Assessment In Social Studies

“The history of our country, the creativity, the victories, the culture…..” this extract was taken from a speech given by Erica Williams- Connell (2012). In her speech she emphasized on future generation learning and adapting historical and cultural values derived from Trinidad and Tobago. Today in many school systems this is effectively done via the Social Studies curriculum.

Social Studies is the study of the interaction of the individual with his/her personal and social environment. Such study should enable children to better understand the physical surroundings as well as the people with whom they come into contact. They should then be better able to deal with the environment and impact on it, in such a way, as to improve their standard

Assessment determines the children’s understanding of what is being taught and how well they can apply it to their daily lives. What is assessment? According to (McMillan, 2011) - “assessment is the gathering, interpretation and the use of information to support teacher decision making, he further stated that assessment is an umbrella concept that encompasses different techniques, strategies and uses. It is much more than simply testing”. Assessment is important in Social Studies because it gives the teacher a sense as to what level their students are at. It also acts as a prerequisite for teachers to reflect on how effective their teaching strategies are, and for self review. The effective gathering and use of assessment data has a strong influence on students’ achievement. Once assessment is used appropriately be it formative or summative it can also have a positive impact on students’ motivation and self-esteem which they are more likely to make accurate judgements about student

Typically, no more formal learning is taking place at this stage, other than incidental learning which might take place through the completion of projects and assignments. Fairness to students is another important reason for teachers to use a wide range of assessment processes to measure student performance in social studies. This contributes to an assessment process that allows all students to demonstrate their achievements. Social Studies at the primary school, is deemed to be an important subject and is also a vital element which is critical in developing students in a multidisciplinary approach. Social studies in the primary school is known as a multidisciplinary and a multicultural subject. In Social Studies assessment is a critical aspect

There are several assessment techniques; however I have chosen two substantive techniques which have proved to be very much effective when carrying out lessons plans. Firstly, Social Studies at a Standard one level is usually taught with an integrative approach as well as interdisciplinary