03/10/2024
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03/10/2024
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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 3: As part of the steps of the continuous development program for the education system in primary schools, especially in the Arabic language, which is a solid foundation for forming the student’s personality and linguistic abilities in the primary stage; the Ministry of Education announced the implementation of a diagnostic survey for Arabic language students in first semester of the 2024-2025 academic year.
This procedure aims to evaluate the basic skills of students, and identify strengths and weaknesses in language skills, with the aim of providing treatment plans that enhance their educational abilities. The ministry also laid new foundations for evaluating the Arabic language subject in the primary stage. This step comes in light of the interest in improving the quality of education and ensuring the provision of an evaluation that enhances students’ abilities and encourages them to excel academically.
Diagnostic Survey Mechanism
The memorandum, a copy of which was obtained by the newspaper, includes the mechanism for conducting the diagnostic survey, which is conducted periodically throughout the year, by dividing the process into stages distributed over the first weeks of the semester. This survey focuses on oral reading skills, writing skills and linguistic expression, in addition to reading and linguistic comprehension skills. Teachers supervise the implementation of these diagnostic tests, in coordination with the head of the educational department in schools to ensure that the process proceeds properly.
Results and Outputs
The memorandum specified the analysis of the results of the diagnostic survey, which determines the level of students and classifies them according to their linguistic abilities. Based on these results, a treatment plan is developed specifically for each student whose skills need improvement, as additional sessions are organized to develop the targeted skills. The plan includes more training in reading and writing, with the provision of activities that support strengthening letters and phonemes, and solving problems related to correct spelling and correct writing.
The importance of the diagnostic survey
The diagnostic survey contributes to accurately determining the student’s level from the beginning of the school year, which allows teachers to provide appropriate educational interventions. It also contributes to early detection of any educational difficulties that the student may face, ensuring that the educational path is corrected early. In addition, this survey improves the interaction between the student and the teacher by providing additional opportunities for students to improve their linguistic performance.
Survey criteria
The text of the diagnostic survey is prepared according to specific criteria, including the clarity of the text, the soundness of its vocabulary, and the accuracy of its style to suit the level of the class. The text must contain words weighted according to the age group for each class, so that the text is an effective tool in measuring the student’s linguistic ability.
Recommendations and guidelines
The guidelines issued by the ministry included the necessity for teachers to commit to reading the diagnostic text in full, taking into account appropriate breaks during reading. In addition, the directives emphasized the importance of training students to read correctly, taking into account the pronunciation of letters and correct writing, and repeating the training process to ensure achieving the desired goal of the survey. The diagnostic survey is an important step towards improving the quality of education in primary schools, as it helps in discovering linguistic problems early, which contributes to developing successful solutions that contribute to achieving the educational goals set by the Ministry of Education.
New foundations for evaluation
This new evaluation comes within the framework of the ministry’s efforts to develop the educational process and evaluate students in a way that reflects their actual level of achievement, as the ministry has established new foundations for evaluating the Arabic language subject in the primary stage. This step comes in light of the interest in improving the quality of education and ensuring the provision of an evaluation that enhances students’ capabilities and encourages them to excel academically.
Evaluation objectives
The new foundations for evaluation in the primary stage included several axes aimed at achieving an advanced level of academic performance for students, as the ministry emphasizes that evaluation is not limited to monitoring grades only, but is a means of developing the level of learning among students. It also seeks to identify strengths and weaknesses in their language skills by relying on diverse and comprehensive evaluation methods.
Evaluation Recommendations and Guidelines
The issued directives emphasize that using appropriate tools in the evaluation process is the basis for ensuring the accuracy of results. The ministry focuses on taking into account the balance between summative and formative evaluation, while emphasizing the need for continuous follow-up and providing educational support to students. The directives also emphasize the importance of training teachers on modern evaluation methods and providing rehabilitation programs aimed at enabling them to apply innovative evaluation methods that contribute to developing students’ educational performance.
Its structure and components
The summative evaluation is divided into several components, including classroom activities, written and oral tests, in addition to individual and group projects. Grades are distributed across these components in specific proportions, as reading, writing, and speaking skills are evaluated. Special guidelines are taken into account for each of these skills, such as paying attention to clarifying ideas and using vocabulary correctly and accurately.
Achievement tests and general recommendations
Students must, according to the plans in place, pass achievement tests, which represent an essential part of the evaluation process, as these tests include tasks aimed at measuring the student’s ability to understand, express, and think critically. The ministry focuses on the reading tests to ensure that the texts are written in a manner that is consistent with the student’s linguistic and mental level. It addressed the importance of following specific guidelines in formulating questions to ensure their clarity and avoid repetition, which allows the student to express his knowledge flexibly. With regard to spelling, guidelines were developed to encourage teachers to use advanced methods in training students on correct spelling.
Its impact on the quality of education The impact of this assessment is that these methods contribute to raising the level of student achievement and motivating them to interact with the subject matter more, and they also support teachers in the process of developing educational performance within classrooms. The ministry relies in its plan on comprehensive assessment that ensures coverage of all aspects of students’ language skills, which contributes to preparing a generation capable of communicating effectively in later educational stages. The memorandum stressed the need for teachers to adhere to the guidelines for assessment and tests, to ensure the achievement of the desired goals of the educational process in the primary stage.
By Abdulrahman Al-Shammari
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
