilitating learning and identifying content areas that call for greater attention. According to (Kambilima, 2015) testing is important because it helps to motivate the boys and girls to learn more. Under normal circumstances, when the date of either a weekly or monthly test is announced by the subject teacher, serious pupils will prepare adequately in order for them to pass with flying colors.It also inspires those who perform below par to study hard for them to pass the next test. Testing also encourages positive competition in class or school as pupils will strive to outdo one another and in the end, the fighting spirit will even repeat itself in the national examinations at the end of the year. While testing is very beneficial, it also has some limitations attached. (Kambilima, 2015) argue that students normally receive the news of test with disapproval and normally complain that they get test regularly. He also states that other children will pretend to be ill or bring up lame excuses because they don’t want to do the test. (Kelly, 2017) affirms as she agrees that testing can be excessive. Testing demands a lot of time that could be used for instruction and innovation. Additionally, she states that schools are under pressure to "teach to the test", a practice that could limit the curriculum. Moreover, she argues that non-English speakers and students with special needs may be at a disadvantage when they take standardized tests. Simultaneously, testing can increase anxiety in some -if not all- students. Fearing a test may be connected to the idea that a test can be a "trial by fire." The meaning of the word test came from the 14th Century practice of using fire to heat a small earthen pot called testum (Latin) in order to determine the quality of a precious metal. In this way, the process of testing uncovers the quality of a student's academic achievement. (Kelly, 2017) Evaluation and Testing are two essential elements that make up a fundamental system with the classroom in order to assess the performance of both teachers and students. One cannot exist without each other. In implementing both elements teachers can keep track of students’ performance, learning and assist students to work on weak areas to get back on track to boost academic achievements. References Disha.M, (2018). Your Article Libary. Retrieved from YourArticleLibrary Website: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/statistics-2/evaluation-in-teaching-and-learning-process-education/92476 Doherty, A., Riordan, T., and Roth, J. (Eds.). (2002). Student learning: A central focus for institutions of higher education. (A report and collection of institutional practices of the Student Learning Initiative.) Milwaukee, WI: Alverno College Institute. Education, M. o. (2016, June). Effective School Evaluation. How to do and use internal evaluation for improvement, p. 11. Essays, UK. (November 2018). The Use Of Evaluation Systems Education Essay. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/the-use-of-evaluation-systems-education-essay.php?vref=1 Kambilima. (2015, May 15). Zambia Daily Mail Limited. Retrieved from Zambia Daily Mail Limited Website: http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/importance-testing-teachers-pupils/ Kelly. (2017, October 12). School Testing Assesses Knowledge Gains and Gaps . Retrieved from ThoughtCo.: https://www.thoughtco.com/the-purpose-of-tests-7688 Roediger, H. L. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15, 20-27. . Shapiro, N.S., and Levine, J.H. (1999). Creating learning communities: A practical guide to winning support, organizing for change, and implementing programs.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. (2019, April 23). onlineassessmenttool. Retrieved from onlineassessmenttool website: https://www.onlineassessmenttool.com/knowledge-center/assessment-knowledge-center/assessment-vs-testing/item10641 References Disha. (2018). Your Article Libary. Retrieved from YourArticleLibrary Website: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/statistics-2/evaluation-in-teaching-and-learning-process-education/92476 Education, M. o. (2016, June). Effective School Evaluation. How to do and use internal evaluation for improvement, p. 11. Kambilima. (2015, May 15). Zambia Daily Mail Limited. Retrieved from Zambia Daily Mail Limited Website: http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/importance-testing-teachers-pupils/ Kelly. (2017, October 12). School Testing Assesses Knowledge Gains and Gaps . Retrieved from ThoughtCo.: https://www.thoughtco.com/the-purpose-of-tests-7688 Reddy, K. (2019, April 24). Wisestep. Retrieved from https://content.wisestep.com/advantages-disadvantages-summative-evaluation/ Roediger, H. L. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15, 20-27. . The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. (2019, April 23). onlineassessmenttool. Retrieved from onlineassessmenttool website: https://www.onlineassessmenttool.com/knowledge-center/assessment-knowledge-center/assessment-vs-testing/item10641