A STUDY ON ENGLISH TEACHERS’
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC DEVELOPMENT IN
INTERNATIONAL CLASS AT SMP
MUHAMMADIYAH 5 SURABAYA
THESIS
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan (S.Pd) in Teaching English
By
Khusnaini Mufarrokhah
NIM D05210015
ENGLISH TEACHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHERS TRAINING
SUNAN AMPEL STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
ABSTRACT
Khusnaini, M. (2015). A Study on English Teachers’ Assessment Rubric Development in International Class at SMP Muhammadiyah 5 Surabaya. A Thesis. English Teacher Education Department, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teaching Training, Sunan Ampel State Islamic University, Surabaya. Advisors: Hj. Arba’iyah YS. and Ana Nurul Laila
Key Words: assessment rubric, assessment rubric development
ABSTRAK
Khusnaini, M. (2015). Studi tentang Pengembangan Rubrik Penilaian oleh Guru Bahasa Inggris di Kelas Internasional SMP Muhammadiyah 5 Surabaya. Skripsi. Program Studi Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel, Surabaya. Pembimbing: Hj. Arba’iyah YS. dan Ana Nurul Laila
Kata Kunci: rubrik penilaian, pengembangan rubrik penilaian
LIST OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE SHEET ... i
ADVISOR APPROVAL SHEET ... ii
APPROVAL SHEET ... iii
MOTTO ... iv
DEDICATION SHEET ... v
ABSTRACT ... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... vii
PERNYATAAN KEASLIAN TULISAN ... ix
LIST OF CONTENTS ... x
D. Significance of the Study... 8
E. Scope and Limitation of the Study ...10
F. Definition of Key Term...11
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Literature ...13
1. Curriculum as the Basis of the Learning Assessment ...13
a. Definition of Curriculum ...13
b. The Characteristic of Curriculum ...14
c. Factors that Influence Curriculum Implementation ...15
d. Definition of Integrated Curriculum ...19
2. Learning Assessment ...20
a. The Definition of Learning Assessment ...20
b. The Purposes of the Learning Assessment ...21
c. The principles of Learning Assessment ...22
d. The Characteristic of Assessment as Educative Process ...23
e. Aspects Relating to Learning Assessment ...25
g. Cambridge Curriculum Assessment ...30
h. The Characteristics and Standards used to Develop Learning Assessment Tools ...30
B. Review of Previous Studies ...40
CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHOD A. Approach and Research Design ...44
B. Researcher Presence ...48
C. Research Location ...49
D. Data and Source of Data ...49
E. Research Instrument ...50
F. Data Analysis Technique ...51
G. Checking Validity of Finding ...54
H. Research Stages ...57
CHAPTER IV: RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION A. Research Finding...60
1. The Development of the Assessment Rubrics ...60
a. Teachers’ Understanding of Assessment Rubric ...61
b. Elements Developed by the Teachers in The Assessment Rubrics...62
c. Teachers’ Considerations in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...62
d. Combining Cambridge Curriculum and Curriculum 2013 Components in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...63
e. Teachers’ Steps in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...64
f. Teachers’ Strategies in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...68
g. Teachers’ Obstacles and Solutions in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ..69
h. The Quality of the Assessment Rubrics Developed by the Teachers ...69
2. The Use of the Assessment Rubrics in Learning Process ...86
a. The Use of the Assessment Rubrics in Assessing Attitude and Skill Competence ...87
c. Frequency of the Use of the Assessment Rubrics and the Reasons in
Determining It ...88
d. Measuring the Students’ Achievement and Progress ...89
e. Improving Students’ Skill ...90
B. Discussion ...90
1. The Development of the Assessment Rubrics ...90
a. Teachers’ Understanding of Assessment Rubric ...90
b. Elements Developed by the Teachers in the Assessment Rubrics ...92
c. Teachers’ Considerations in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...92
d. Combining Cambridge Curriculum and Curriculum 2013 Components in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...93
e. Teachers’ Steps in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...93
f. Teaches’ Strategies in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ...97
g. Teachers’ Obstacles and Solutions in Developing the Assessment Rubrics ..98
h. The Quality of the Assessment Rubrics Developed by the Teachers ...99
i. Trend in the Rating Result of the Assessment Rubrics Quality ... 105
2. The Use of the Assessment Rubrics in Learning Process ... 108
a. The Use of the Assessment Rubrics in Assessing Attitude and Skill Competence ... 108
b. The Use of the Assessment Rubrics Dealing with Time Allocation ... 109
c. Frequency of the Use of the Assessment Rubrics and the Reasons in Determining It ... 110
d. Measuring the Students’ Achievement and Progress ... 110
e. Improving Students’ Skill ... 111
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION A. Conclusion ... 112
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains research background, research questions, objectives
of the study, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, and
definition of key terms.
A.Research Background
Talking about education including English learning; assessment is one
of the terms that usually appear in mind. Many people define this term in a variety
of ways. Assessment is an integral component of learning. In assessment, the
academic staff does all the processes to make decisions about students’
achievement in components of learning and over a course of learning. These
processes include making decisions about what is relevant evidence for a
particular purpose, how to collect and interpret the evidence and how to
communicate it to intended users (students, parents, university administrators,
etc)1. Cordiner states that “the processes consist of: planning assessment tasks,
designing criteria sheets (rubrics) based on learning outcomes, evaluating students’
achievement on those assessment tasks, giving feedback to students, and deciding
1
Moira Cordiner, Guidelines for Good Assessment Practice Revised Edition 2011 (Tasmania: Centre
for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching, University of Tasmania, 2011), 1(cited in Harlen, W,
2
scores”2. From the explanation above, designing criteria sheet (rubric) based on
learning outcomes is one of the processes that should be done for assessing
students so that the achievement and progress of the students can be measured.
