Teaching Math in the Intermediate

Grades

Jhonie H. Castro
 Table of Contents

Module 4: Instructional Strategies for Mathematics in the

Intermediate Grades
Introduction 39
Intended Learning Outcomes 39
Lesson 1. Mathematical Investigation 40
Lesson 2. Design Thinking 42
Lesson 3. Game-Based Learning 43
Assessment Task 4 45
Summary 46
References 46

Module 5: Instructional Strategies for Mathematics in the

Intermediate Grades
Introduction 47
Intended Learning Outcomes 47
Lesson 1. Use of Manipulatives 48
Lesson 2. Values Integration 49
Lesson 3. Collaboration 51
Lesson 4. Teaching by Asking 54
Assessment Task 5 59
Summary 60
References 60

Module 6: Assessment Strategies for Mathematics in the

Intermediate Grades
Introduction 61
Intended Learning Outcomes 61
Lesson 1. Assessing Learning 62
Lesson 2. Traditional Assessment 68
Lesson 3. Authentic Assessment 72
Lesson 4. Designing Learning Portfolios 77
Assessment Task 6 82
Summary 83
References 83
 MODULE 4
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR
MATHEMATICS IN THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES

Introduction
Contemporary leaders in mathematics education revolutionized the goal of
mathematics teaching and learning from a passive transfer of knowledge to an active
process where students are developed to think like mathematicians. Mathematical
investigation is a strategy that may be implemented to achieve this.

The students find learning mathematics most engaging when they are involved in a
thinking process that results in an output that can be applied to relevant context. The
design-thinking process engages the students in such a thought-provoking and
purposeful activity.

Play is children's work, and they love it! Well-designed lessons using a game-
based learning strategy takes advantage of children's natural love for play to lead them
toward complex problem-solving

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of module 4, the students are able to:

1. Generate investigative tasks and anticipate possible problems that may arise
from the task,
2. Execute the Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test stages of the design-
thinking process, and;
3. Develop a game to motivate students, cater mathematical investigation, or
practice a mathematical skill.
4. Formulate purposeful questions that encourage students to. participate in
classroom discussions
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Lesson 1. Mathematical Investigation
Mathematical investigation is an open-ended mathematical task that involves not
only problem solving, but equally importantly, problem posing as well. In this strategy,
the word “investigation" does not refer to the process that may occur when solving a
close-ended problem but an activity in itself that promotes independent mathematical
thinking. To illustrate, consider the two mathematical tasks below.
Task A-Problem-solving
There are 50 children at a playground and each child high-fives with
each of the other children. Find the total number of high-fives.
Task B-Mathematical Investigation
There are 50 children at a playground and each child high-fives with
each of the other children. Investigate.

In Task A, there is a specific problem to solve. Some of the students might attempt
to solve it by drawing diagrams for smaller numbers of children and then investigating
the pattern that may arise. This investigation is a process that may occur in problem
solving. On the other hand, the problem in Task. B is not specified. The students may or
may not choose to find the total number of high-fives. Some students may want to
investigate a more general case where they would want to know how many high-fives
there would be given a certain number of children. Some may want to find out how many
high-fives there would be if instead of once, the children would high-five each other twice
or thrice. Some children may even decide to work om a problem that the teacher has not
thought of. This is investigation as an activity itself.
As illustrated, what sets mathematical investigation apart from other strategies that
have been discussed in this unit by far is that the goal of the investigation is not specified
by the teacher; the students have the freedom to choose any goal to pursue. In problem-
solving, the students are encouraged to think outside the box; in mathematical
investigation, there is no box to start with. The students are placed in a space where
they can play around whichever way they want. This makes mathematical investigation a
divergent and learner-centered strategy. So, like in the problem-solving strategy, it is
crucial that the teacher chooses or creates a situation that is engaging and caters

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mathematical investigation. Tasks A and B show that a close-ended word problem can
easily be converted into an open-ended investigative task by simply replacing the
question with an instruction to investigate.
There are three main phases of a mathematical investigation lesson: the (1)
problem-posing, (2) conjecturing, and (3) justifying conjectures. In the problem-solving
phase, the students explore the given situation and come up with a mathematical
problem that they would want to engage in. The conjecturing phase involves collecting
and organizing data, looking for patterns, inferencing, and generalizing. In the final
phase, the students are to justify and explain their inferences and generalizations.
Always remember that although mathematical rules or theorems may arise as
results of the mathematical investigation, they are not the objectives of an investigative
lesson-the objective is the investigation itself; the exercise of creative thinking and
problem-solving that the students underwent as they investigated. Mathematical
investigation is not after the teaching and learning of some competency in the
curriculum; it is about developing the mathematical habits of the mind.

The only planning that the teacher needs to do is to create or choose an

appropriate task and anticipate possible problems that the students would pose. Below
is an example of a close-ended word problem transformed into a mathematical
investigative task and the problems that the students would possibly come up to.
Close-ended problem:
There are 24 animals in a farm. Some are cows and the rest are
chicken. There are 60 animal legs in all. How many cows and how many
chickens are there?
Investigative task:
There are 24 animals in a farm. Some are cows and the rest are
chicken. Investigate.
Possible student-generated problems:
1. How many cows and how many chickens could there be?
2. What is the possible total number of animal legs?
3. Given any total number of animals, what is the ratio of the
number of cow legs to the number of chicken legs?
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Lesson 2. Design Thinking
Design thinking is a progressive teaching strategy that allows the students to look
for real-world problems and finding creative solutions. Students do this by focusing on the
needs of others, collaborating for possible solutions, and prototyping and testing their
creations. This can be summarized in five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype,
and Test. These stages are adapted from the Institute of Design at Stanford University.

Design Thinking Framework (Institute of Design at Stanford,2016)

Empathize
The goal of design thinking is for the students to respond to a particular need (a
real-world problem) so it is fitting that the first stage is empathy. In this stage, the teacher
needs to be explicit in guiding the students to put themselves in the shoes of others
through activities like immersed observation and interviews. According to the
developmental stages, it is mot natural for children in the intermediate grades to be
empathetic toward others. It is a common observation by teachers that the students at
these levels often do not realize that their actions affect others. So, applying design
thinking in the classroom gives the children opportunity to cultivate empathy, at the same
time, their skills for problem-solving and empathy are being developed.

Define

The next stage is for the students to define the specific problem or issue that they
want to address. First, the students will identify an audience-the future users of the
product they will develop. Their audience can be students, teachers, family members, or

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just anyone in their community. Then the students will use the information they gathered
from the Empathize stage and focus on one aspect of the problem. It is important that the
students be able to identify a true problem because it is impossible to successfully
complete the design-thinking process without a meaningful problem to solve.

Ideate

The third stage of design thinking is the generation of ideas to solve the identified
problem. This involves brainstorming and research. The students are to be encouraged to
think out of the box and produce radical ideas. What sets this stage apart from the usual
brainstorming is that all ideas must be written or illustrated. Ideas are usually written or
drawn on sticky notes and the students, later on, organize them into a mind map.

Itis at this stage that the students will be able to apply their mathematical
knowledge and skills. Aside from being able to operate their problem-solving skills, they
will also be able to apply specific content knowledge like measurement, proportion,
geometry, and statistics.

