Monitoring Student Progress in Mathematics and Science
The Ministry is responsible for assessing student performance in Turkey. The goals of national assessments are to assess student achievement in a variety of subject areas at several age and grade levels and to identify trends in achievement over specific periods of time.
The only national assessment with consequences for individual students is the TEOG, which is given to eighth grade students transitioning from lower secondary to upper secondary education. The examination results determine student placement at selected upper secondary educational institutions, including Anatolian high schools, science high schools, and vocational and technical high schools. The examination results also are expected to constitute the greatest data source for showing the knowledge and skills of students in primary education at the national level.
Teachers’ primary instructional strategies take advantage of multiple methods and techniques during all stages of teaching and learning.23 The current curricula contain a greater number of student assessment instruments compared to previous curricula, and adopt a multilevel, multifaceted measurement and assessment approach to student learning. Teachers are urged to use formative learning assessment and measurement techniques in addition to analytic and holistic evaluation methods, rather than typical paper and pencil tests. Assessment instruments include written examinations, oral examinations, projects, portfolios, journal writing, homework, quizzes, checklists, attitude scales, interviews, observations, posters, exhibitions, peer evaluations, and self-evaluations. Written examinations may include essays, multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and matching questions.24 In addition, performance assessment, which is both process- and product-oriented, is strongly emphasized based on the philosophy that students can learn more meaningfully when they are motivated and engaged in their own learning. Teachers are encouraged to score assessments based on their own professional judgment.
Primary and secondary school students are monitored on a semester basis using the e-school system (described under the Use of Technology section). Using this system, teachers keep track of students’ academic and personal interests, hobbies, books they have read, and other pertinent information.