Assessment of early primary school students during remote education in Poland

Abstract

Properly conducted assessment aims to help students build self-confidence and develop an attitude toward effective learning but it also aims to show teachers the right path to create new educational challenges for students. Assessing the youngest children is particularly difficult, especially when it is done in remote education. The aim of this article is to analyse and present the issue of verifying the knowledge and skills of students from early primary school (grades 1–3) during distance learning. The authors of the article conducted a qualitative study before the third schools’ closure in Poland due to the coronavirus pandemic. The research question asked in the article is: How were early primary students’ knowledge and skills verified in remote education? The findings focus on the specific forms and challenges in assessing the children’s work and progress, even indicating statements about the pointlessness of assessing the youngest students during remote learning. Online assessment of the pupils was problematic due to the limited computer skills of the youngest children and the need for their parents’ support. Teachers’ statements included opinions regarding the reliability of the assessment. It was recognised that the process was prone to a significant degree of cheating.