Study on the Curriculum to Nurture Competencies
Summary of Report 5
Study on assessment toward a comprehensive approach to nurturing competencies
1. Purpose and summary of the study(1) Purpose of the research study
The purpose of this research study (“Study on the Curriculum to NurtureCompetencies”) was to take a comprehensive look at the curriculum to nurturecompetencies for the research period of FY 2014 to FY 2016, and to provide knowledge
which will contribute to the planning of curriculum policies. Specifically, the research
aimed to refine and structure the desired competencies and to conduct an integrated study on
the educational goals, content, methods and assessments necessary to nurture them, based on
the finding gained from the “Basic Research on Curriculum Organization” project conducted
up until FY 2015.
(2) Summary of the researchThis report provides materials and insight to aid in clarifying the issues and tasks
pertinent to the enrichment of curriculum development to nurture competencies, with afocus on enhancing the assessment of learning. For this purpose, we analyze trends indesigning competency assessments both in this country and overseas, and evaluate theoutcomes of some specific examples in forward-looking schools in Japan.
[Study period: FY 2014–FY 2016,
Principal Investigator: UMEZAWA Atsushi (Director, Curriculum Research Center)]
2. Summary of the Research Results(1) Historical overview of learning assessment and future direction in Japan
Chapter 2 provides an overview of historical changes in the learning assessment
framework laid out in the national curriculum standards and the revision of the form of “thecumulative guidance records”. It also reviews the concept of “unification of teaching andlearning” and the implementation of “criterion-referenced assessment” in Japanese
educational policy as a basis for the investigation of methods of assessment for nurturing
competencies. Based on the historical materials, it is clarified that i) “assessment for learning”(formative assessment) has been emphasized historically in learning assessment in Japan; ii)
1this important yet deficient part of learning assessment is required to be enhanced under thecurrent revision of the Course of Study; and, therefore, 3) the enforcement of “assessment forlearning” for both teachers and children continues to be a major task for the improvement oflearning assessment.
(2) Domestic efforts
Chapter 3 focuses on various domestic approaches for learning assessment.
1) A research project on criterion-referenced assessment
This first section of chapter 3 reviews the empirical studies conducted under the“Comprehensive Community Project for the Improvement of Learning Assessment” by theCurriculum Research Center at NIER from FY2010 to FY2013. In this project, schools andeducational organizations such as the board of education and the center for educational
research in each of five communities collaborated to enhance criterion-referenced assessment.
The community reports indicate that improvement of assessment is fostered by discussion
among teachers on how best to evaluate children’s learning activities observed in theclassroom. By reviewing their assessment methods, teachers may be able to clarify and share
the reasons for their assessment practices and at the same time increase awareness of theimportance of paying close attention to children’s learning process.
2) A survey of schools attached to national universities
In section 2 we analyze trends and issues related to research practices and the current stateof assessment practices in schools attached to national universities, based on the findings ofquestionnaires. Section 3 provides a brief introduction to some characteristic assessment
approaches in schools that have carried out research on curriculum development for nurturing
competencies.
The survey of schools attached to national universities reveals that each school has
undertaken multidimensional assessment involving not only written tests but also methods
such as performance assessment, portfolio assessment, and self-assessment activities. In
particular, many schools carry out research on how to externalize (visualize) the process of
thinking in order to ensure the validity and reliability of assessment of “the abilities to think,make decisions and express oneself.” These practices lead to the suggestion that formative
assessment plays a key role in improving teaching and learning.
On the other hand, it should be pointed out that compared to the research on educational
objectives, learning content and teaching methods, there remain many questions in the field ofassessment research upon which there has been little work done.
The survey results yield the following tasks that need to be done to enhance learningassessment to nurture competencies: i) establishing a concept of assessment suited to nurturing
2competencies, ii) ensuring validity and reliability of assessment, iii) combining assessment foreveryday practice and long-span assessment, iv) assessment of affective domains, such associal and emotional competencies, and v) sharing understanding of the concept of assessment
and the criteria of the assessment.
3) Assessment in International Baccalaureate (IB) schools.
Section 4 introduces the concept and methods of assessment of competencies used in theInternational Baccalaureate (IB). One of the distinctive features of curriculum development
in International Baccalaureate is that it has been designed to foster not only cognitive
development but also the social, emotional, and physical well-being of students. In
conjunction with a holistic curriculum, IB promotes a constructivist approach in teaching andlearning, which values the interplay between asking (inquiry), doing (action), and thinking(reflection). The aim of assessment in the MYP (Middle Years Programme) is clearly definedas supporting and encouraging student learning; teachers employs various assessmentstrategies to gather and analyze information on students’ performance in order to provide
feedback to students on their learning process. School-based assessment in MYP uses a “bestfit” approach in which teachers work together to establish common standards against which
they evaluate each student’s achievement holistically (International Baccalaureate, 2014, p.78).