Rubric is a scoring tool or assessment tool that indicates the definite
expectations for an assignment. Rubrics divide an assignment into its component
parts and provide a detailed description of what constitutes acceptable or
unacceptable levels of performance for each of those parts.3 There are various
kinds of assignments and tasks that use rubrics for grading.
A good rubric has some features of quality rubrics. In order to measure
the achievement of learning target and the levels of the students, assessment
rubrics can be an essential tool for the teachers and also the students. According to
Arter:
“Rubrics for instructional purposes are most effective when they reflect the intended targets of learning, are organized in a way that facilitates understanding the important dimensions of the learning target, and provide descriptive detail on what it looks like when performance of the learning target is of various levels of quality or proficiency”4.
Wiggins states that good quality of rubrics distinguish the validity
of performances, separate each criterion of domains, valid, reliable, present
useful description, and depend on descriptive language. To make a good
2
Moira Cordiner, Guidelines for Good Assessment Practice Revised Edition 2011… 1
3
Danelle D. Stevens - Antonia Levi, Introduction to Rubrics an Assessment Tool to Save Grading Time, Convey Effective Feedback, and Promote Student Learning (Virginia: Stylus Publishing, 2005), 3.
4
3
assessment rubric for assessing students is not easy. The teacher should know
all the things that show the good quality of rubrics so that the outcomes of the
learning can be measured.
In relation to rubric, Stiggins asserts that “the only way to assess a
student’s ability to perform a skill or their ability to create a product is to
actually observe the performance of the skill or the creation of the product”5.
The use of assessment rubrics can be the simplest or the most effective
technique for teachers in observing students’ products or skill performances.
In addition, the assessment rubrics should obviously describe the teacher’s
expectation so that the quality product or performances can be reached. The
assessment rubrics are used for teachers’ own forms of classroom assessment,
including grading. The key reasons are assessment rubrics provide timely
feedback, prepare students to use detailed feedback, encourage critical
thinking, facilitate communication with others, help teachers refine their
teaching methods, and level the playing field6.
In Indonesia, assessment rubrics began to be used when KTSP
(Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan) was implemented. The use of the
assessment rubrics in this curriculum did not have specific role because it was
not an obligation for teachers to use it. Some teachers designed and used the
5
As cited in Cheryl Erlandson, Rubrics: When? Why? How? Connecting the Pieces. (Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit), 7.
6
4
assessment rubrics, but the others only copied it from internet in order to
fulfill the requirement in designing lesson plan, and they did not use it as
assessment tool in learning process.
The use of the assessment rubrics is also still low. Some teachers,
especially in the rural areas, do not know what exactly assessment rubrics are.
For some teachers, although they know what assessment rubrics are, they still
cannot develop, or even design their own assessment rubrics. They usually
just copy the assessment rubrics from other sources. It is alright to copy the
assessment rubrics from other sources, but there should be consideration
whether those assessment rubrics are appropriate or not for the students
because every schools and every students has their own characteristics.
In 2013, The Ministry of Education and Culture begins to
socialize and implement Curriculum 2013 in some schools in Indonesia. In
the Curriculum 2013, the materials and assessment criteria have been set up.
To take full advantage of this new curriculum, the teachers should develop
the assessment rubrics because as explained before that every school and
every student has its own characteristics, so the development is needed,
without the exception of assessment rubrics which has role as assessment
tool.
Somehow, developing assessment rubrics can be difficult for
teachers. It can be a challenging thing to do. It is also complicated for them to
5
reliably. Time, practice and support are needed by teachers in developing
assessment rubrics.
In order to make a good assessment rubric which is suitable for
the need of students, the teachers should be able to construct and develop
assessment rubrics step by step. Because assessment rubrics contributes some
benefits for students and teachers, the development of the assessment rubrics
is required in order to maximize the result of the assessment.
In this study, the development of the assessment rubrics for
learning process in International class under the implementation of
Curriculum 2013 is examined. The process is to identify and to examine the
development of the assessment rubrics and the use of the assessment rubrics
in the learning process. The assessment rubrics as an assessment instrument
or tool give the teachers an opportunity to point out the differences in levels
and give students specific indicators of what they must do and how they can
achieve a higher level. Also, the rubric can be a tool or instrument for
students to assess their own achievement as they are working on a task7.
There are some similar studies held before. In 2012, the study
under the title “A Standardized Rubric for Evaluating Webquest Design:
Reliability Analysis of ZUNAL Webquest Design Rubric” by Unal, Bodur
and Unal examined the reliability of online rubric resources called ZUNAL
7 The Rubric Builder, “Learning More about Rubrics”
6
webquest rubric. The study concluded that the final version of the ZUNAL
webquest rubric holds promise as an assessment tool for evaluating
webquests8.
Another similar study also held deals with assessment rubric. The
study conducted by Wulan from Biology Education Department. The study
entitled “Kemampuan Calon Guru Biologi dalam Menyusun Rubrik Analitis
pada Asesmen Kinerja” aimed to know the ability of the Biology novice
teachers in designing analytic rubric. The result of the study showed that
novice teacher’s ability in developing analytical rubric is quite low9
. They
still had difficulties in combining the content and biology process into criteria
standard and deciding the criteria for analytic rubric.
The previous studies above discussed about the reliability of the
rubric in online resources and the ability of Biology novice teachers in
designing analytic rubric, but in this study the researcher focuses on the
development of the assessment rubrics from training program of Curriculum
2013 in International class that the criteria has been set up by the government
and the use of the assessment rubrics in the learning process.
At SMP Muhammadiyah 5 Surabaya, under the implementation
of two curriculum (Curriculum 2013 and Cambridge Curriculum), the
8Zafar Unal, et.al., “A Standardized Rubric for Evaluating Webquest Design: Reliability Analysis of
ZUNAL Webquest Design Rubric”. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research. Volume
11, 2012, 180
9Ana Ratna Wulan, Undergraduate Thesis: “
7
teachers choose and use the most appropriate assessment rubrics which they
pick them up from training program of Curriculum 2013 held by the
government. The ways they choose are according to the need of the students
and the level of the students so that the teachers can maximize the
achievement of the students based on the criteria they set up. Not only adopt,
but also they adapt the assessment rubrics so that they can be suitable for the
students’ need and achievement.
