Publish at January 10 2024 Updated March 12 2025
Do we really see the good things in school? Assessment has often been seen as the ultimate method of comparing learners. Yet didactic research is increasingly showing that not all students start the school marathon at the same level. Some start a few feet ahead of the starting line, while others find themselves far behind the pack. So, is it really fair to evaluate each individual according to these so-called "objective" criteria? Some say yes, while others are beginning to think about a different strategy.
Parents, teachers and specialists in the school world are constantly telling young people thatlearning requires effort, that they must constantly commit themselves and persevere despite mistakes and obstacles. Yet this mass of perseverance is never taken into account in assessments that focus on achievements and answers on a specific day and time. That's why some people are asking whether it isn't time to focus on the actual learning process and recognize students' efforts. For proponents of this vision, the current system relying on a few assessments sends the following message to learners: the effort put in is worthless if it doesn't result in a good grade in exams.
Singapore, always at the top of educational league tables such as PISA, decreed the end of league tables several years ago. Having realized the immense pressure on learners, the nation preferred to organize a system based on soft skills. The principle was that education is not a competition, but a context in which knowledge and expertise are developed for the future. Teachers could therefore focus on developing different types of effort in their students:
How might this aspect be assessed? A crucial question that has already been considered several times. It could be by analyzing the work done and compiled in digital environments or in logbooks. Effort could be analyzed from the angles of behavior during lessons, individual commitment to the various exercises, and so on. The aim would not be to totally hide the facts and good answers, but to offer a more complete assessment of the student's progress over the course of the year. For example, a student who has scored 58% in one exam and rises to 65% in the next should be congratulated, even if the mark remains below the group average.
While it doesn't seem likely that effort-based assessments will be a regular feature of the school system for the time being, this doesn't stop the various players in the school system from promoting them. Parents are already the first to note their children's small successes and efforts. Rather than highlighting their failures, emphasize what has been achieved, the right answers, etc. A caring climate will be much more conducive to their success. A benevolent climate will be much more constructive, so that your child can flourish and not associate school only with negative notions. Grades aren't everything.
For teachers, this means using different means to recognize each student's efforts. This can be through a wall of recognition offering each student the opportunity to shine over the course of the year. It can also be a system of various benefits or rewards in the form of materials or activities. Finally, teachers are encouraged to tailor recognition of effort to the needs and likes of each learner. These approaches do not automatically generate more motivation, depending on the school system in place. This study, carried out in Singapore and in American schools, showed that the former were not more encouraged, whereas in the USA, recognizing effort with rewards generated greater commitment and better grades.
Effort is part and parcel of learning knowledge, whatever it may be. Until this reality is better rewarded by the school system, it would be in the best interests of all concerned to create an environment where effort is as important, if not more so, than grades.
Photo: monkeybusiness / DepositPhotos
References:
"40 free or inexpensive reward ideas for your classroom." Midwest Teachers Institute. Last updated: August 23, 2023. https://www.midwestteachersinstitute.org/40-free-or-inexpensive-reward-ideas-for-your-classroom/.
Campbell, Richard. "Tracking student effort." International Teaching Magazine. Last updated August 31, 2019. https://consiliumeducation.com/itm/2019/08/15/making-the-effort/.
Couturier, Catherine. "Relying on effort to help your child persevere." Alloprof. Accessed January 6, 2024. https://www.alloprof.qc.ca/fr/parents/articles/difficultes-a-l-ecole/effort-aider-enfant-perseverer-k1335.
Durocher, Robert. "It takes effort to succeed at school." Le Journal De Montréal. Last updated: June 14, 2022. https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2022/06/14/il-faut-fournir-des-efforts-pour-reussir-a-lecole.
"How do students determine their effort level in education? | 5 answers from research papers." SciSpace. Accessed January 6, 2024. https://scispace.com/questions/how-do-students-determine-their-effort-level-in-education-1te4j65v28
"How do you recognize student achievements?" LinkedIn. Last updated September 14, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-do-you-recognize-student-achievements-skills-k-12-education.
Merrill, Stephen. "In schools, are we measuring what matters?" Edutopia. Last updated: October 16, 2020. https://www.edutopia.org/article/schools-are-we-measuring-what-matters/.
Nagy, Robin P., Andrew J. Martin, and Rebecca J. Collie. "It's time to measure students' effort at school: Opinion." Education Review. Last updated December 14, 2023. https://www.educationreview.com.au/2023/01/its-time-to-measure-students-effort-at-school-opinion/.
"My child's progress, how do I measure it?" School Success Blog. Last updated April 25, 2023. https://www.successcolaire.ca/blogue/progres-de-mon-enfant-comment-le-mesurer/.
"What are the benefits of having a student recognition wall for student engagement and motivation?" LinkedIn. Last updated: October 22, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-benefits-having-student-recognition-wall.
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