Prototype and Test

Finally, the students go through a repetitive cycle of prototyping and testing. A

prototype is anything that a user can interact with in order to, later on, provide feedback
about it. It can be made of easily accessible materials like paper, cardboard, sticky tapes,
recycled plastics, and so on. Once a prototype is created, they test it or allow a user to
test it, and then make improvements, or possibly overhaul the design, depending on their
observations and the feedback of the user. In these stages, it is important to emphasize
that it is totally fine to fail at the first attempt of prototyping. The trial-and-error aspect of
the design-thinking process is glorified because it is believed that the students learn many
things through their failures. Even though a physical product is the expected output of
design thinking, it should be emphasized that going through the process is what is more
important because it is where the learning takes place.

Lesson 3. Game-Based Learning

Children find games both motivating and enjoyable, so it is not a surprise that
teachers harness games to cater to learning. There are many ways in which games are
used in the classroom. Games are sometimes used as lesson starters to get the students
engaged. In some lessons, games are used to explore mathematical concepts and
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processes or cater mathematical investigation. But most of the time, games are used to
practice mathematical skills.

Not only do games make the lesson engaging for young learners but they also
create a relaxed environment in a mathematics class. Games associate mathematics with
positive feelings like excitement, victory, and fun competition. So, students who might
have developed mathematics anxiety, or those who simply “hate" math, might begin to
open up and be more receptive. The students' love for play may translate to love for math.
Moreover, games give a venue for the students to communicate and defend their ideas
while at the same time learning from each other in a fear-free environment. And because
in every game a goal has to be achieved, the students naturally develop strategic and
creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Games that require the students to work in
groups advance their social skills as well.

However, not all games that involve mathematical processes are considered to
have instructional value. For example, the game of monopoly involves computations and
strategies to maximize scores but it is considered to have little instructional value.

According to Koay Phong Lee (1996) in his article “The Use of Mathematical
Games in Teaching Primary Mathematics," a game that has instructional value
has the following characteristics:

1. the game has two or more opposing teams;

2. the game has a goal and the players have to make a finite number of moves
to reach the goal stated. Each move is the result of a decision made;

3. there is a set of rules that govern decision-making;

4. the rules are based on mathematical ideas; and

5. the game ends when the goal is reached.

The fourth characteristic is what separates mathematical games from other games.
This suggests that a good mathematical game is not only about “having fun" but also
about “doing math" in itself.

A teacher has three important tasks in a lesson that implements game-based

learning strategy: (1) lay down rules clearly, (2) observe, assess, and process the
students' understanding, and (3) work with the students who need additional help.
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Assessment Task 4
Answer the following questions.

1. In what ways does mathematical investigation help develop the students who
think like mathematician.

2. What do you think are some of the advantage and disadvantage of a game-
based learning strategy?

3. Using a Venn diagram compare and contrast problem-solving and

mathematical investigation.

4. Make an infographic about design thinking for the teacher who have not yet
heard about it. (Do your work in a short bond paper with a border frame of
1inch).

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Summary
Mathematical investigation is an open-ended teaching strategy that
capitalizes on the student’s ability to identify a problem. Any word problem can
be transformed in to a mathematical investigation by limiting the given
information and omitting the specific question that it is asking.

Design thinking is a contemporary teaching strategy that foster creativity

by allowing students to come up with concrete and tangible solutions to
authentic problems that they themselves identified.

Game-based learning is a strategy that takes advantage of children’s love

for games. Applying this strategy is good in reducing math anxiety.

References
Gusano, Riza C. et.al. (2020) A Course module for teaching math in the
intermediate grades. Rex Book Store.

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 MODULE 5
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR
MATHEMATICS IN THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES

Introduction
Mathematics is an abstract subject, which is why many students find it
difficult. One way to concretize mathematics for young learners is through the use of
manipulatives.
Mathematics has been conceived mainly as a tool for solving real-life situations
through mathematical modeling. Since math is often remembered for its practical use,
teachers would often capitalize on this aspect to make the learners see its relevance to
their lives. In this lesson, you will explore an alternative way to make the teaching of
math meaningful and engaging for the learners
When transitioning from primary to intermediate grades, children develop a really
strong bond with one friend. Some child psychologists point out that it is easier for
some kids to relate to' just one co-learner rather than socializing with a big group at the
same time. Teachers, however, can provide intermediate graders with many
opportunities for interactions. Within collaborating groups, children learn to try things
out, conjecture, explore, justify, evaluate, and convince others of their findings.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of module 5, the students are able to:

1. Demonstrate the understanding in manipulative as aid to mathematical
instruction,
2. Plan a lesson in which values education can be incorporated into existing
mathematics curricula, and;
3. Design collaborative activities that will encourage involvement, interdependence,
and fair division of labor among the students.
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Lesson 1. Use of Manipulatives

Manipulatives are concrete objects like blocs, tiles and geometric figures that the
students can interact with (touch and move) in order to develop a conceptual
understanding of mathematics concepts. The use of manipulatives is not all new;
manipulatives have helped people learn mathematics since ancient times, for example,
the early Chinese had the abacus and the Incas used the knotted strings called quipo to
aid in counting. In the modern times, educators Fridrich Froebel and Maria Montessori
were the one who advanced the use of manipulatives in classroom instruction. at the
present in the Philippines, the DepEd mathematics curriculum calls for manipulatives to
be used in teaching a variety of competencies.
Aside from helping the students acquire a deeper understanding of mathematics, the
use of manipulatives also gives you, the teacher, the chance to genuinely assess their
students’ mathematical thinking. You can move around, observe, and take note of
students’ discussions and ways of manipulating. Moving around will let you give
immediate feedback and taking notes of observations will help you improve your future
lesson.
One drawback of using manipulatives is that it may cause confusion, especially ti
struggling students, if they are not presented with proper guidance and instruction from
the teacher. Moreover, careless use of manipulatives might result in the students
believing that there are two different worlds of mathematics – the manipulative and the
symbolic. It is therefore important that the teacher carefully plan on how to integrate
manipulatives in classroom discussion in such a way that there is a smooth transition
from concrete to abstract.
The following are some guidelines for using manipulatives in the classroom:
1. Orient the students on how to use the manipulative. Give some time for the
students to play with the manipulatives. Allow them to explore the object and
what they can do with it.
2. Give clear and specific instructions. State the goal of the activity and how the
manipulative can help them achieve the goal.

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 3. While the students are at work, pay attention to their mathematical talk. Use
their ideas to enhance the discussion that follows after the activity.
4. If some of the students are struggling, ask them “why” and “how” questions to
scaffold their way through the activity.
Many manipulatives are commercially available; the common ones are Base 10
blocks (for learning value, place value, decimals, etc.), geoboards (for learning properties
of plane figures), play money, and paper clock. However, you may also create
manipulatives using readily available materials like popsicle sticks, buttons, boards,
fasteners, etc. making your own manipulatives is much cheaper and it gives you the
benefit of customizing them according to your need.

