SWOT analysis on policies on formative assessment in CE in Italy
Prepared by: Giuseppina Monteleone, Grazia Spampinato, Roberta Bodanza, Benita Vasi, Antonio Cusumano, Salvatore Musotto
Designed by: Socialiniu projektu institutas, Lithuania
The context of the Italy / Sicily / Palermo / ALICE teacher’s schools
Giuseppina Monteleone, Istituto Magistrale Statale C. Finocchiaro Aprile: https://www.istitutofinocchiaroaprile.edu.it/
Grazia Spampinato, Istituto Magistrale Statale C. Finocchiaro Aprile: https://www.istitutofinocchiaroaprile.edu.it/
Benita Vasi, liceo Scientifico Statale S. Cannizzaro:
https://liceocannizzaropalermo.edu.it/
Antonio Cusumano, liceo Scientifico Statale Albert Einstein:
https://www.liceoeinstein.edu.it/
Roberta Bodanza, liceo Scientifico Statale Albert Einstein:
https://www.liceoeinstein.edu.it/
Salvatore Musotto, liceo Scientifico G.D’Alessandro:
https://www.iisdalessandro.edu.it/lsdalessandro/
SWOT analysis regarding policies on formative assessment in citizenship education in Italy / Sicily / Palermo / Giuseppina Monteleone, Istituto Magistrale Statale C. Finocchiaro Aprile. Grazia Spampinato, Istituto Magistrale Statale C. Finocchiaro Aprile. Benita Vasi, Liceo Scientifico Statale S.Cannizzaro. Antonio Cusumano, Liceo Scientifico Statale Albert Einstein. Roberta Bodanza, Liceo Scientifico Statale Albert Einstein. Salvatore Musotto, Liceo Scientifico G.D’Alessandro.
Strengths
What aspects of the current policies on formative assessment in citizenship education do you consider as strengths?
Assessment is through experience; the purpose of assessment is no longer to classify pupils, as was the case with grades selectively, but to understand them and help them in their education through learning experiences.
Assessment through continuous feedback promotes self-awareness and self-assessment itself by students. Feedbacks can give insights into aspects that are essential for active citizenship.
Are there specific features or components of the policies that have been effective in promoting formative assessment practices in citizenship education?
The Agenda 2030 goals encouraged citizenship education as protection of rights, environment, proper use of technology, gender equality, and promoted proactive evaluation.
How have these strengths positively impacted the overall quality of citizenship education?
This type of formative evaluation pathway has led to the implementation of good practices as in the case of Erasmus projects or in the various citizenship education projects implemented within schools. Pupils have in some cases, outside the scheduled school activities, continued the proposed paths and realized lifelong learning.
Weaknesses
What are the main weaknesses or limitations in the existing policies regarding formative assessment in citizenship education?
The current Italian education system stipulates that citizenship education falls within civic education. The latter is among the subjects of the class council with an evaluation expressed in tenths. Moreover, this discipline is the result of the contribution of individual class council teachers who give a partial evaluation with respect to the final grade.
As a result, the evaluation system does not allow for a complete assessment of the student about the skills achieved, dwelling more on the knowledge learned.
Are there any gaps or areas where the policies could be improved to enhance formative assessment practices?
Each class council should have a teacher dedicated to the discipline, so that citizenship education could achieve its goals in a more timely and objective manner.
Have these weaknesses had any adverse effects on the effectiveness of citizenship education?
The negative effects especially affect the approach to the discipline, which remains more related to content rather than skills to be achieved.
Opportunities
What opportunities exist that could be leveraged to enhance formative assessment in citizenship education?
The activities carried out through the Erasmus+ program (student mobility; job shadowing and teacher training courses in the first place) are important opportunities that have been used by our school to improve the formative evaluation of citizenship education also and especially because they allow the exchange of good practices with European host schools and countries.
Are there emerging trends or innovations in education that could be incorporated into the policies to improve formative assessment practices?
Emerging trends and innovations in education that can be incorporated into policies to improve formative assessment practices include IBSE (Inquiry Based Science Education) or MBL (Model Base Learning). These methodologies, which are currently being piloted in our school in the area of environmental education, involve an assessment phase based primarily on the citizenship skills achieved by the learner during laboratory activities.
How can partnerships or collaborations with external organizations or experts contribute to strengthening these policies?
The various protocols signed with the Third Sector organizations, public and private entities, external experts, etc. have helped strengthen policies to improve formative assessment practices while also offering new insights and different points of view on this topic.
Threats
What factors or challenges pose threats to the successful implementation of formative assessment policies in citizenship education?
The constraint of constant docimological evaluation by teachers is an obstacle to pupils' self-assessment.
Are there any legal or regulatory changes on the horizon, that may negatively impact these policies?
At the moment it is not predictable.
How can these threats be mitigated or addressed to ensure the continued effectiveness of formative assessment in citizenship education?
It is planned to intervene in the process.