Assessment in Learning 2 / Affective Domain

Affective Domain

1. ASSESSMENT IN THE AFFECTIVE DOMAIN

2. Affective Domain The affective domain is one of three domains in Bloom’s Taxonomy, with the other two being the cognitive and psychomotor. In short the three domains of learning are KSA, meaning knowledge , skills and attitude. The affective domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia , 1973) includes the manner in which we deal with things emotionally such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivation, and attitudes. Affective learning is demonstrated by behaviors indicating attitudes of awareness, interest, attention, concerns, and responsibility, ability to listen and respond in interactions with others, and ability to demonstrate those attitudinal characteristics or values which are appropriate to the test situation and the field of study.

3. We have heard people say he/she is “ schooled” but not “educated”. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) – is the process through which individuals acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) – is a measure of persons ability to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions of others. It encompasses skills such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and social skills.

4. The five key skills of SEL namely: (1) self-awareness, (2) self-management, (3) social awareness, (4) relationship skills, and (5) responsible decision making are in the affective domain and so are the concern of assessment in the affective domain. Soft Skills in Affective Assessment Learning outcomes in the affective domain include soft skills in contrast to the hard skills (technical skills). Soft skills are non-technical skills that refer to how one work in the workplace, how one interacts with others in the workplace and how one looks at problems and solves problems.

5. Categories of Soft Skills The five key skills of SEL can be grouped into four categories that most school leaders, teachers, and parents would agree are within the responsibility of schools to monitor and develop. 1.) Social Skills – include how a student interacts with other students as observed by teachers and other adults. 2.) Self-management – refers to self-regulation, i.e., the students ability to take control over what would otherwise be automatic reactions by planning, focusing attention, reframing experiences and using mental tools. 3.) Academic Soft Skills – are both social and cognitive. 4.) Approaches to Learning – includes such things as the student’s engagement in, pleasure in learning and anxiety about performance.

6. Below are observable behaviors of each soft skill. Soft Skills Observable Behavior Social Skills Provides peers with positive feedback Offers help or assistance to peers Initiates interactions with peers Participates in discussions with peers Has friends Has sense of humor Carry out leadership activities Self-management Controls displays of temper when angry Compromises with others to avoid conflict Handles teasing and social provocations Cooperates with others Is respectful to teachers and staffs

7. Soft Skills Observable Behavior Academic Soft Skills Works independently Completes assigned tasks Brings requires materials to school Arrives at school on time and without undue absences Asks for assistance as needed, ask questions Uses appropriates study skills Approaches to Learning Enjoys school Takes on challenging tasks Has confidence in abilities Works hard Is enthusiastic and adventurous Is involved with extracurricular school activities

8. Receiving Its being aware of or sensitive to the existence of certain ideas, materials, or phenomena and being willing to tolerate them. Examples include: to differentiate, to accept, to listen(for), to respond to.

9. Responding Is being committed in some small measure to the ideas, materials, or phenomena involved by actively responding to them. Example are: to comply with, to follow, to commend, to volunteer, to spend leisure time in, to acclaim.

10. Valuing Is willing to be perceived by others as attaching importance to certain ideas, materials, phenomenon. Examples include: to increased measured proficiency, to relinquish, to subsidize, to support, to debate.

11. Organization Is relating the value to those already held and bring it into a harmonious and internally consistent philosophy. Examples are: to discuss, to theorize, to formulate, to balance, to examine.

12. Characterization By value or value set is to act consistently in accordance with the values he or she has internalized. Examples include: to resist, to manage, to resolve

13. More details of the six levels of educational objectives in the affective domain with examples are given below: Figure 16. The Taxonomy in the Affective Domain (Adopted from: Krathwohl, D., Bloom, B., & Masia , B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Handbook II: Affective domain. New York: David McKay.)

14. Level Definition Example Receiving Being aware of attending to something in the environment Individual would read a book passage about the civil rights. Responding Showing some new behaviors as a result of experience Individual would answer questions about the book, read another book by the same author, another book about the civil rights, etc. Valuing Showing some definite involvement or commitment The individual might demonstrate this by voluntarily, attending a lecture on civil rights. Organization Integrating a new value into one’s general set of values, giving it some ranking among one’s general priorities The individual might arrange a civil rights rally. Characterization by Value Acting consistently with the new value The individual is firmly committed to the value, perhaps becoming a human rights leader.

15. Teachers usually find difficulty in the use of behavioral terms when they formulate learning outcomes in the affective domain. Below are example of verbs or behavioral terms that can be used to state learning competencies in the affective domain. Receiving Responding Valuing Organization Characterizatin Accept Attend Develop Recognize Complete Comply Cooperate Discuss Examine Obey Respond Accept Defend Devote Pursue Seek Codify Discriminate Display Order Organize Systematize Weigh Internalize Verify Figure 17: Behavioral Verbs Appropriate for the Affective Domain An analysis of the taxonomy of educational objectives in the affective domain shows that assessment in the affective domain is on the soft skills.