Lesson 2. Values Integration

Integrating Math into Other Subject Areas
Integrating mathematics into the curriculum can be quite challenging and rigorous.
However, math is connected to many disciplines and should not be isolated from other
subjects. Our complex brain looks for patterns and interconnections as its way of making
sense of things. Our learners develop an appreciation for mathematics and a deeper
understanding of concepts when they make connections with prior experiences or with
different areas of learning.
Tapping Into the Affective Domain
Doctor Benjamin Bloom classified three domains of educational learning: cognitive,
affective, and psychomotor. In the formal classroom set-up, the bulk of the teacher's
lesson planning focuses on the cognitive and psychomotor aspects of the teaching-
learning process. The third domain, which is the affective domain, is often overlooked.
The affective domain includes the manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such
as feelings, values, appreciation, motivations and attitude (Kratwohl,1964). This particular
domain, when tapped during the learning process, can really make the students reflect on
the connection between mathematical concepts and values or standards of behavior
that will help them deal with the pressures and difficulties in life. As future teachers, you

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want to form not only competent students but students with moral courage, clear values,
and excellent character.
Values Integration and Retention of Information
Associating values or standards of behavior with mathematical concepts can serve
as a source of motivation for the students. Values integration will help the students get life
lessons through math. If the students find a learning material engaging and meaningful,
then they will ask for more (since curiosity will start to kick in). Curiosity is the force behind
lifelong learning!
The valuing part can be done before closing the lesson. Listed below are the
mathematical concepts vis-à-vis the sample questions and/or moral lessons that you
might want your learners to reflect on.

You may ask your students to reflect on and write about mathematical
concepts in relation to values or standards of behavior related to their lesson in
relation to values or standards of behavior related to their lesson.
Math Topic Reflection Questions
1.Whole Numbers Connect the lesson to the concept of 'wholeness'- comprising the
full quantity, the start of forming a complete and harmonious
whole, and the state of being unbroken and undamaged.
1.What were your experiences in the past that make you feel
“whole" or "complete"?
2. Bullying can make a person’s heartbroken/not whole. Cite a
specific event in the past in which you or your classmate has
experienced bullying (in any form). How did you respond to the
situation? What can you do to stand up against persons who
break or damage people's hearts?
2. Order of Operations Relate this lesson to the importance of obeying rules/order for self-
management and doing things one step at a time.
1. Why are rules important?
2. What aspect of obeying rules did you find quite challenging in
the past?
3. What step-by-step process do you follow in solving your
problems?
Relate this lesson to the rigidity of triangles. Other polygons can be
5. Geometry (Triangles)
easily deformed. If you make a rectangle or a square from metal
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 wires with hinges at the corners, you will find that it does not stay
in that orientation. It can be transformed into an ordinary
parallelogram. In a triangle, each edge is supported by the other
two edges. This characteristic makes a triangle stable. You have to
act like triangles, and you have to make sure that you have a
strong support group.

Lesson 3. Collaboration
Group activities, if facilitated carelessly, could waste classroom time. Because of
this, it is important for teachers like you to ensure that the group activities are carefully
designed and successfully implemented. This lesson aims to help you prèpare, monitor,
and process collaborative tasks in your classroom that will maximize your students'
capacity to socialize with each other.
Vygotsky's Social Learning Theory
Collaborative, learning branches out from the zone of proximal development (ZPD)
theory of Vygotsky.
Vygotsky defined the ZPD as follows:
“The zone of proximal development is the distance between the actual
developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of
potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in
collaboration with more capable peers."
In the ZPD, the learners are close to developing the new skill, but they need
supervision and assistance. For instance, if a student has already mastered basic addition
of fractions, then basic subtraction may enter their ZPD, that is, he/she has the capacity to
gain mastery of subtraction of fractions with assistance. The assistance may not be
directly provided by the subject teacher. A child seeks to understand the actions or
instructions provided by any skillful peer and internalizes the information, using it to guide
or regulate their own performance.
It is, therefore, necessary that learners should be given the opportunities to work
with their peers in broadening their learning experience, allowing small groups of students
to work together to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and solve problems together. As

51
the learners collaborate with their classmates and teachers, they adopt some of the
learning heuristics and develop more skills in problem solving.
Designing Group Activities
Collaborative activities encourage active participation from the learners. Instead of
passively accepting information from teachers, the learners discover new insights by
cooperatively working with other learners. As mentioned earlier, teachers should be keen
in selecting appropriate learning activities for the students. Listed below are some tips
about preparing, monitoring, and processing collaborative tasks in your classroom that will
maximize your students' capacity to socialize and learn from and with each other.
Identify the instructional objectives.
When deciding whether or not to use group work for a specific task, reflect on the
following questions: What does the activity aim to achieve? How will that objective be
furthered by asking the students to work in groups? Is the activity complex enough that it
requires group work? Will the project require true collaboration? Is there any reason why
the assignment should not be collaborative? Are the objectives attainable within a given
time frame?
Determine the group size.
How many students will be assigned to each group? The size you choose will
depend on the total number of students in your classroom, the size of the venue where
the activity will be held, the variety of students needed in a group, and the task assigned.
If you want to have diverse, productive, active, and cohesive groups, then try dividing your
class into groups with four to five members.
Decide how you will divide the class.
Will you group them based on proximity? Will you group them according to their
preferences? The fastest way to group the students is to divide the class based on
proximity. You might also want to randomly assign the students to groups by counting off
and grouping them according to number. Another idea is to let the students get a
chocolate from a basket of different chocolates and group them according to the flavor
they choose. You may also strategically assign them to groups instead of randomly

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assigning them. Prepare a list with names vis-à-vis his/her prevailing attitude toward the
subject. Divide the students accordingly based on this list. Make sure that each group has
a good mixture of personalities. Other possible factors that you should consider include
gender, race, ethnicity, and behavior.
Give a teambuilding task before assigning the actual task.
Give a preliminary task that will help each student establishes a good rapport with
his/her group. These primer activities should be designed in such a way that positive
relationships will be built and mutual respect between and among members will be
established. You may prepare a simple activity like asking each member to answer
questions about his/her favorite foods, books, places, or hobbies. Students will be given
the opportunity to find connections-things they have in common with one another.
(Note: Feel free to remove this part if the class is already bonded and
cohesive.)
Delegate a specific task to each member of the group.
How do you get the students to participate in the task? Come up with a task
wherein different roles are assigned to group members so that they are all involved in the
process. Each member should feel responsible for the success of their groupmates and
realize that their individual success depends on the group's success. If a student feels
that other people are relying on them, then he/she will be motivated to accomplish his/her
part excellently.
Have a contract signed by your participants.
Establish how group members should interact with one another. Make them sign
an agreement that explicitly states their expectations of one another. The contract should
also include the behaviors that you want them to avoid and the values that you want them
to observe and uphold.
Share your reason/s for doing collaborative activities.
The reason for doing collaboration has to be clearly articulated to your students.
Students must understand the benefits of collaborative learning. Explicitly connect these
activities to larger class themes and learning outcomes whenever possible.

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 Give your instructions clearly.
Giving instructions is not something that you take for granted. Giving a clear set of
instructions contributes to the good performance of your students in an activity. Failing to
do so can lead to a huge waste of time. If the students do not understand the given task,
then this will result in many interruptions. As a facilitator of the activity, you should tell
exactly what your students have to perform and describe what the final output of their
group task will look like.
Go around and keep your ears open.
As the students accomplish their group task, go around and answer questions
about the task. Make sure to keep your ears open. Listen to their collaborative dialogue.
Pay attention to the interesting points that will surface from the discussion. Talk about
these interesting points during the subsequent closing/ processing of activity. Try not to
interfere too much with the group's way of proceeding; give your participants the time to
think about their own problems before getting involved. Consider leaving the venue fora
few minutes. Your absence can increase students' willingness to share uncertainties and
disagreements. If you find a group that is experiencing some sort of uncertainty or
disagreement, refrain from giving the answers or resolving the disagreement. Allow your
participants to feel some stretch/to experience struggle-within reason-to accomplish the
task.
Provide closure to the group activities.
Conclude the activity by having a session wherein the students make a report. You
can ask each group to give an oral report or submit a written report. The reporting should
revolve around their insights. You may also ask them to reflect on how they performed in
the group. This will also give you an idea of their perceptions about group work. Relate
the points raised to your current lesson and the objectives of the activity.