SMP Muhammadiyah 5 Surabaya as the setting of this study is
one of schools that have implemented Curriculum 2013. In its international
classes, especially in the seventh and eighth grades use two curriculums. The
curriculums used are Curriculum 2013 and Cambridge Curriculum. Under the
implementation of Curriculum 2013, the assessment rubrics’ criteria are
provided by the government, and adoption of the rubric assessments from
training program can be used, but the development of the assessment rubrics
is still needed. The development of the assessment rubrics is important to do
for assessing learning process under these two curriculums.
B.Research Questions
By analyzing the development of the assessment rubrics, this study is
supposed to be triumphant in answering these research questions.
1. How do the teachers develop assessment rubrics in their International class
8
2. To what extent the teachers use the assessment rubrics in learning process?
C.Objectives of the Study
As stated in research questions above, the objectives of the study are:
1. To identify the development of the assessment rubrics in the International class
under the implementation of Curriculum 2013 at SMP Muhammadiyah 5
Surabaya
2. To examine the use of the assessment rubric in learning process in the
International class at SMP Muhammadiyah 5 Surabaya
D.Significance of the Study
In the best form of the assessment rubrics, Arter mentions that “rubrics
help boosts the very achievement they are used to assess by defining so clearly
what it is students are to learn”10. It means that assessment rubrics assist the
improvement of the achievement in students’ assessment by identifying so clearly
what students have learnt so that the students themselves can self-assess, prepare
their better performance for the next time, and examine their own progress over
time. This study is conducted in order to examine the development of the
assessment rubrics and the use of the assessment rubrics in learning process. It
would be an important role for English learning process since well-designed
assessment rubrics make the assessment process more valid and reliable.
10
9
Developing assessment rubrics under the implementation of
Curriculum 2013 is not an easy way. To develop a good assessment rubric, the
development of the assessment rubrics take significant role because teachers have
to know the dimension of assignment which must be improved in order to get the
best result in the learning process.
Besides, having the purpose of this study, the researcher exposes the
advantages of this study for the teachers, for the students and for the writer. They
are:
1. For the teachers
The researcher thinks that the result will provide valuable information
for the teachers especially for International class teachers because they usually
have difficulties in designing and developing assessment rubrics. Hopefully,
this study can contribute in providing knowledge on the development of the
assessment rubrics. Since developing assessment rubric is not easy, this study
was intended to present one of the best ways to construct and develop a good
rubric. This study examines the development of the assessment rubrics because
assessment rubric is beneficial in learning process, especially in assessment
field.
2. For the students
Knowing the advantages of this study, the result of this study will be
very beneficial for the students. When the teachers can construct and develop
10
performance and their efforts, earn better grade and promote self-regulatory
behaviors in their educational life using the result of the developed assessment
rubrics.
3. For the writer
Considering that the writer is also a student of English Teacher
Education Department who will be a teacher, the result of this study will
provide writer the ways in developing a good assessment rubric and the use of
that assessment rubric in learning process that must be mastered in being a
teacher.
E.Scope and Limitation of the Study
In this study, the researcher focuses on SMP Muhammadiyah 5
Surabaya whose teachers develop the assessment rubrics from training program
held by the government for the seventh and eighth grade students in International
classes. As the measurement, the researcher limits this study on the development
of the assessment rubrics based on the chapters of the English book of Curriculum
2013. In this study, the researcher discusses two aspects of the assessment rubrics
which have been developed. They are the development of the assessment rubrics
and the use of the assessment rubrics in learning process. For the use of the
assessment rubrics, the researcher limits this study on the use of the assessment
rubrics in assessing the attitude and skill competence, the time allocation, and the
11
F. Definition of Key Terms
The researcher gives definition of key terms to provide clear
explanation about the title and the research questions. The purpose of giving the
definition of key terms is to provide obvious description on the concept used in
this study and to avoid misinterpretation. The researcher defines the terms as
follows:
1. Curriculum: a composite whole including the learner, the teacher, teaching and
learning methodologies, anticipated and unanticipated experiences, outputs and
outcomes possible within a learning institution11. It indicates that curriculum
consist of all component that support learning institution in organizing learning
process. In this study, the term curriculum is defined as a program of planned
activities that consist of particular learning outcomes. It focuses and guides the
classroom instruction and assessment.
2. Integrated curriculum: an educational approach that prepares children for
lifelong learning12. It means that in integrated curriculum, the abilities required
in the students’ real world are developed through the process of education in the
school. In this study, the integrated curriculum is defined as two curriculums
which are integrated or mixed together as a unity in the same time.
11
Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum Theory, Design and Assessment
(Canada: The Commonwealth of Learning, 2000), 8.
12
12
3. Assessment: a way of finding out if learning has taken place13. It can be
inferred that when the learning has taken place, the aim of assessment can be
known. The aim of assessment is to know the degree of students’ skill and
knowledge so that the teacher can give them appropriate grade or point. In this
study, the researcher defines learning assessment as a process to know the
learning outcomes or achievement of the students based on certain criteria and
scale (standard).
4. Rubric: a scoring tool that lays out the specific expectations for an
assignment14. It means that rubric is an assessment tool which communicates
the expectation of what teacher want from their students. In this study, the
researcher defines assessment rubric as criteria and a scoring scale used as
assessment tool for assessing students’ performance.
13
Ann Gravells, Principles and Practice of Assessment in the Lifelong Learning Sector (Glasgow: Learning Matters Ltd, 2009), 7.
14
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter reviews the literature related to the topic of the research. It is
about developing assessment rubric. This chapter also presents several similar studies
taken before.
