Formative Assessment of Professional Competencies of Future Geography Teachers

Abstract

The article deals with modern trends in the modernization of control and assessment of educational achievements of future geography teachers, which contribute to increasing the motivation of their educational and cognitive activities and improving self-organization skills. It is established that the competency-based approach to the organization of the educational process includes determining the level and quality of professional competencies. The problem of finding new approaches to the assessment of educational activities and educational results of students is analyzed. It is proven that one of the ways to solve the outlined problem was the systematic implementation of formative assessment of educational achievements as a component of competency control technology. The concepts of “formative assessment”, “competency control”, “competency-oriented tasks” are explained and their place in the educational process is outlined. The model of the process of realization of formative assessment in higher education institutions, the algorithm for applying competency-oriented tasks, the structural components of the technology of competency control and formative assessment are presented. The work identifies and characterizes diagnostic, current-formative, self-assessment-formative, modular-formative, summative-normative and qualification types of assessment of students’ educational achievements. Based on the experience of implementing the technology of competency control and formative assessment, it was proven that it contributed to increasing the motivation and self-organization of students, allowed the teacher to diagnose and make positive changes to the educational process, and maintain feedback with students. Comparison of traditional assessment and the technology of competency control and formative assessment demonstrated its ability to comprehensively assess and determine the level of competency formation of future geography teachers. It was concluded that the introduction of this technology, on the one hand, enables teachers to ensure effective educational activities of students at a high level of motivation, self-organization and in accordance with their interests. On the other hand, it will contribute to the professional development of future geography teachers, who will teach students in the conditions of reforming national education.