Lesson 4. Teaching By Asking

In a mathematics class, effective questioning is essential. Students will get bored if
his/her teacher merely states facts. An effective teacher does not just tell the definitions

54
and theorems, but rather he/she asks meaningful questions that lead the learners to the
correct ideas. Also, the teacher gets to identify the students who are having a hard time
with the lesson and those with more advanced skills through questioning. It is through
questioning that a teacher gets to know the misunderstandings of the learners. If a
teacher is knowledgeable about the misunderstandings of the learners, then the teacher
will have the greatest understanding of his/her learners.
It is, therefore, necessary that teachers deliberately frame questions that will keep
the class discussion moving. The goal of this strategy is to keep the learners' voices at the
forefront of every classroom session. The challenge for you now is to think of questions
that you could ask that would get your students engaged.
Discussion vs Lecture
In a discussion-based strategy, the teacher's role is to engage the learners in a
question-oriented dialogue. The teacher spends a significant amount of time asking
scaffolding questions to help the students understand an idea deeply. The interaction in
this method leans on both the teachers' and the students' equal participation. This type of
strategy is different from that of a lecture. In a lecture, the teacher is the chief source of
information.
Art of Questioning
Not all questions are created equal. Some questions can be answered by a simple
yes or no. Some questions would require the students to think more meaningfully. Asking
the right questions will help you understand what your learners know, do not know, and
need to know. Asking questions is an art. As with most arts, no specific formula will work
in all situations all the time. This lesson will enumerate general ideas for your careful
consideration when framing essential questions.
Avoid “one-word-response" questions.
Refrain from asking questions that only require a yes or no answer. In general,
questions that would require one-word answers do not provide much information to check
your learners' thought processes. This type of questioning may not stretch the mental
muscles of your learners. Questions are posed to help the students articulate themselves,

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clarify concepts, challenge known assumptions, examine reasons, and make significant
connections to mathematical concepts.
Foster a climate conducive to learning and questioning.
Make sure that your learners feel comfortable to express his/her ideas and/or ask
questions at any time. Some students are reluctant to speak up because they are afraid of
what the teacher or classmates might think if they give an incorrect response. Listen
attentively to what your learners have to say. If your learners feel that you are listening to
their ideas, then a good working relationship with them will develop. Do not focus on
hearing “correct responses” but rather focus on listening to the message that the learners
are trying to send across. Avoid directing a challenging question to the students if your
goal is just to discipline him/her for not behaving well in class. Challenging questions are
posed to stimulate critical thinking. Create a classroom environment where the learners
feel heard and recognized.
My Question, My Answer is a no-no!
Do not answer your own questions. If you are not able to elicit responses from your
students, try rephrasing your question. Do not rush the learners to give responses
instantly. Give them some time to ponder and hypothesize deeply about ideas. You might
also give some leading questions to help them level up their conceptual understanding. If
your student does not answer correctly, you should continue to listen and ask clarificatory
questions. Thinking should be respected and valued even if the response contains many
misconceptions.
Frame questions that are accessible to all learners.
Remind your students that the question is for all members of the class. Try not to
label the degree of difficulty of a question. Avoid saying: "I expect my fast
learners/challenged ones to answer this question". Give open-ended questions from time
to time. The answers to open-ended questions vary from person to person. This type of
questioning encourages the students to communicate their thoughts since there are
multiple answers to open-ended questions. Moreover, this allows all types of learners to
contribute. their ideas to the discussion. Get ready to hear surprising answers from your

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learners!
Learners should be active questioners, too!
Demand your students to ask questions. The learners should practice directing
questions not only to you but also to their co-learners. You should give the other students
the time to develop an answer to the question that their co-learners have posed. Keep in
mind that in a discussion, you do not always provide a ready answer. You want the voices
of your students to be at the center of every classroom session! After hearing a response
from one student, follow up by channeling it to another learner for feedback. This prompts
the students for further participation.
The table provides examples of classroom scenarios along with possible
questioning techniques.
Situation Questioning Technique
1. You want to help a student who gets -What part/s of the problem is/are difficult to
stuck on a problem. understand?
-What are the given pieces of information?
-Can you identify some strategies to help
you understand the problem?
-Would drawing a diagram help?
-How would you describe the problem in
your own words?
-What happens if you try it with smaller
numbers?
2.You want your students to listen and -What do you think about your classmate's
respond to the answers of their classmates. answer?
-How would you restate your classmate's
reasoning?
-Did anyone get the same result but with a
different
solution method?

57
 -Why is your classmate's assumption
correct/incorrect?
-Would you like to comment on any of the
previous
answers?
3.You want to lead your students to the - Does this formula always work? Why?
right conjecture, definition, or generalization -How do perimeter and area differ?
-How does the radius of a circle relate to
the diameter of the circle?
-Will this solution method work if some
conditions about the problem are changed?
-Do you notice nay pattern? What can you
conjecture about this?
-What mathematical law/s support/s this
statement?
-How are fractions related to decimals?

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Assessment Task 5
Answer the following questions.

1. The first guideline in using manipulatives id to let the students play with
the material. Why do you think is this so?

2. Chose a topic from grade 4 to 6. How would you inject values into this
particular topic. Put it in a situation where the students can relate to.
Imagine you are talking to your students. Write your script below. If you
plan to use materials, write a note about it.

3. Design your own collaborative activity. Explain the mechanics of this

activity succinctly.

Supply the following with an appropriate questioning technique/s to address

the indicated classroom scenario.

Scenario Questioning Techniques

1.The teacher gave examples and non-

examples of polygons. When students
were asked to give a definition, they
were unresponsive.

2.Only the bright students are

answering the questions. The
challenged ones do not raise their
hands.
3. When a student was asked to
answer a question, he/she responded
with an angry stare.

59
Summary
Manipulatives have long been used to facilitate learning mathematics.
Although many manipulatives are available in the market, nothing beats the
manipulatives created by a teacher who know exactly what his/her students
need.

There is a growing demand for teachers to deliberately teach values and

this is possible even in the mathematics classroom. All that teachers need to
do is to be intentional about it and reflect on ways to inject values in their
lessons.

Group activities can foster collaboration when thoughtfully designed and

carefully facilitated. Group size and composition are some of the
considerations in designing group activities. It also helps to explain to the
students why doing the activity by group is essential in learning the lesson
where it is applied.

Teachers can effectively facilitate a meaningful discussion by asking the

right questions. Questioning is a beautiful art that scaffolds student learning. In
this strategy, it is important that you have already created a learning
environment that is open to questioning:

References
Gusano, Riza C. et.al. (2020) A Course module for teaching math in the
intermediate grades. Rex Book Store.

60
 MODULE 6
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES FOR MATHEMATICS
IN THE INTERMEDIATE GREADES

Introduction
This unit discusses one of the most important aspects of teaching –
assessment. In this unit we will learn how to assess students learning for formative and
grading purposes alike. You will also learn about the contemporary types of authentic
assessment.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of module 6, the students are able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding and appreciation of assessments,
2. Differentiate formative and summative assessments,
3. Demonstrate understanding and appreciation for traditional assessment tools,
4. Construct a performance task in mathematics, and
5. Demonstrate understanding in designing learning portfolios.