A.Review of Related Literature
1. Curriculum as the Basis of Learning Assessment
a. Definition of Curriculum
The word curriculum defines from the Latin currere, and the
meaning is to run. It means that a curriculum offers “a template or design”
which allows learning to take place1.
A curriculum is the plan that focuses and guides classroom
instruction and assessment.2 In designing curriculum, classroom instruction
and assessment are important factors that should be thought out carefully by
curriculum designers.
Curriculum designers should also consider “the main teaching,
learning, and assessment method” in order to maintain the lesson’s valuable
1
Judy McKimm, Curriculum Design and Development (London: Imperial College Centre for
Educational Development, 2007), 2.
2
14
delivery3. In addition, curriculum designers should also decide the outcomes
of the learning process so that the teacher knows the content objectives and
the aims of the curriculum. From the aims and the content objectives of the
curriculum, the teacher can be assisted to make effective classroom
instruction (main teaching and learning) and assessment strategies.
b. The Characteristics of Curriculum
A curriculum has some characteristics, they are4:
1) It covers the learning experiences of students in a particular school
It is concluded from the definition stated by Tanner and Tanner that a
curriculum is a “plan or program of all experiences which the learner
encounters under the direction of a school”5
. It can be inferred that a
curriculum is a course, program or plan of all experienced under the
authority of a school which should be attended by the students.
2) It has substance
Judy McKimm, Curriculum Design and Development… 2
4
Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and Assessment
(Canada: The Commonwealth of Learning, 2000), 8.
5
As cited in Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
Assessment… 7 6
As cited in Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
15
children through the power and accountability of the school so that the
outcomes of the learning can be achieved.
3) It is well-organized
Beach and Reinhatz stated that “a curriculum outlines a prescribed series
of courses to take”7
. It indicates that the lessons in curriculum should
have good planning in order to reflect what the schools want from the
curriculum implemented, and see the abilities of the students.
4) It is a lessons’ sequence taken by students.
Sergiovanni and Starrat argue that “curriculum is that which a student is
supposed to encounter, study, practice and master… what the students
learns”8. The students should go through all the cycles of the course in
order to experience, learn, apply and master what they have studied in
school.
c. Factors That Influence Curriculum Implementation
There are some factors that influence the implementation of
curriculum, they are9:
7
As cited in Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
Assessment… 7
8
As cited in Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
Assessment… 7
9
Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
16
1) The teacher
The role of the teacher in the implementation of curriculum is
self-directed because he or she is the one who choose the materials from the
available curriculum or syllabus. The teacher is the one who knows the
needs of the students because he or she always accompanies students
during the learning process
2) The learners
The learners also have essential role in implementation of the curriculum.
They hold the key of what exactly a curriculum wants to achieve because
the teacher should select and pick the best materials which covers the
curriculum and are based on the learners’ characteristics.
3) Resource materials and facilities
Chikumbu and Makamure stated that “the availability and quality of
resource material and the availability of appropriate facilities have a great
influence on curriculum implementation”10
. To make teachers and
learners feel comfortable to play their role in the curriculum
implementation, resource materials and facilities should be provided.
4) Interest group
Interest group in this area consists of parents, association of
parents-teachers, association and committees of school development, religious
10
Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
17
organizations, and other people or organization which have significant
roles at curriculum planning steps. According to Chikumbu and
Makamure, these groups can influence implementation in the following
ways11:
a) Provide schools with financial resources to purchase required materials
b) Demand the inclusion of certain subjects in the curriculum
c) Influence learners to reject courses they consider detrimental to the
interests of the group.
Because of those interest groups’ influence, it is essential to involve them
at the curriculum planning stage.
5) The school environment
The school environment is also another factor that takes a role in
curriculum implementation. Chikumbu and Makamure explain that:
“Schools located in rich socio-economic environments and those that have adequate human and material resources can implement the curriculum to an extent that would be difficult or impossible for schools in poor economic environments12.
It means that rich and poor socio-economic environments have different
outcomes in curriculum implementation because human and material
11
Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
Assessment… 52 12
Tichafa J. Chikumbu - Rhodreck Makamure, Module 13 Curriculum theory, Design and
18
resources they have are different too. The richer the school environment,
the better outcomes can be obtained.
6) Culture and ideology
Chikumbu and Makamure stated that “some communities may resist a
domineering culture or government ideology and hence affect the
implementation of the centrally planned curriculum”13. It can also be said
that the implementation of curriculum is influenced by culture and
ideology which majority culture and ideology usually dominate policies
and principles of the curriculum so that a majority culture or government
ideology may be opposed by some peoples.
7) Instructional supervision
Curriculum implementation can be achievable if it is completed with “the
supervisory function of the school head”14
. The instructional supervision
will oversee the implementation of the curriculum so that the result of
curriculum evaluation can construct a better curriculum.
8) Assessment
Assessment in the form of examinations influences curriculum
implementation tremendously15. Teacher should pay attention on subject
19
objectives and purposes. The assessment as measurement of students’
achievement also should be considered carefully because the objectives of
the curriculum can be seen from this field.
The teacher, the learners, resource materials and facilities, interest
groups, the school environment, culture and ideology, instructional
supervision, and assessment are important things to be considered in
implementing curriculum. In this area, the assessment take significant role
which determines the success of the objectives and the purposes of the
curriculum based on the learning outcomes of the students.
d. Definition of Integrated Curriculum
According to Fogarty, curriculum integration can be described as:
“An approach to teaching and learning that is based on both philosophy and practicality. It can generally be defined as a curriculum approach that purposefully draws together knowledge, skills, attitudes and values from within or across subject areas to develop a more powerful understanding of key ideas. Curriculum integration occurs when components of the curriculum are connected and related in meaningful ways by both the students and teachers16”.
