Written reflection is the most detailed type of assessment, and it has major benefits in the learning process for multiple disciplines. For instance, exploring strengths and weaknesses in mathematics based on an evaluation of studied topics enable a pupil to revise the knowledge they obtain. Another benefit of written reflection is its impact on critical thinking and systematizing abilities, necessary for further studying complex subjects such as physics and mathematical analysis (Barton et al., 2012). Furthermore, a teacher can identify learning patterns and analyze how they educated a class based on students’ written reflections.
However, written reflection has several limitations, and the most significant one is that students below year five of the F-10 program are unable to perform a written review and critically analyze their progress. Also, an assessment might be difficult to complete for children’s dominant mathematical skillset because the exercise includes the application of literacy (Barton et al., 2012). Teachers can face challenges in evaluating written reflections if there is no template or rubric to follow, yet grading a self-analysis is an inappropriate practice in general. Lastly, understanding of mathematics can diversify among pupils, and although the exercise can help retrieve their unique strategies to obtain knowledge, it can also confuse their educator.
The Impact on Teaching Practice
Teaching practice can benefit from applying the written reflection as an assessment for the learning process because students’ thoughts and curriculum analysis provide valuable insight into how they perceive a subject. An educator may include the exercise as a part of controlling events after a considerable section was studied or build small evaluation questionaries to fill after every topic (Yepping et al., 2014). Moreover, a written reflection assessment can be simplified and adapted for the younger pupils if it is transformed into spoken discussion or a test for self-evaluation (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2017). Such teaching practice will enable the students to develop a habit of reflection and make it easier to use this learning tool in their senior years.
Reasons to Choose Written Reflection as an Assessment for Learning
A teacher might choose written reflections as an assessment for the learning process when they recognize that children have unlike obtaining methods and if the topic was complex and crucial to be understood by everyone. The exercise is beneficial in the middle of the F-10 curriculum when students start structuring their thoughts and knowledge more logically and critically (Teaching Ideas, 2014). Written reflection is crucial for them to develop a habit of recognizing if they need additional materials and time to study a subject and to identify what disrupts their learning process. A teacher might choose to include written reflection as an assessment when they need to improve their educational strategies and analyze the existing limitations in teaching their subject.
How Written Reflections as an Assessment for Learning Support Children’s Development in Mathematics
Although implementing written reflection as an assessment for learning seems counterintuitive for mathematics, it can support children’s development in this subject. It can be taught as an open-ended task, helping a pupil assess multiple skills and knowledge about a certain topic (Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, 2014). Consequently, written reflection as an assessment develops the logic and thinking necessary to learn more complex mathematical issues in the future and enables students to use and demonstrate higher levels of understanding. A teacher can adjust their educational practices in mathematics after analyzing children’s reflective assignments. The change in approach will help improve pupils’ results, and the use of written reflection for assessment will help timely address the challenges that occur when a curriculum becomes more comprehensive.
References
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. (2014). Closed or open tasks. Top drawer teachers: Resources for teachers of mathematics v8.3. Web.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). Australian Curriculum: F-10 overview: Australian Curriculum v.8.3. Web.
Barton, L., Meighan, R., & Walker, S. A. (Eds.). (2012). Schooling, ideology and the curriculum. Taylor and Francis.
Teaching Ideas. (2014). Problem solving and thinking skills. Web.
Yepping, L., Silver, E. A., & Li, S. (Eds.). (2014). Transforming mathematics instruction – multiple approaches and practices. Online Springer.