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Lesson 1. Assessing Learning
A very important concern that demands urgent attention is the assessment,
specifically the classroom assessment that should be within the K-12 Basic Education
framework and aligned with the learning standards of the enhanced curriculum. Due to
the need, DepEd issued the DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2015, which is the Policy Guidelines
on Classroom Assessment for the K-12 to Basic Education Curriculum. This lesson will
help you understand assessment and how it is used in the classroom.
Assessment is defined as a process that is used to keep track of the learners'
progress in relation to learning standards including that of the development of 21st
century skills, which is part of the new K-12 education framework. Thus, assessment
should be aligned with curriculum standards and on the 21st century skills assessment
framework.Every assessment you give must be aligned with the objectives of the lessons
to which the assessment was made for. This way, you are sure that you are testing what
you intended for the students to learn.
The process of assessment is anchored to the framework of ZPD of Vygotsky
(1978). In the center of the process is the nature of the learner. Assessment shall
recognize the diversity of the learners inside the classroom, which requires multiple ways
of assessment measures of their varying abilities, skills, and potentials. The ZPD
assessment framework puts premium consideration on the recognition of the learner's
ZPD at the heart of the assessment. A learner-centered assessment supports the
learners' success in moving from guided to independent display of knowledge,
understanding, and skills, as well' as assimilation of these in future situations. The ZPD
adheres to learning and teaching within a degree that is not difficult yet challenging for the
learners. It facilitates the ultimate objectives of the K-12 program in each learner that is to
develop higher-order thinking and 21st century skills. From this view, there is unity
between instruction and assessment. Instruction is assessment, and vice versa. And
assessment is not delimited to written examinations; it is part of the day-to-day lessons
and classroom activities and transcends to real-life setting.
The enhanced curriculum of the K-12 basic education is standards-based. The
assessment measures shall be anchored on the attainment of these standards and
competencies. Assessment is aimed at helping the learners perform well in relation to

62
these learning standards. There is a recommended type, component, period, and
approach of assessment for each learning standard lifted from DepEd's policy guidelines.

Principles of Assessment
1. Assessment should be consistent with the curriculum standards.
The teacher should make sure that the assessment measures the
attainment of the learning objectives set at the beginning of the lesson or
unit.
2. Formative assessment needs to scaffold the students in the
summative assessment. The results of formative assessment are not
graded but it is important to keep documents of these to study the
patterns of the learning demonstrated by the learners to prepare them in
taking the summative assessment.
3. Assessment results must be used by teachers to help the students
learn better. The teacher must seek ways to use assessment to help the
students want to learn and feel able to learn.
4. Assessment is not used to threaten or intimidate the learners. The
main purpose of assessment is to improve learning, not increase anxiety
among the learners.
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 There are two fundamental types of assessments-the formative and the summative
assessments.
Formative Assessment can be viewed in two lenses. It is an assessment for
learning on the lens of the teacher, while an assessment as learning on the lens of the
learner. Formative assessment can be given at any time, before, during, and after the
lesson; it is also not confined within the classroom because any interaction with the
learner is opportunity to assess the learner's abilities. The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Program on Teaching and Learning for a
Sustainable Future defines, formative assessment as an ongoing and closely related to
the learning process. It is characteristically informal and intended to help the student
identify his/her strengths and weaknesses in order to learn from the assessment.
Formative Assessment as “assessment for learning” provides teachers the
evidence about what the learners know and can do. Teachers observe and guide the
learners in their task through interaction and dialogue-in the ZPD framework, thus, gaining
insights and pieces of evidence about the learners' strengths, weaknesses, progress, and
needs. The results of these will help teachers design instructional activities and make
decisions so that it is suited to the learners' situations and needs. The pieces of evidence
in the formative assessment shall be documented or recorded in order to track and
monitor the learners' progress systematically. But the formative assessment results are
not graded and hence are not included in the computation for marking or ranking.
Formative Assessment as “assessment as learning” provides the learners of the
immediate information on how they perform on the learning process. The assessment
provides information on which areas the learners do well in or which areas do they need
help with. This can be through feedback from anyone around them especially from the
teacher or any individual who is considered more knowledgeable. Formative assessment
should also be a learning opportunity that enables the learners to take responsibility for
their own learning.
A formative assessment is effective when instruction is embedded in it to promote
learning (McMillan, 2007). The steps begin in giving orientation about the learning goals
(black arrow). The detailed steps after the orientation of the learning goals are to
determine the current status of learners or pieces of evidence of prior understanding'; next
is to provide clear, specifics and on-time feedback2; next is to provide instructional
64
corrections/adjustments based on the needs of the learners3; next is to move the learners
close to the goals/learning standards4; next is to evaluate the learners' progress5; and
lastly, again to provide feedback of the learners' status6.
In a case where a learner is highly self-regulated, the process begins with the
orientation of learning goals, next is to determine the status/prior understanding of
learners, next is to provide feedback, next is to provide instructional corrections/
adjustment, next is to evaluate the student's progress, and lastly, the processes end in the
same step, which is to provide feedback after evaluation of the student's progress.

The DepEd guidelines provide the assessment purposes before, during, and after
the lesson. Examples are given, which teachers may utilize but shall not be limited on.
Parts of the Purpose Examples of
Lesson For the Learner For the Teacher Assessment Methods
1. Know what s/he knows 1. Get information about 1. Agree/Disagree
about the topic/lesson what the learner already activities
2. Understand the knows and a can do 2. Games
purpose of the lesson and about the new lesson 3. Interviews
how to do well in the 2. Share learning 4. Inventories/Checklists
Before the lesson intentions and success of skills (relevant to the
Lesson 3. Identify ideas or criteria to the learners topic in a learning area)
concepts s/he 3. Determine 5. KWL activities (what I
misunderstands misconceptions. know, what I want to
4. Identify barriers to 4. Identify what hinders know, what I learned)
learning learning 6. Open-ended questions
7. Practice exercises
1. Identify one's strengths 1. Multimedia 1. Multimedia
and weaknesses presentations presentations
2.Identify barriers to 2. Identify what hinders 2. Observations
Lesson learning learning 3. Other formative
Proper 3.Identify factors that help 3. Identify what performance tasks
him/her learn facilitates learning 4. (simple activities that can
4.Know what he/she Identify learning gaps be drawn from specific
knows and does not know 5. Track learner topic or lesson

65
 5.Monitor his/her own progress in comparison 4. Quizzes (recorded but
progress to formative assessment not graded)
results prior to the 5. Recitations
lesson proper 6.Simulation activities
6. To make decisions on
whether to proceed with
the next lesson,
reteach, or provide for
corrective measures or
reinforcements
1.Tell and recognize 1. Assess whether 1.Checklists
whether he/she met learning objectives 2.Discussion
learning objectives have been met for a 3.Games
and success criteria specified duration 4.Performance tasks that
2.Seek support through 2.Remediate and/or emanate from the lesson
After the
remediation, enrichment, enrich with appropriate objectives
Lesson
or other strategies strategies as needed 5. Practice exercises
3. Evaluate whether 6.Short quizzes
learning intentions and 7.Written work
success criteria have
been met

Summative Assessment is the assessment of learning. This assessment is

always given at the end of a unit or toward the end of a period because it aims to
measure what the learners have acquired after the learning process as compared with the
learning standards. The results will be used for decisions about future learning or job
sustainability. For UNESCO, the judgments derived from this assessment are more
beneficial for others than to the learners.
The role of summative assessment is to measure if the learners have met the
standards set in the curriculum guide. The teacher shall use a method that was
deliberately designed to measure how well the students learned and were able to apply
their learning in different contexts. The results of the summative assessment are recorded
and reported on the learners' achievement. The results are part of the computed markings

