From Face-to-Face to Virtual Student Assessment: Changes in Student Assessment Practices during COVID-19 Among Filipino Teachers

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken all facets of society, including education. The government's motion to lock schools due to the global pandemic forced the school system to change its teaching and learning delivery approaches. Teachers were obliged to quickly shift from face-to-face to online, distance, or blended delivery modes. They were also compelled to learn new teaching, assessment, and classroom management tools. Hence, this paper explores changes during COVID-19 in the Philippines because student assessment is vital in education practice, teaching and learning. This descriptive study utilized SurveyMonkey, an online survey software, to gather data. The survey consists of a 15-item questionnaire administered to about 500 teachers using social media and email. Four hundred thirty-six responses were gathered and analyzed employing descriptive statistics. The findings highlight that 99% of teachers initiated some changes in the assessment. However, 82% were not concerned that the changes in response to COVID-19 would negatively impact assessment culture. Among the significant assessment changes reported are being more flexible, working with teachers for integrative assessments, and giving more performance-based assessments. Additionally, 72% revealed that they used both formative and summative assessments. The paper ends with some implications for conducting assessments during the pandemic and how teachers will maintain reliable and valid student assessments by providing capacity development and sustainable infrastructure.