At SMP Muhammadiyah 5 Surabaya in its seventh and eighth grade of the
international class, the curriculum used are Curriculum 2013 and Cambridge
Curriculum. The two curriculums are implemented in the same time. The
16
As cited in Alberta Education, Primary Programs Framework for Teaching and Learning
20
components of Curriculum 2013 and Curriculum Cambridge are linked and
associated through the subject materials used in the learning process.
2. Learning Assessment
a. The Definition of Learning Assessment
Assessment can be defined as:
“The process of obtaining information that is used to make educational decisions about students, to give feedback to the student about his or her progress, strengths and weaknesses, to judge instructional effectiveness and curricular adequacy and to inform policy17”.
In short, assessment is one of important things in educational life which
provide information about students’ achievement. It is the ability to measure
work with certain criteria to know the outcomes that have been achieved.
The achievement uses definite scale and the chance to improve and go over
the position at regular period. Assessment can be seen as the practice session
where students improve and solidify their learning18. It can be inferred, then,
that assessment can be done using grading tool.
17
AFT, NCME, and NEA as cited in Henry Braun, Anil Kanjee, Eric Bettinger, and Michael Kremer,
Through Assessment, Innovation, and Evaluation (Cambridge: The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2006), 9.
18
The Rubric Builder, “Learning More about Rubrics” Gateway Software Productions,
21
b. The Purposes of the Learning Assessment
Mansell, James and the Assessment Reform Group cluster the
purpose of the learning assessment in broad categories19, the two of them
are:
1) Help build students’ understanding
Within day-to-day lesson, the learning assessment can help building the
progress of the students’ understanding. From formative assessment,
teachers can discover students’ understanding so that “the teacher can
best decide how to help them to develop that understanding”20 . The
teachers help the students to build their understanding and develop their
understanding through the learning assessment.
2) Provide information on students’ achievements
Learning assessment can be a crucial thing when talking about students’
achievement. It provides information on students’ achievement to parents,
and further and higher education institutions. From the result of the
learning assessment, the teachers know the students’ achievement and
their progress. After knowing these, teachers are expected to help the
students move forward.
19
Warwick Mansell - Mary James. & the Assessment Reform Group, Assessment in schools. Fit for
purpose? A Commentary by the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (London: Economic and Social Research Council, Teaching and Learning Research Programme, 2009), 8.
20
Warwick Mansell - Mary James. & the Assessment Reform Group, Assessment in schools. Fit for
22
c. The Principles of Learning Assessment
There are some principles of learning assessment which should be
considered carefully by the teachers as an assessor. Some of them are:
1) Validity
Gronlund defines validity as “the extent to which inferences made from
assessment result are appropriate, meaningful, and useful in terms of the
purpose of the assessment”21. It indicates that validity measures the
degree of suitability, significance, and value of assessment result
according to assessment’s purpose. In addition, McAlpine stated that “a
valid assessment is one which measures that which it is supposed to
measure”22
. It can be inferred that validity measures accurately what it is
intended to measure.
2) Reliability
Downing refers reliability to “the consistency of assessment outcomes”23.
It indicates that reliability of assessment gives similar result for students
with similar competence, even the assessment held at different places or
time. Then, when teacher produces reliable assessment, students will get
feedback and notice about teachers’ judgment as a worthy thing so that
they can improve their learning outcomes.
21
As cited in H. Douglas Brown, Language Assessment Principles and Classroom Practices
(California: Longman Pearson Education, 2003), 22.
22
Mhairi McAlpine, Principles of Assessment (Bedfordshire: CAA Center 2002), 11.
23
23
3) Fairness
Lam states that “a fair assessment is one in which students are given
equitable opportunities to demonstrate what they know”24. Suskie, in
addition, states that “equitable assessment means that students are
assessed using methods and procedures most appropriate to them”25. In
short, the appropriate methods and procedures in assessment should be
used based on students’ knowledge, learning style, and cultural
experience so that a fair assessment can be achieved. The fairness deals
with how the teacher handles the students in the learning assessment.
d. The Characteristic of Assessment as Educative Process
Assessment is an important part in educative process. Gullo
describes assessment as educative process that has three distinct
characteristics: continuity, comprehensiveness, and integration26.
1) Continuous process
Assessment is a continuous process. The assessment should “describe the
progress of the students over time”27. In other words, the teachers cannot
judge the outcomes of the students’ learning only from the end of the
24
As cited in Linda Suskie, Fair Assessment Practices: Giving Students Equitable Opportunities to Demonstrate Learning (Boston: SABES/World Education, 2002), 1.
25
Linda Suskie, Fair Assessment Practices: Giving Students Equitable Opportunities to Demonstrate
Learning… 1
26
Dominic F. Gullo, Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education Second
Edition (New York: Teachers Collage Press, 2005),28.
27
Dominic F. Gullo, Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education Second
24
examination. They should examine the students’ ability through assessing
the students over time because they learn in the sequence of time.
2) Comprehensive process
Assessment as comprehensive process means more complex than it
sound. Gullo, dealing with assessment as comprehensive process, states
that “not only are there many aspects of learning and development that
can be assessed, there are also many contexts within which they can be
assessed”28 .
3) Integrative process
Assessment is integrated into the instructional process. Gullo states that
“the nature of what is assessed and how assessment procedures are
defined should be directly linked to the experiences students have within
the curriculum”29
. It means that the learning experiences of students can
be used as tool to know the students’ need so that the teachers can give
them the most appropriate instructional strategies in their learning.
28
Dominic F. Gullo, Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education Second
Edition… 29
29
Dominic F. Gullo, Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education Second
25
e. Aspects Relating to Learning Assessment
McKimm presents some aspects relating to learning assessment that
teachers should check, they are30:
1) The appropriate assessment methods which relate to the assessment of
knowledge, skills and attitudes
2) The teaching and learning methods that support the assessment strategy
3) The reliability and validity of assessment methods
4) The assessment methods designed
From the assessment method designed by the teacher, the students can get
the minimum performance standards provided in the curriculum and
move on to the higher performance standards.