66
and to be reported to parents/guardians, principal/school head, teacher on the next grade
level, and guidance teachers.
For reiteration, the formative assessment should prepare the learners in taking the
summative assessment. And teachers shall provide sufficient and appropriate
instructional interventions to ensure that the learners are ready to take the summative
assessments.
The summative assessment measures the different ways the learners use and
apply all the relevant knowledge, understanding, and skills. The learners synthesize the
knowledge, understanding, and skills during the summative assessment and the results
will be used as bases for computing the grades. The summative assessment is in the
form of a unit test and a quarterly test; it must be spaced properly over the quarter. It has
three components, namely, Written Work, Performance Test, and Quarterly Assessment.
These components are the bases of computing the grade and different learning areas
have unique ways to assess these components and set different percentage for each
component.
Components Purpose When to Give
• Assess the learners’ understanding of concepts and At the end of the
Written Work application of skills in written form topic or unit
• Prepare the learners for quarterly assessment
• This can be individual or collaborative over a period of At the end of the
time lesson about a
• Provide opportunities for the learners to demonstrate particular topic/skill
and integrate their knowledge, understanding and skills
about a topic or concept learned to apply in real-life Several times
Performance
situations through performance withing at quarter
Tasks
• Provide opportunities for the learners to design and
express their learning in diverse ways
• Encourage the learners’ inquiry, integration of
knowledge, understanding and skills in various contexts
beyond the assessment period
Quarterly • Synthesize all the learning skills, concepts and values in Once, every end of
Assessment a quarter the quarter

67
 The DepEd guidelines provide a list of assessment tools per learning area. Shown
below is for mathematics.
Components
Learning Areas
Written Work (WW) Performance Tasks (PT)
A. Unit/Chapter Tests A. Products
B. Written output 1. Diagrams
1. Data recording and 2. Mathematical Investigatory projects
analyses 3. Models/Making models of geometric
2. Geometric and statistical figures
analyses 4. Number representations
3. Graphs, charts or maps B. Performance-based tasks
4. Problem sets 1. Constructing graphs from survey
5. surveys conducted
Math
2. Multimedia presentation
3. Outdoor math
4. Probability experiments
5. Problem posing
6. Reasoning and proof through
recitation
7. Using manipulatives to show math
concepts/solve problem
8. Using measuring tools/devices

Lesson 2. Traditional Assessment

For so long, the most widely used measure to describe the learners' achievement
and performances is traditional assessment. Traditional assessment is formal and often
standardized. In administering the traditional assessment, the learners are given the exact
procedures of administering and scoring. It is also described as a single-occasion
measure, uni-dimensional timed exercise that usually in multiple-choice or short-answer
form. The traditional assessment measures are the 'most widely used measure of a
student's learning and measure of success in educational goals, and it is still considered
relevant and acknowledged to be valid assessment measures.
There are many critiques on the use of traditional assessment tools. Included is
68
that the tools, overemphasis upon narrowly focused skills/abilities and content, the
mismatch between the standardized tests and the student's experiences in the learning
activities, as well as the student's motivation to complete such tests. Some issues are
relative and apparent vis-à-vis comparison with the authentic assessment.
Traditional Assessment Alternative/Authentic Assessment
One shot test Continuous, Longitudinal assessment
Indirect test Direct test
Absence of Feedback to the learners Feedback is part of the processes
Speed exams Basically, untimed exams
Decontextualized task Personalized task
Norm-reference score interpretation Criterion-reference score interpretation
Standardized test Classroom-based test

The comparison puts the traditional assessment in the bad light, but according to
some authors, though it has many critiques and considered not sufficient assessment
measures of learning and success of any program, it is still relevant and necessary in the
current situations where the call for alternative assessment is highly recommended.
On a positive note, standardized test scores are used to compare a student's
performance across different schools since standardized tests control intervening factors
such as a variety of tasks within a test (Benjamin, 2012). On the other hand, standardized
test scores reflect only a single measure of a student's attribute, performance, or ability
but fail to generalize other, settings.
At present, traditional assessment may have many critiques but it still has its
advantages. To name some, the traditional assessment measures are more objective,
valid, and reliable. This is especially true for standardized tests and other types of
multiple-choice tests (Law & Eckes, 1995), while these advantages of traditional
assessment measures are the critiques to authentic assessment, especially the reliability
and subjectivity issues.
Principles of Traditional Assessment
In deciding which assessment strategy to use, the teacher needs to consider the
issues such as content, context, and audience or use of the results (Dikli, 2003). Having

69
clearly defined, the objectives, appropriate assessment tools need to be utilized.
Depending on the nature of the instruction, a combination of assessment strategies might
be useful to ensure that the assessment tool 'is meaningful, useful, and honest. There are
five main points to consider when designing an assessment tool:
1. The purpose of the assessment and whether the task fulfills that
purpose. An essential starting point is to be aware of the reasons why you
are assessing the students and how to design an assessment that will fulfill
your needs. To do this, it is important to consider the decisions to make, the
information you need to gather to make those decisions, and what methods
are the most effective in gathering that information.
2. The validity and reliability of the assessment that you are constructing.
To ensure that the information to get out of the assessment results is as
honest as possible, it is crucial to make sure that the assessment is both
valid and reliable. It is valid when it tests a relevant skill or ability, while it is
reliable when the test gives the same result if taken repeatedly.
3. The referencing of the assessment. To make the assessment meaningful,
it is important to compare the candidates' abilities with a common measure.
The other common measures for comparison are with other learners,
comparison with objective criteria, or comparison with the learners' own
performance in other areas. The careful consideration of the purposes of the
assessment will help the most appropriate reference frame to become clear.
4. The construction quality of assessment items. For the assessment to
become effective, the assessment items must be constructed to an
appropriate quality. Judging the quality of items can be complicated, but as
a starting point, consider the difficulty level of the items. A good assessment
has a difficulty level of the average learners. Consider also how well the
assessment differentiates the learners in order to maximize the information
that can draw.
5. The grading of the assessment. The grades of the assessment results are
very concise summaries of a student's abilities. They are generally designed
for the purposes of the institution, hence should be clear and easily
understood by a lay person. The grading of the assessment is often related
70
 to the referencing of the assessment, and the grading and the referencing
should be considered in tandem.