The key features of MYP assessment are i) student-centeredness, ii) a criterion-related
approach, iii) enhancement of formative assessment, iv) support and encouragement of student
peer and self-evaluation and v) combined usage of internal (school-based) and externalassessment.
4) A survey of educational organizations
Section 4 discusses community initiatives to support schools and teachers to enhancelearning assessment based on a questionnaire to educational organizations (including
research centers for education and boards of education in communities). Theseorganizations provide teachers of all ages with training on assessment, including unificationof teaching and assessment, methods of assessment in each subject, and so on. Questionnaireanswers from supervisors who play a leading role in teacher training in local governmentsindicate that, as the main concerns of teachers and schools are teaching methods andimprovement of lesson, they are less interested in learning assessment; as this implies, manyteachers and school administrators still assume that learning assessment simply refers totesting and grading. The following challenges were identified to be tackled in future: i)developing awareness of the importance of learning assessment for improving teaching andlearning, ii) promoting and entrenching the concept of the unification of teaching andassessment, iii) enhancing the understanding of criterion-referenced assessment in schools,and iv) broadening the understanding and usage of various methods of assessment.
3Section 5 introduces various initiatives for promoting learning assessment in schools,
developed by research centers for education and boards of education in local governments. In
some joint research conducted in cooperation with pilot schools, assessment is approached as
an aspect of curriculum management, which includes setting target competencies, teaching
and assessing the process, and reviewing and improving the practices.
With the coming introduction of the revised Course of Study, opportunities for workshops
and publication of materials related to implementing the revised assessment system shouldincrease. To exploit these opportunities, voices from centers for education and boards ofeducation should push for explanatory materials and examples useful to teachers and schools.
(3) Trends outside Japan
Chapter 4 briefly describes trends in educational reform and frameworks for assessment
in ten foreign countries, with specific attention to assessment of competencies. It becomes
clear that each of these countries has been promoting evidence-based teaching and curriculum
design. The United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, each of which has a rich historicalbackground of incorporating consideration of competencies in curriculum, have built
assessment systems by clarifying and sharing a vision of assessment to improve the learningof children. In addition, these countries have developed various tools and means for evidencebased assessment.
(4) Future challenges
Based on the results of our research, we have identified the following tasks and issues forfurther research on learning assessment for the enhancement of curriculum for nurturing
competencies.
1) Support for the unification of teaching and assessment
It is shown by the results of our surveys of schools and educational organizations thatteachers and schools have less interest in learning assessment than in teaching methods orimprovement of teaching, a tendency that seems to be intensified by the dissociation ofassessment from teaching methods. It is important to develop theoretical and empiricalresearch that advocates incorporation of learning assessment in teaching plans and practice, sothat learning assessment becomes an integrated part of the process of unit planning andclassroom design.
2) Effective utilization of multidimensional assessment
The focus of assessment research in schools attached to universities is to get to the heartof children’s learning in multidimensional ways, by utilizing various assessment methods tocomplement one another. On the other hand, some of these schools points out the cost and4burden of conducting these assessment as a challenge. In addition, the survey of educationalorganization shows that it is difficult to get criterion-referenced assessment entrenched inschools even when they understand the concept.
Collaborative group moderation among teachers, as in the projects conducted by theCurriculum Research Center at NIER, has been promoted in some schools attached touniversities in Japan and in foreign countries such as New Zealand as well; it is deemed
effective both for developing teachers’ abilities required for assessment and upholding thevalidity of assessments. This approach is also expected to strengthen collaboration between
schools and other education-related organizations for the construction of a framework to tackle
the matter of advancing multidimensional assessment.
3) From the self-assessment of children to the learning assessment of teachers
Various efforts identified in our research put emphasis on self-assessment by children(which, in the Japanese curriculum, is not categorized as assessment but as a learning activity).
In New Zealand, where the principle of student assessment is “the student is at the centre ofassessment,” self-assessment is seen to be important for the improvement of both teaching andlearning, and efforts have been made to develop children’s capabilities for self-assessment. It
is important to establish these opportunities, such as reflecting and reviewing the learning
process and assessing the progress they are making, in students’ education. At the same time,efforts should be made to support community-based, practical research in both schools andother institutions related to education in order to establishing frameworks for teacher training
and classroom design to foster formative assessment for the improvement of teaching andlearning.

3. Prospects
This report focuses on learning assessment. First, it confirms the current situation andfuture direction of learning assessment; then, it collects and analyzes various forwardlooking efforts to enhance learning assessment in schools and educational institutions, inorder to clarify issues and tasks related to the development of school-based curriculum tonurture competencies for living in the society of the future. We will incorporate theoutcomes of the research in to future work tackling the above-mentioned issues incollaboration with practical research in schools.
References
International Baccalaureate (2014). MYP: From principles into practice.
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