5) The sufficiency of students being assessed
The amount of the assessment being assessed can influence the result of
the learning assessment.
6) The regulations governing assessment procedures and awards clear and
easy to follow and they being applied appropriately and consistently
Those aspects should be considered by the teacher so that the achievement of
the students can be measured appropriately.
30
Judy McKimm, Curriculum Design and Development (London: Imperial College Centre for
26
f. National Curriculum 2013 Assessment
National assessment standard in education contains criteria about
mechanism, procedure, and assessment instrument of students’ learning.
1) Types of Assessment in National Curriculum 2013
In National Curriculum 2013, the assessment that measures the
outcomes of the students consists of authentic assessment, self
assessment, portfolio assessment, test, daily test, midterm test, final test,
competence examination, quality competence examination, national
examination, and school examination31. The further explanation from
Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture is described below.
a) Authentic assessment is assessment done comprehensively to measure
the input, process, and output of the learning
b) Self assessment is assessment done by the students reflectively to
compare the relative position with the certain criteria
c) Portfolio assessment is assessment done to measure all the entities of
the students’ learning process, including individual task and/or group
task in and/or out of the classroom especially for their
attitude/behavior and skill
31
27
d) Test is a process done to measure ongoing achievement of students’
competence in their learning process, to monitor the progress and to
improve the learning outcomes of the students
e) Daily test is an activity done periodically to measure the students’
competence after learning 1 Kompetensi Dasar (Basic Competence) or
more
f) Midterm test is an activity done by the teachers to measure the
students’ competence after meeting for 8-9 weeks
g) Final test is an activity done by the teachers to measure the
achievement of students’ competence in the end of semester
h) Competence examination (Ujian Tingkat Kompetesi/UTK) is an
activity to measure the achievement of students’ competence. This
examination includes some Basic Competences that represent the
Kompetensi Inti/KI (Core Competence)
i) Competence quality examination (Ujian Mutu Tingkat
Kompetensi/UMTK) is an activity done by the government to know the
achievement of students’ competence
j) National examination (Ujian Nasional) is an activity done nationally to
measure certain competence that has been achieved by the students in
28
k) School examination is an activity to measure the achievement of
students’ competence beyond the competence that has been tested in
the UN (National examination).
2) The Principles of Assessment in the National Curriculum 2013
There are principles of assessment in the National Curriculum 2013,
they are32:
a) Objectivity: the assessment is based on the standard and factor of
subjectivity that does not influence the assessment process
b) Coherent: the assessment done according to the plan, unity in learning
activity, and continuity
c) Economical: the efficiency and effectiveness of assessment in
planning, implementing, and reporting
d) Transparent: assessment procedure, criteria, and basic of decision
making can be accessed by all people
e) Accountable: the assessment can be accounted to all the people who
deal with the assessment
f) Educative: educate and motivate the students and teachers.
32
29
3) Assessment Technique and Instrument
According to the National Curriculum 2013, the attitude,
knowledge, and skill competences are assessed in variety of ways, they
are33:
a) Assessment of attitude competence
Observation, self-assessment, and peer-assessment are done by the
teachers and using journal. The instruments used are checklist or rating
scale with rubric, and journal contains note from the teacher
b) Assessment of knowledge competence
The assessment done uses written test, spoken test, and task.
c) Assessment of skill competence
The skill competence is assessed through performance assessment so
that the students will demonstrate certain competence using practice
test, project, and portfolio assessment. The instrument used is checklist
or rating scale with rubric.
Instrument of the assessment should fulfill these requirements34:
a) Representing the competence that assessed
b) The construction fulfills technical requirement based on instrument’s
form that used 33
Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, Salinan Lampiran Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Nomor 66 Tahun 2013 tentang Standar Penilaian Pendidikan… 4
34
30
c) The right, correct, and communicative language are used according to
the level of the students.
g. Cambridge Curriculum Assessment
Cambridge curriculum sees assessment as multipurpose and flexible
framework which comprises a comprehensive package of support for
teachers and learners35. The learning objectives, resources in supporting
teaching and learning, teacher training and teacher professional development
are defined clearly. Cambridge Curriculum provides a positive educational
experience for all students, controlling assessment as a tool for monitoring
progress and adapting teaching to the needs of individuals36.
h. The Characteristics and Standards Used to Develop Learning
Assessment Tools
To develop high quality result of assessment tool, there are some
principles that focus on “utilizing processes”37. These processes reflect some
standards, they are38:
1) Focusing on reliable documentation to gain effective changes of
activities, and improve current level of performance.
35
University of Cambridge International Examination, Cambridge International Curriculum… 1
36
University of Cambridge International Examination, Cambridge International Curriculum
(Cambridge: Cambridge Assessment Group, 2008), 1.
37
The Students Outcomes Assessment Committee, Assessment An Institution-Wide Process to Improve
and Support Student Learning (IL: Collage of DuPage, 2000), 17.
38
The Students Outcomes Assessment Committee, Assessment An Institution-Wide Process to Improve
31
2) Using multiple measures of outcomes to assure reliability and validity of
the assessment.
3) Addressing students’ outcomes at all levels of the learning process;
cognitive, behavioral, and affective
4) At the institutional level, the assessment outcomes focus in broader area;
program effectiveness, students’ reports and evaluations, and
management and administrative effectiveness
5) Focusing on finding authentic, performance based measures of the
objectives, and avoiding indirect indicators.
In short, the tool in assessing students’ outcomes should be thought carefully
by the teachers. In this case, the researcher examines one of the tools called
assessment rubric.
3. Assessment Rubric
a. The Definition of Assessment Rubric
According to Linse, rubrics are “assessment instruments that help
instructors communicate their expectations to students and focus on
important criteria as they grade”39. It indicates that assessment rubrics are
tools for the teacher to define the learning outcomes for the students and
make grading standard for them based on the teachers’ desire.
