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PROFILEFOSTERING SELF-REGULATED LEARNERS THROUGH
CHILD-CENTRED EVALUATION ACTIVITIESEmiko Izumi, PhD from Kwansei Gakuin University, discusses child-centred evaluation
activities, including enhancing thinking, judgment and expression skills
Introducing compulsory foreign

expression skills, crucial components

learning experiences using English

language studies in upper grades ofoutlined in the Japanese Ministry ofauthentically. To enhance thinking,Japanese elementary schools in 2020

Education’s Courses of Study.

judgment, and expression skills,
students are given tasks designed toposed challenges in integrating
instruction and evaluation. In thisTo cultivate these skills, problem-

have a clear purpose or situation for using

context, extensive research oversolving performance tasks require

English, enabling them to develop theirthirteen years has been conducted to

critical thinking and effective

language skills through trial and error.

foster self-regulated learners, focusing

communication. These tasks areon children and child-centredevaluated using rubrics, providing clear

By engaging students’ bodies andevaluation activities.

assessment criteria and guidelines.

emotions, we emphasise theFollowing our piece in the January issue,

What sets this research apart is the active

communication activities that foster an

we provide an overview of our research

involvement of children in co-creating

active learning environment.

undertaken and its key findings.

these rubrics. By participating asimportance of meaningfulevaluators, children gain a deeper

Collaborative learning in pairs orClassroom research into childcentred evaluation activities

understanding of the evaluation processgroups is also encouraged, as it

and take ownership of their own learning.

facilitates peer interactions and mutual

main areas:

This promotes assessment for learning,

through the government’s GIGA School

where assessment becomes a valuable

initiative has further enhanced

tool for students’ growth and development.

research-based learning. Providing

Our research encompasses threeFirstly, it emphasises designing child-learning. Distributing individual tablets

centred evaluation activities during

students with choices in their learningclasses that facilitate learning andThirdly, our research explores

is crucial for fostering self-regulatedenhance children’s sense ofevaluation methods, interventions, andlearners.

competence and self-efficacy.

transformations that contribute toimproving children’s learning andThis involves creating Can-Do

teachers’ instruction.

Shared evaluation
criteria & rubrics

Clear evaluation criteria and standards

assessment criteria, which outline theskills and knowledge students should

Classroom research serves as aare shared with students. The researchacquire, and employing reflection

foundation for investigating theemploys a four-level Can-Do

sheets as a tool for formative

effectiveness of various evaluationassessment scale to set reachable andassessment, encouraging students tostrategies. The insights gained fromappropriate levels for students. The

reflect on their progress and develop areflection sheets and surveys provide

scale reflects students’ confidence andstrong sense of achievement.

valuable feedback for refining

proficiency in achieving specificinstructional practices and evaluating

language activities.

By adopting this approach, ourthe impact of these strategies on

research aims to foster self-regulated

student learning outcomes.

learning journey.
Secondly, the research focuses ondeveloping thinking, judgment, andRubrics play a vital role in setting clear
expectations and facilitating consistentlearners actively engaged in their own

Student instruction &evaluation strategies

assessment. They are created to

Our research underscores thelong-term goals and develop andimportance of creating meaningfulacquire skills.

establish each unit’s short-term andPROFILE

293

Mountain climbing unit
design: Backward designideas and improved upon the

Our research provides valuable insights

guidance provided by teachers.

into fostering self-regulated learners

Using the metaphor of mountain

Teachers could make improvements

through child-centred evaluation

climbing, one of the researchin their teaching by observing

activities. By emphasising co-creation,

collaborators, Sayaka Okuhira, a publicstudents’ progress.

student agency, metacognitiveelementary school teacher, seeks todevelopment, visual representations ofpromote students’ motivation by

Rubrics fostered metacognitive

learning, and teacher professionalsetting clear goals and working

skills and self-assessment abilities.

development, this study offers practicalpersistently toward their achievement.

Reflection sheets in a mountainstrategies for implementing student-climbing format allowed students tocentred evaluation practices.

Teachers and students co-createdwrite their own learning plans, makerubrics. The process involved watching

revisions, and visualise their learning

an initial animated story, brainstorming

progress. The pie chat showing

activity ideas, developing a learning

four levels of ability indicatorsplan through backward design, andrepresented their sense ofin this study contribute to creating

integrating instruction and assessment

achievement and self-efficacy.

inclusive and engaging learning

Creating inclusive & engaging
learning environments
The innovative approaches presented

environments that empower students

using the rubric. The following steps

Achievements & challengesof child-centredevaluation activities

and enhance their learning

The research yielded several significant

By nurturing individual goal-setting anddiscuss what had been learned andachievements. Co-creating learning

collaborative learning, this research notstudied.

plans and performance tasks

only facilitates the growth of students

empowered students to takebut also empowers teachers, leading to2) Groups collaborated to present theirownership of their learning, utilising

an overall transformation in theideas and expressions, sharing ideas

their own ideas and envisioning theireducation landscape. Our research

individually.

progress towards specific goals.

findings have the potential to inspire

were taken:
1) Initially, the teacher and the wholeclass engaged in a dialogue format toexperiences.

further studies and influence3) The class decided whether the ideas

The co-creation of rubrics allowed

educational practices worldwide. We

generated by the groups should be

students to refer to their peers’ ideas

hope to continue researching withshared and included in the rubric.

and practices, promoting self-monitoringchildren in the future.

and self-assessment. Peer assessment4) Once created, the rubric wasactivities using rubrics enabled

immediately put into practice,students to reflect on their tasks andcustomised, and used to provide

reassess their level of achievement,

feedback during practicefostering a sense of accountability andpresentations.

continuous improvement.

By co-creating rubrics, students

However, the research has alsoemulate positive behaviours, recognise

highlighted challenges. Teachers must

their strengths, and gain confidence,develop the ability to determine thepromoting more room for child-centred

appropriate intervention andevaluation activities.

instructional support timing in various
learning situations. Shifting from a

Transformation of teachers
through the co-creation &utilisation of rubric

class rubric to personalised rubrics can

The co-creation of rubrics enabledcreate their mission and align it withteachers to recognise that students

their goals further enhances theirinternalised previously taught

assessment literacy and fosters a sensecontent. Students generated creativeof agency and well-being.

enable students to evaluate themselves
effectively. Encouraging students toEmiko Izumi, PhD
Professor, Assistant Dean
School of Education & Graduate
School of Education,
Kwansei Gakuin University
Tel: +81 798 52 4376
emiko@kwansei.ac.jp
http://www.izumi-lab.jp/easel.html
https://researchmap.jp/read0202610/?lang=en
https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/ja/grant/KAKEN
HI-PROJECT-18H00690/
https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-22H00684/