THE FUNCTIONS OF MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION IN IMPROVING INSTRUCTION
WILMA C. BUMAGAT
TUROD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SOLANA NORTH DISTRICT
SOLANA, CAGAYAN
Teaching, learning and evaluation are three interdependent aspects of the educative process. Therefore, evaluation is an indispensable part of the teaching-learning process. It involves measurement and assigning qualitative meaning through value judgments. It is a means of determining the effectiveness of teaching methodologies, instructional materials and other elements affecting the teaching-learning situation.
The importance of evaluation cannot be overemphasized. It is important as an instrument of the school system, to the teacher, the learner, the parent and the administrator for the improvement of instruction.
Evaluation involves the determination of the goals and objectives toward which educational efforts are directed and the determination of measurement techniques to be utilized in the assessment of desired goals and objectives. It includes the assessment of all elements of the teaching-learning situation that contribute to the effective learning with the end in view of improvement.
Through assessment and evaluation, pupils’ achievement interest, success, difficulty and instruction can be assessed properly. The result of evaluation can be used as a benchmark for instructional enhancement.
The following are the functions of measurement and evaluation in improving instruction.
- Evaluation results enable the teacher to accumulate the experiences and to follow-up diagnosed results. The weaknesses of the pupils in the class can be identified and remedied, thus pupils’ performance is enhanced.
- Measurement and evaluation measure pupils’ achievement and motivate pupils’ learning. Pupils have the right to know the progress they are making whether they have attained the objectives of the subject matter or not, thus results must be made known to them. It can also encourage pupils to study more. They will be motivated to participate actively in class and exert all efforts just to make certain that they pass. They will know the quality and amount of work they have to strive for.
- Measurement and evaluation predict pupils’ success and diagnoses pupils’ difficulty. The success and failure of a pupil in the class can be predicted through it. The area wherepupils excel must be enhanced or strengthened and where pupils fail should be remedied. The difficulties of the pupils should be given the priority for remediation. Knowing the successes and difficulties of the pupils, the teacher will be able to focus on the spots that need enhancement or remediation.
It is hope that evaluation results serve as the basis for the teacher to use appropriate teaching strategies and techniques that will improve instruction and provide the necessary learning for a pupil to acquire the knowledge and skills he needs.
ENHANCING PUPILS’ HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS THROUGH DIMENSION ORDINARY
WILMA C. BUMAGAT
TUROD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SOLANA NORTH DIASTRICT
SOLANA, CAGAYAN
Reading is basic tool that helps every individual understand and live productively in this fast changing world. It is the key that unlocks the door to the world of enlightenmentand enjoyment. It is the primary avenue to knowledge and a tool for learning. Man learns about his history, his past, his present and his future through it.
The development of reading skills of an individual is imperative for him to secure valuable information about the world where he lives. It is a tool to learn arithmetic problems, explanations about civics and culture, instructions in Science experiments and investigations and the like. Anyone who wishes to pursue any phase of higher education will depend greatly on his ability to read and understand printed materials.
The ability to read is essential for learning in every field of knowledge and the child who reads poorly is handicapped in almost all areas of learning. Thus, adequate skills in reading particularly on comprehension should be acquired by every individual for him to understand all the things around him.
The development of the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) is possible through the Dimension Ordinary (DO).In this approach,the questions are grouped according to dimension or level of difficulty.
Here are the four phases of the Dimension Ordinary (DO) that will surely enhance the higher order thinking skills of pupils.
- Literal Comprehension
The questions in this phase call for answers that simply repeat word for word what are found in the book. It involves the skills of recognizing and recalling what has been read. It does include the thinking skills since it merely deals with the skills of getting the context. The pupil in this level is encouraged to recognize and recall what has been read.
- Interpretation
This dimension requires the ability to supply meaning not directly stated in the text. The reader consolidates the different sets of ideas and information into network of relationship. The pupils are taught to classify, outline, summarize and synthesize. They also show comparison and contrast, draw inferences and give cause and effect relationship.
The phase also allows the individual learner to associate personal experiences to the story read. Appreciation of what was read is emphasized.
- Critical Thinking
The third phase is concerned with the skill of evaluation where the reader passes personal judgment in the quality, value, the accuracy and the truthfulness of what is read. This dimension require the pupil to detect conflicting views of the author, detecting contradiction, examining the validity and reliability, evaluating the mood, the style and make generalizations, assumptions, hypothesis and theories. The pupils are encouraged to make conclusions.
- Application/Creative Reading
The last phase requires the individual reader to apply to his life what he has learned from the selection.Creative reading makes the individual go out on his own beyond the author’s text to see out or express new ideas, to go in additional insights and to find answers to questions or solutions to life-like problems. It makes the pupils apply the insights learned to real life situations.