39
32
Mertler defines rubrics as “rating scales—as opposed to
checklists—that are specifically used with performance assessments”40. It
can be inferred that assessment rubrics are one of assessment tools,
especially for assessing students’ performance that consist of scales to rate
the assessment result.
Besides, Korycinski stated that “a rubric is a tool that is used as an
assessment and scoring device to judge the quality of student work”41. In
short, using assessment rubric, teachers can appraise and recognize the
quality of students’ task.
Brophy, in addition, defines a rubric as “a measurement tool that
describes the criteria against which a performance, behavior, or product is
compared and measures”42. It can be concluded that assessment rubric is a
measurement instrument which has a big role in assessment process, and
also take an important function in learning process. Using assessment rubric
in assessing students’ performance, behavior, or product give clear
information about students’ achievement.
40
As cited in Craig A. Mertler, “Designing Scoring Rubrics for Your Classroom”. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation. Volume 7 Number 25, 2001. 1. Available online:
http://www.pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=25 41
Donna K. Korycinski, Master Teacher Program, “Using Rubrics” (New York: a 2-year Faculty Professional Development Program, Center for Teaching Excellence, United States Military Academy), 2011, 1.
42
33
b. Types of Assessment Rubric
Assessment rubrics can be divided into four types. They are:
1) Holistic rubrics: have one general descriptor for each level of
performance as a whole.
2) Analytic rubrics: have descriptors for each level of performance for
multiple criteria that are delineated43.
3) General rubrics: contain criteria that are general across tasks
4) Task specific rubrics: unique to a specific task44.
Every type of assessment rubrics has its own use based on the
purpose of the designer45.
1) Holistic rubric is used to get a fast snapshot of achievement. Here, a
single dimension is used to define quality.
2) Analytic rubric is used to see strengths and weaknesses of the students,
give detailed feedback, assess complicated skills or performance, and
self-assess of students’ understanding or performance.
3) General rubric is used in assessing reasoning, skills, products, and
assessing different task of all students.
4) Task-specific rubric is used in assessing knowledge. It is also used to
identify the consistency of scoring.
43
Raymond W – Donny Lee Jr., Rubric and Scoring Criteria (2007), 1.
D:\plt\ASSESSMENT\Rubricsguide.doc.
44
Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, The Basics of Rubrics (Penn State: University Park, PA, 2007), 1.
45
34
In developing assessment rubric, the teacher should know the purpose of
each rubric because the assessment rubric is one of tools to measure
students’ achievement and progress. When the measurement tool is used
effectively and purposefully, the target and the outcomes of learning process
can be achieved.
c. Steps in Developing Assessment Rubric
To make an appropriate assessment rubric for the needs of the
students, developing assessment rubric also has an important role. There are
some steps in developing a rubric:46
Step 1: considering models of the performance or product. The
characteristics of each model should be though carefully. The teachers
should choose the best one to be developed based on the learning aims and
goals.
Step 2: constructing the criteria. In constructing the criteria, the teachers
should discuss it with the students.
Step 3: determining the number of levels. Three levels are usually used for
younger students. For older ones, the literature recommends to use four or
five levels.
46
Cheryl Erlandson, Rubrics: When? Why? How? Connecting the Pieces. (Saskatchewan Professional
35
Step 4: developing descriptions of quality for each level of the criteria. To
comprehend the description of quality, the teachers should examine provided
rubrics so that the suitability of each level can be accomplished. Establishing
from the highest and lowest levels, then filling the rest of the levels is the
easiest way to develop the description of quality. The use of parallel
language, unambiguous words selection and descriptions also should be
considered among the levels to avoid the lowest level sound bad.
Step 5: using the assessment rubric. To practice using the assessment rubric,
the teachers give copies of the assessment rubric to the students.
Step 6: revising the assessment rubric as needed. In revising the assessment
rubric, the teachers can do and discuss together with students. This helps
students to recognize the desire of the teachers.
Brophy also gives tips for developing an assessment rubric, they
are47:
1) Finding and adapting an existing rubric. Adapting an existing rubric can
be a consideration because it is hard and time consuming to get a suitable
assessment rubric for every situation and condition.
2) Evaluating the assessment rubric. The rubric should communicate to the
outcomes of subject being assessed, be feasible, functional, practical, and
manageable. The deletion can be done for unrelated outcomes.
47
36
3) Benchmarking - gathering some of student duties that represent each
point on the level. It is done to make the assessment rubric more essential.
4) Expecting to revise the assessment rubric. Revising the assessment rubric
can be done together with students.
5) Sharing effective assessment rubrics with other teachers. The assessment
rubric will be developed better if seen from different perceptions.
The teachers can use the tips above to improve the important value of
assessment rubric since the assessment rubric is one of tools to measure the
students’ achievement and progress.
4. The Role of Teacher in Learning Assessment
In learning assessment, teachers as assessor take significant role.
They do not only assess the students’ performances, but also deal with some
aspects relating to learning assessment. There are some roles of teacher as
assessor related to learning assessment, they are:
a. Making best use of different assessment methods48
According to Garavalia, Marken, and Sommi, “assessment methods
should be viewed along a continuum of less to more performance-oriented,
48
As cited in Ann Gravells, Principles and Practice of Assessment in the Lifelong Learning Sector
37
lower to higher order thinking, and less to more authentic”49. In addition,
they also stated that identifying “the assessment process elements (nature of
the task, level of cognitive processing, and context)” is important thing in
order to choose the most suitable assessment tools to show desired learning
outcomes50. The assessment methods can be used in assessing students’
performances depend on the learning targets, the purpose of the assessment,
and the special characteristics of the students. If teachers can recognize the
purpose of the assessment, identify the target, and choose suitable methods
in assessment, the assessment outcomes can be easily achieved.
b. Providing valid and fair assessments51
Harlen stated that “assessment has two main purposes - to help
learning and to summarize what has been learned”52 and “assessment needs
to be valid for whichever purposes it is used”53. It indicates that the validity
of assessment is an important thing. In addition, fairness should also be
49
Linda S. Garavalia –Patricia A. Marken and Roger W. Sommi, “Selecting Appropriate Assessment
Methods: Asking the Right Questions”. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. Vol. 66, Summer 2003. 108
50
Linda S. Garavalia –Patricia A. Marken and Roger W. Sommi, “Selecting Appropriate Assessment
Methods: Asking the Right Questions”. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. Vol. 66, Summer 2003. 108
51
The Skill Organisation, Registered Workplace Assessor Information Guide (Skills), 14. skills.org.nz
52
As cited in ….. Valid Assessment (Office of Learning and Teaching, DE&T), 2.
