2014年-世界发展银行全球_United_Arab_Emirates___Student_Assessment_2013_46页_1mb

United Arab Emirates Student Assessment Summary

Core Content

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has implemented a student assessment system aimed at improving education quality and learning outcomes. This system is analyzed through the SABER-Student Assessment framework developed by the World Bank, which benchmarks education systems on key policy areas. The report, published in 2013, outlines the current state of the UAE's assessment practices across four main types: classroom assessment, examinations, national large-scale assessment (NLSA), and international large-scale assessment (ILSA).

Main Assessment Types and Their Purposes

1. Classroom Assessment

• Status: Emerging
• Purpose: Provide real-time feedback to support teaching and learning in individual classrooms.
• Frequency: Daily
• Format: Observation, questioning, paper-and-pencil tests, and student performances.
• Coverage: All subject areas.
• Quality Issues: Weak practices, limited teacher training on classroom assessment, reliance on multiple-choice questions, and grade inflation.
• Key Resources: System-wide guidelines, scoring criteria, and textbooks.
• Support Mechanisms: In-service teacher training, online resources, and conferences. However, pre-service training is lacking.

2. Examinations

• Status: Established
• Purpose: Certify completion of the school cycle and select students for higher education.
• Frequency: Annual, with options for retakes.
• Format: Essays and multiple-choice questions.
• Coverage: Mandatory subjects (Islamic education, Arabic, English, mathematics, physics, biology).
• Quality Issues: Limited mechanisms to monitor consequences, no remedial courses for underperforming students.
• Support Mechanisms: Government funding for design, administration, and reporting. Staff are supplemented with temporary committees and technical teams.

3. National Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA)

• Status: Established
• Purpose: Monitor education quality at the system level, evaluate, support decision-making, and improve curriculum and teacher training.
• Frequency: Regular, since 2010, for grades 3, 5, 7, and 9.
• Format: Multiple-choice and short-answer.
• Coverage: Arabic, English, mathematics, and science.
• Quality Issues: Limited mechanisms to monitor consequences.
• Support Mechanisms: Government funding for all core activities, including staff training and R&D. Permanent staff and trained proctors.

4. International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA)

• Status: Established
• Purpose: Compare the UAE's education system with international standards, support policy design, and inform curriculum and teacher training.
• Frequency: Participation in PIRLS (2011), TIMSS (2011), and PISA (2009, 2012, 2015).
• Format: Multiple-choice and short-answer.
• Coverage: Main subjects.
• Quality Issues: Translation challenges, limited availability of online and university-level training.
• Support Mechanisms: Government funding for international participation, including fees and data analysis. Training for ILSA staff is available, but translation accuracy is a concern.

Key Policy Areas and Quality Drivers

The SABER framework identifies three quality drivers for an effective student assessment system:

• Enabling context: Includes policy frameworks, funding, institutional arrangements, and human resources.
• System alignment: Ensures assessments align with learning goals, curriculum, and teacher training.
• Assessment quality: Refers to the psychometric quality of assessments, their implementation, and reporting.

These drivers are evaluated across the four types of assessments to determine their development levels (Latent, Emerging, Established, Advanced).

Development Levels and Policy Recommendations

Classroom Assessment

• Level: Emerging
• Recommendations:
  1. Introduce pre-service and in-service training on classroom assessment methodologies.
  2. Develop clear performance-level documents for teachers.
  3. Implement monitoring systems to ensure alignment with intended purposes.

Examinations

• Level: Established
• Recommendations:
  1. Introduce pilot and field testing mechanisms.
  2. Offer more options for students who underperform, such as vocational tracks or less-selective institutions.
  3. Establish regular focus groups, surveys, and independent research to monitor the consequences of examinations.

National Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA)

• Level: Established
• Recommendations:
  1. Conduct pilot studies before data collection.
  2. Implement regular focus groups and surveys, and establish a permanent oversight committee.
  3. Support independent research on the impact of large-scale assessments.

International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA)

• Level: Established
• Recommendations:
  1. Provide regular workshops and online courses on international assessments.
  2. Offer stand-alone university courses and training programs on ILSA.
  3. Address translation issues to ensure accurate assessment of international instruments.

Education System Overview

• The UAE is a high-income country with a GDP per capita of $39,058 and an annual growth rate of ~4.4%.
• 25% of government expenditure is allocated to education.
• Public education is free up to the university level for citizens.
• The system includes kindergartens, elementary, intermediate, and secondary levels.
• Net primary enrollment is ~90%, with a 100% completion rate.
• Student-to-teacher ratio is one of the lowest in the world (15:1).
• The UAE has made progress in literacy, technology integration, and women's education.

Conclusion

The UAE's student assessment system is in the process of development, with classroom assessment being the weakest area and examinations, NLSA, and ILSA being more established. While the system has strong institutional and financial support, there are gaps in teacher training, assessment alignment, and the use of assessment results for policy improvement. The SABER report suggests that improving these areas can lead to more effective student assessment practices and better educational outcomes.