The following are the most widely used traditional assessment tools that can be
used in class.
1. True or False Test. True or False items require a student to make
decisions and find out which of two potential responses is true. This
measure is easy to score and easy to administer, but guessing the answer
has a 50% chance of success. Another consideration: when the test item is
false, it is hard to know whether the student really knows the correct
response and why. One possible action to improve the quality of True or
False test is to ask the student to provide an explanation for the incorrect
items or rewrite the items correctly.
2. Multiple-choice Test. This type of test is commonly utilized by teachers,
schools, and assessment organizations for the following reasons (Bailey,
1998):
a. Fast, easy, and economical to score. Machine can be used in
scoring.
b. This measure can be scored objectively, thus giving an
impression of being most fair and/or more reliable than other form
of test.
c. As compared with True or False test; the multiple-choice test
reduces the chances of the learners guessing the correct items.
There are many critiques on the use of multiple-choice test. The most
common critique is that the test items of multiple choice are effective only in
testing the low level of cognitive skills like recalling of previously memorized
knowledge, while items that demand higher-order thinking skills such as
analyzing and synthesizing are difficult to produce (Simonson, 2000; Bailey,
1998). The other critiques on the use of multiple-choice test are the
guessing may be considerable, but with unknown effect in the test scores,
the test severely restricts what can be tested, difficult to write successful
items, backwash maybe harmful, and cheating is highly possible
71
 (Bailey,1998).
3. Essay. Essay is an effective assessment tool because the answer is
flexible, and it measures higher-order learning skills-written communication
and organization of ideas. However, it is not a practical measure because it
is difficult and time-consuming to score. Another issue is the subjectivity in
scoring, hence creating a rubric is necessary to evaluate the output
(Simonson et al., 2000). The rubric is a “criteria-rating scale" which gives the
teachers a tool that allows them to track student performance. The teacher
has an option to create or adopt a rubric depending on their instructional
needs.
4. Short-answer Test. In a short-answer test, the items are written either as a
direct question requiring the learner to fill in a word or phrase or as a
statement in which a space has been left blank for a learner to fill in a brief
written answer. The question needs to be precise; otherwise, the items that
are open to interpretations allow the learners to fill in the blanks with any
possible information.

Lesson 3. Authentic Assessment

Mathematics education aims to develop learners with critical 'and analytical
thinking skills to solve real-life problems. Thus, mathematics classes must have tasks and
activities the same with how the mathematicians use mathematics outside the classroom.
How the students learn mathematics inside the classroom shall not be different on how
they will use it outside the classroom.
Principles of Authentic Assessment
1. Authentic mathematics requires essential skills that can be measured by the
ability to communicate and ask questions, to assimilate unfamiliar information,
and to work cooperatively with the team-the mathematical skills for lifelong
learning with the computer literacy. A part of mathematics literacy is the ability
to learn and assimilate new information; hence there is a need for essential
skills of flexibility and adaptability. Related to communication is the ability of
the learners to articulate what they understand and do not. Communication

72
 can be fostered in school if the learners learn and use the language of
mathematics like activities that provide opportunities to make conjectures and
reasons. Adaptability will be developed if learning provides multiple contexts
that promote the value of mathematical interpretation in a variety of interrelated
experiences.
2. In authentic assessment, the use of multiple types of measures is possible.
The use of technology paired with appropriate questions. For example, for
elementary levels, they may ask to find one data point, while for intermediate
'levels, the question could be to find the trends among multiple points in the
data. The most recommended question is to identify the multiple patterns or
understanding the overall picture of the data to test the learners' understanding
of the deeper structure of the data.
3. Authentic assessment is built on the accuracy of mathematical contents and
interdisciplinary integration. In geography, there are opportunities to use
scaling, proportions, and ratio. In genetics, there are opportunities to apply
statistics and probability. Interdisciplinary approach provides opportunities of
different contexts. It promotes attitudes of inquiry, investigation, and sensitivity
on the interrelatedness between content and real world.
4. Authentic assessment measures the complete picture of the learners'
intellectual growth. It measures the various kinds of knowledge and measures
either group or individual for different purposes. An authentic assessment is
the combination of more than one. Small group situations may be useful to
measure the ability to talk and listen while individual assessment can be used
to measure the ability to synthesize knowledge.
5. Authentic assessment uses the dynamic and adaptive form of feedback. This
is also called scaffolding feedback where the learner can identify the skills to
model and can reflect and connect on their performances. Thus, assessment
becomes learning opportunities and assessment aims to measure not only the
actual performance but, more importantly, the potential.
6. Authentic assessment must take place in the context of the learning process.
7. It must consider both the learner and the situation in which the learner is
assessed.
73
8. It must provide information on what the learner knows, what does not know,
and on the development of changes in such learning.
9. Repeated measures of appropriate learning indicators must be made to obtain
a clear picture of the learner's knowledge.
10. Indicators must include cognitive and conative abilities to capture different
perspectives.
11. Authentic assessment will require instruments that provide in-depth
perspectives on learning. The use of at least three different media in
assessment to obtain the integrated picture of a learner, for example, the use
of paper-and-pen tests, videos, and computers jointly to have an authentic
understanding of the learner. Paper and pencil can use to measure the
student's knowledge of facts, concepts, procedures, and text comprehension
abilities. It can also be used to gauge how well the students critique the quality
of other documents. Videos can assess communication, explanation,
summarization, listening, argumentation, question asking, answering skills,
and how the student interacts during cooperative learning. Computers can be
used to simulate realistic situations inside the classroom, and they can
effectively track the process of learning and the learners' response to adaptive
feedback. Computers can make possible the dynamic assessment of relevant
criteria.
12. The purpose of the assessment must be considered. If the assessment results
will be used by the student or the teacher, then, the tool must be available in
the classroom on a regular basis, which promotes the integration of instruction
and assessment. This kind is called systemic approach of assessment, which
often used in the context of performance assessment.
Authentic Assessment Tools
1. Presentations, debate, exhibition, written reports, videotapes of
performances, demonstrations, open-ended questions, computer simulation,
hands-on execution of experiments, portfolios, and projects.
2. In-depth evaluation in the contexts of problem solving. It involves individual
and cooperative problem-solving activities. Teachers must have a scoring
template to facilitate their task of assessing the learning. This project
74
 provides an example of how to examine both the individual and cooperative
group problem-solving activities, provides insights on how the students form
their hypotheses by comparing theirs with other hypotheses, and provides
an understanding of how to generalize concepts from one problem situation
to another.
3. Use of open-ended questions will provide opportunities for the learners to
think for themselves and express their ideas. Communication is fostered as
well as writing tasks. This is also an opportunity to measure the learner's
misconceptions and reasoning abilities.
4. De Lange (1987) designed mathematical problem situations composed of
multiple items with varying levels of difficulty. There are five tasks: timed
written tasks, two-stage tasks, a take-home examination, an essay task, and
an oral task. This is a multifaceted evaluation of a learner. Stage one
includes open-ended and essay questions. These items are scored and
returned to the students. In stage two, the students are provided with their
scores in the stage one; they are also allowed to take again the stage one
test at home as long as they do it within the agreed time. The final
assessment includes the scores in stage one and stage two; students can
learn from their mistakes in the previous stages and from feedback. The
assessment processes become interactive and assist the students in
reaching their potentials.
5. Portfolio assessment is also a recommended form of authentic or
performance-based assessment. However, there is a caution to create
guidelines on how to score the portfolio because of the existence of multiple
audiences.
6. Projects are an example of authentic assessment (Simonson et al., 2000).
This can be made individually or as a group. The project can possess
authenticity, real-life related concepts, and prior experience of the learners.
Any type of method that displays what the students know about a certain
topic (i.e., development of plans, research proposals, and multimedia
presentations) is considered a project. Problem-based learning requires the
learner to use their problem-solving skills to respond to a given situation. For
75
 example, a scenario can be presented and the learners, either as a group or
an individual, will be asked to provide strategies or solutions. The learners
may provide their findings in various forms like multimedia presentations,
role-play, or written report.
To increase the effectiveness of performance or authentic assessment, teachers
must pay attention to the following details (Elliot, 1995):
▪ Select assessment tasks that are clearly aligned or connected to what has
been taught.
▪ Involve the learner in the formulation of scoring criteria for the assessment
task and share the final criteria prior to working on the task.
▪ Provide and explain, if necessary, the clear statements of learning
standards and/or other models of acceptable/best performances prior to
engagement on assessment tasks.
▪ Explain the importance of completing the self-assessment tool in improving
their performances.
▪ Provide examples of interpreting the students' performances by comparing
them to learning standards that are developmentally appropriate or
comparing them to another student's performance.
There are many forms of authentic assessment to ensure collaborative effort,
interaction, and active participation of the learners. DepEd recommends the use of
GRASPS framework in giving and assessing performance tasks. GRASPS stands for:

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Lesson 4. Designing Learning Portfolios
Portfolio assessment is an example of authentic and nontraditional assessment of
learning. The use of portfolio assessment is an answer to the need for continuous
assessment in the course of day-to-day instruction that traditional assessment, like
standardized testing, cannot address.
The portfolio assessment can measure a variety of skills that is not measurable by
single testing of traditional assessment. The portfolio can be in written, oral, and graphics
outputs set and developed by the learners themselves. These outputs have some degree
of quality that cannot be measured by traditional tests.
Portfolio develops awareness of one's own learning. Knowing the criteria of the
content and assessment, the learner can always refer to these in each stage to verify the
progress in achieving the set of objectives and goals. Furthermore, it also aims to develop
independent and active learning.
Portfolio assessment can address the heterogeneous groupings of the learners
because part of the objectives is to exhibit the unique and personal effort, development,
and growth of each learner. This flexibility is also a way to provide opportunities to
demonstrate their abilities in a personal preferential manner.
Implicitly, engaging in learning portfolio promotes social interaction between the
learner and the teacher and the learner and other learners. An additional interaction is
between the learner, the teacher, and the parent during the output presentation and
feedbacking where the collaborative comments of the parent and teachers are important
for future performances. The collaborative approach of portfolio assessment is an
important element of the process.
Since a learning portfolio is anchored on the theory of self-determination (Deci &
Ryan, 2004), students have the liberty to design it according to their preference. This
results to higher student engagement to the task which in turn improves learner
motivation and achievement. Active engagement to exhibit pieces of evidence of growth
can enhance an individual's sense of independence, competence, and self-
empowerment. These basic psychological needs, if satisfied together, can improve the
learner's motivation, achievement, and future self-options.

77
Purposes of Learning Portfolio
• Portfolio guides the learner and the teachers to set and establish goals
aligned in the learning objectives.
• The process of portfolio ensures the active participation of a learner and
helps the learner to examine his/her growth and development over time.
• The portfolio processes provide chances for self-evaluation and reflection.
• Portfolio enhances the student's learning and current achievement and
showcases and documents the development and growth in more a
contextualized approach.
• Portfolio can evaluate teaching effectiveness. Portfolio provides flexibility in
curriculum and instruction planning because it highly considers the
developmental domains of the learners and the contents of the subject
matter.
• Portfolio can help evaluate and improve the curriculum.
• Portfolio reinforces hands-on and concrete experiences.
• Portfolio can motivate parents and other stakeholders to become involved in
the learner's evaluation plan.

Types of Learning Portfolio

1. Documentary Portfolio. This involves a collection of work over time,
showing the growth and improvement reflecting the students' learning and
identified outcomes. It is also called growth portfolio. The collection and
exhibit of items can be based on specific educational goals or experiences
of particular the learning area.
2. Process Portfolio. This demonstrates all facets or phases of the learning
process; hence the arrangement is based on the learner's stages of
metacognitive processing. This portfolio contains reflective journals, think
logs, and other related pieces of evidence.
3. Showcase Portfolio. This is the kind that shows only the best of the
students' output and products.
4. Evaluation Portfolio. This includes some work that was previously been

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 submitted.
5. Class Portfolio. This contains a student grade and evaluative assessment
of the student by the teacher.
6. Ideal Portfolio. This contains all the work a student has completed.
In deciding the type of portfolio, the teacher needs to consider the level of the
course, the age of the student, and the portfolio that will be used and evaluated.

Essential Characteristics of Portfolio Assessment

1. Portfolio is an assessment that is done together by the learners and the
teacher. The teacher guides the learner from planning, execution, and
evaluation of the contents of learning portfolios, hence the interaction and
discourse are important elements of the process. Together, they formulate the
objectives that are based on the learning standards. The teacher shall assist
the learner in choosing the contents or items to be included in the portfolio
based on the objectives, but the learner has the final say on the selection
because the portfolio is supposed to be representing the unique and personal
preferences of the learner.

2. The portfolio should be an opportunity to exhibit the samples of work or output

that show the student's growth, development, and achievement over time. In
this purpose, the learner shall reflect or do self-assessment of his/her own
work to identify the strengths and weaknesses so that the weaknesses can
become improvement goals.

3. The criteria for selecting and assessing the portfolio especially the contents
must be clear both to the teacher and students at the outset of the process.
The set of agreed criteria can be referred to by the learner in each step of the
process to avoid inclusion of unessential components and to avoid resorting
to what is only available at the time. Necessary planning in each step of the
process of portfolio development can also be done especially by the learner.

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 The table below presents the basic elements of learning portfolios which can be
given to the students as guide in creating a portfolio of their own.
The Basic Elements of Learning Portfolios
This part contains the "About the Author,”
a brief context of what the portfolio shows
about the progress of development of skills,
abilities, and learning and summarizes the
pieces of evidence of progress and
learning.
Table of Contents with numbered pages
Entries (both the core and optional items) • The Core items are the mandatory items
• Core items that are those necessary based on the assessment criteria
to included • The Optional items will be included to
• Optional items are those based on show the uniqueness of the learner's
the learner’s choice output, it may be the “best piece of work" or
“the trouble” or the “less successful" with a
respective explanation but ultimately shall
be based on the objectives set during initial
stage.
Dates on all entries This is to document the proof of
development or growth over time.
Drafts of initial oral and written output and The first drafts and the corrected versions-
the revised versions to highlight the changes, identify the
improvement, and explain the context
Reflections The reflections can be at different stages in
the learning process, subjective because it
depends on the learners, unique
experiences.
For each item in the core and optional Provide a rationale for why the item entries
entries was included as evidence of growth,
development, and learning. What did the

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learner learn from it? What went well for the
learner? What needs to improve? What
were the problem areas? What is the
feeling of the learner on his/her
performance?

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Assessment Task 6
Answer the following questions.

1. Using a Venn diagram compare and contrast formative and summative

assessments.

2. There are teacher saying that constructing test items requires technical
competence that each other should have. What are your plans to equip
yourself with this competence in constructing test items?

3. What are the possible challenges in the use of any form of authentic
assessment? Why

4. Does portfolio assessment contribute to better appreciation of

mathematics? How about its contribution to mathematics achievement?

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Summary
Assessment is an essential aspect of teaching as its results give feedback
about the students’ learning as well ass the effectiveness of teaching.
Formative and summative assessment are equally important in achieving
these.

Traditional assessments, like most paper and pen tests that we know, are
objective, valid and reliable ways to assess learning. They are still relevant
despite the presence of the contemporary authentic assessments.

Authentic assessment addresses the concerns that traditional assessment

cannot answer. In the Philippines, authentic assessment is encouraged
through the use of the GRASPS framework.

Learning portfolio is one of the authentic assessments that DepEd

recommends. A portfolio is a collection of pieces of evidence of efforts,
learning, development growth, and achievement.

References
Gusano, Riza C. et.al. (2020) A Course module for teaching math in the
intermediate grades. Rex Book Store.

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