16. Methods of Assessing Learning in the Affective Domain Change in attitude, values and habits is the end result of effective teaching-learning in the affective domain. Change in attitude is manifested in our change of beliefs, feelings, aspirations and attitudes toward something or someone. McMillan (2007) gives three feasible methods of assessing learning or learners development in the affective domain. Teacher Observation Teacher observation can be unstructured or structured. It is unstructured when observation is open-ended. Teacher observation is structured when he/she is guided in what to observe by a checklist or rating scale. To make teacher observation work in relation to the assessment of affective learning, the following should be observed:

17. Determine behaviors to be observed in advance. Record students important data such as time, data and place. If unstructured, record brief descriptions of relevant behavior. Keep interpretations separate from descriptions of relevant behavior. Record both positive and negative behaviors. Have as much observation of each student necessary. Avoid personal bias. Be objective. Immediately record the observations. Apply a simple and efficient procedure. 2. Student Self-report A student self-report requires the student to provide an account of his/her attitude or feelings toward a concept or idea or people. A self-report is also referred to as “written reflection”.

18. A student self-report can also be derived by way of a student interview or by way of a questionnaire and survey . Teacher may get a student self-report by means of a selected-response format by means of assessment tools such as a checklist, a rating scale (like a Likert Scale) or a semantic differential scale. Below are examples: 3. Peer Ratings How else may a teacher know if a student is realizing the intended learning outcome in the affective domain other than the teacher observing the student or the student making a report about himself/herself. Another way is to ask the student’s peer to rate him/her on affective items where teacher wants to rate the student. Affective Assessment Tools The different methods of assessing learning or development in the affective domain, namely: observation, student self report and peer ratings-make use of assessment tools such as Likert Scale, Sematic Differential, Checklist, sentence completion and student’s written reflections.

19. Likert Scale A Likert Scale is one example of a rating scale. It makes use of a five-point scale from Strongly Disagree (1), Disagree (2), Undecided (3), Agree (4) to Strongly Agree (5). Below is Likert Scale used to assess student’s attitude towards teaching as a profession to determine each student’s attitude toward teaching after a lesson on teaching as a profession. Direction: Each statement is supposed to measure your attitude toward teaching as a profession. Indicate your response with a check. Legend: 5- Strongly Agree 4- Agree 3- Undecided 4- Disagree 5- Strongly Disagree

20. Rate your view of the teaching profession by checking the appropriate space. 5 4 3 2 1 1. Teaching is the noblest profession. 2. Teaching is for those who can’t make it in other professions. 3. Teaching is meant for women. 4. Teaching is lowest paid professions yet demanding. 5. Teaching has many rewards teaching

21. Sentence Completion As the name implies, the student is asked to complete a given incomplete related to the intended learning outcome. This method is based on the idea that sentence completion will reveal more about thoughts, fantasies, and emotional conflicts than testing with direct questions (Weiner & Greene, 2008). If the intended learning outcome for a lesson on assessment is “to demonstrate a positive attitude toward assessment” this may be given for each student to complete: Assessment is … Here are some sentence stems that can serve as scaffolding to help students get started in for sentence completion:

22. In my opinion … I assume … From my point of view … If you ask me … As far as I can tell … To my mind … The way I see things is that … It seems to me that … I believe … I would say … I consider … It’s my belief that … I honestly believe that … To my thinking … I feel …

23. Semantic Differential A student is asked to assess his Science class as a whole by way of Semantic Differential scale as shown below. The scales are pairs of adjectives on feelings or beliefs that are opposite. Direction. Which item is true on your Math class? Check the item that applies to you. Mark X the item does not apply to you. 2 1 -1 -2 Exciting Boring Fulfilling Frustrating Demanding Easy

24. Checklist In a checklist, as the name implies, the student simply checks an item that is observed or present or proposed or that applies to him/her. A student is asked to evaluate the extent to which he/she possesses a growth mindset. Direction: Check the item which applies to you. 1. I believe that intelligence can be develop. 2. I do not easily give up. 3. I accept criticism. 4. I draw inspiration from the success of others. 5. I see challenges as opportunity to grow. 6. I persist in the face. 7. I view effort as path to mastery. 8. I learn from criticism. 9. I believe that success is a matter of luck.

25. Student’s Written Reflections In using this measurement tool, the teacher asks the students, for example, to write their personal thoughts and feelings on a subject or topic given by the teacher like “Why I Like or Dislike Mathematics”. A reflection paper allows students to take a personal approach and express their thoughts on a given.

26. Direction: Each statement is supposed to measure your attitude toward teaching as a profession. Indicate your response with a check. 1. Teaching is the noblest profession. 2. Teaching is for those who can’t make it in other professions. 3. Teaching is meant for women. 4. Teaching is lowest paid professions yet demanding. 5. Teaching has many rewards teaching 5 4 3 2 1