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/assessment.asp
53 …..
38
considered in assessment. Designing “assessment task and rubric” can be
ways to ensure the validity and fairness of assessment54.
c. Making judgments towards the assessment criteria55
According to McAdam, in assessing students’ performance,
teachers should give clear criteria on the learning outcomes that they want so
that the judgment can be emphasized from the evidence56. It means that the
criteria used in making judgments will give obvious result and avoid
irrelevant evidence. Sluijman, in addition, stated that “setting criteria and
making them explicit and transparent to learners’ before-hand is
important”57 .
d. Grading students in various ways
According to Harmer, “students need to know how and for what
they are being assessed”58. As an assessor, the teacher should tell the
students what she/he wants and the outcomes that students should achieve so
that the students have clear goal to gain. Here, the teachers can grade the
students based on the desire and learning outcomes that have been informed
by the teachers.
54 …..
Valid Assessment (Office of Learning and Teaching, DE&T), 2. http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/assessment.asp
55
Ann Gravells, Principles and Practice of Assessment in the Lifelong Learning Sector….. 11 56
Gary McAdam, Assessment Policy (ABC Safety Training, 2013), 4.
57Judith T. M. Gulikers, Theo J. Bastiaens, and Paul A. Kirschner, “A Five
-Dimensional Framework
for Authentic Assessment”. Educational Technology Research and Development. Vol. 52, No. 3, 2004. 75. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30220391
58
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching Third Edition Completely Revised and
39
e. Giving constructive and developmental feedback to the students (offering
feedback)
Harmer stated that “feedback encompasses not only correcting
students, but also offering them an assessment of how well they have done,
whether during a drill or after a longer language production exercise”59. In
short, the teachers cannot only criticize about mistakes that students done,
but they also should give them positive feedback. The constructive and
developmental feedback is important for the students. Teachers should give
their attention for all the students through giving them constructive and
developmental feedback because it can motivate them. Giving constructive
and developmental feedback is not only for students that have good progress,
but also for all students. It should be done because all the students need
support and feedback from the teacher.
f. Inspiring and motivating the students
Gravells stated that the role of teacher in learning assessment will
also be “to inspire and motivate the students”60. It can be inferred that
teacher as assessor can encourage and motivate the students in learning
process. It happens if the teachers are passionate and wholehearted in
conveying their subject. Every student may already have “intrinsic and
59
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching Third Edition Completely Revised and
Updated 60
40
extrinsic motivation”61. The intrinsic motivation can be seen from the desire
of students to show their best performance. Besides, the extrinsic motivation
can be noticed from the need to learn, and from the need to gain good grade.
From the desires and the needs of the students, teacher as assessor can
motivate and ensure the assessment experiences of the students to be
meaningful and interesting. The teacher should take care of the students as
individuals so that the bad assessment experiences that may influence the
students’ motivation can be decreased.
B.Review of Previous Studies
The researcher finds similar cases of the previous studies. Some
studies were done dealing with assessment rubric, they are:
1. In 2005, Andrade and Du conducted study under the title “Students
Perspectives on Rubric-referenced Assessment”. The study was based on
self-report data in focus group which included fourteen undergraduate students. The
study suggested that students use rubrics to support their own learning and
academic performance. The discussion showed the ways in which students use
rubrics to plan an approach to an assignment, check their work, and guide or
reflect on feedback from others. The students said that using rubrics helped
them to focus on their efforts, produce work of higher quality, earn a better
grade, and feel less anxious about an assignment. Their comments also revealed
61
41
that most of the students tend not to read a rubric in its entirety, and that some
may perceive of a rubric as a tool for satisfying a particular teacher’s demands
rather than as a representation of the criteria and standards of a discipline. The
key finding of the study is students told of using rubrics in purposeful ways,
some of which suggest that rubrics have the potential to promote self-regulatory
behaviors such as goal-setting, self-assessment, and revision.62
2. The other similar study was conducted by Unal, Bodur, and Unal in 2012. The
study entitled “A Standardized Rubric for Evaluating Webquest Design:
Reliability Analysis of ZUNAL Webquest Design Rubric”. It was the first study
which fully characterized and assessed the reliability of online rubric called
ZUNAL. The study concluded that the final version of the ZUNAL webquest
rubric holds promise as an assessment tool for evaluating webquests. As a
matter of fact, ZUNAL webquest maker has officially adopted the rubric on its
web application and it is currently being used officially by thousands of users.
The ZUNAL rubric was created to utilize the strengths of the currently
available rubrics and improved based on the comments provided in the
literature and feedback received from the educators.63
3. Wulan conducted descriptive research in her study under the title “Kemampuan
Calon Guru Biologi dalam Menyusun Rubrik Analitis pada Asesmen Kinerja”.
62
Heidi Andrade – Ying Du, “Student Perspectives on Rubric-referenced Assessment”. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation. Volume 10 Number 3, April 2005. 1
63Zafar Unal, et.al., “A Standardized Rubric for Evaluating Webquest Design: Reli
ability Analysis of
