The seminar “Assessment for development – assumptions, challenges, instruments of support” was held on February 19 at the Conference and Training Centre of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The opening of the event was attended, among others, by Jolanta Skrzypczyńska, Warmia-Mazury Superintendent of Education.
The aim of the meeting was to provide information on the premises and practice of assessment that supports the learning and development of pupils, the approach to the subject of assessment from the perspective of educational psychology, as well as key challenges for schools in this area.
How to assess to effectively teach and motivate?
The need to reflect on assessment methods at Polish schools and the necessity to introduce changes in this area was the subject of the opening lecture given by Dr. Tomasz Gajderowicz.
Today, grading is like treating the flu with vitamin C. There is nothing wrong with it, but apart from vitamin C, we also have other methods: garlic, inhalation, anti-inflammatory agents, etc. The idea is to go beyond the one standard paradigm used in assessment, to give teachers a variety of methods, such as peer feedback or microcredentials. There are many of these methods, the point is to try them,”
According to Gajderowicz, the key to effective teaching is to avoid overloading students with material and to redefine assessment in such a way as to motivate them and show them the way to success. Such opportunities, he stressed, are not provided by point-based grading.
Reform as a result of research, examples from other countries and consultations
The deputy director of IBE PIB recalled that the Institute is currently preparing the premises of the planned educational reform, which – according to the announcements of the Ministry of National Education – will be initiated in 2026 and implemented over the next few years. The seminar in Olsztyn is one of many meetings organised across the country to discuss the planned changes to the education system in Polish schools.
These are not ready-made solutions, because this is also what this new, fresh vision of how education can be built is all about. That is, changes in education will not be, as they have been for the last 30 years, born in the minds of politicians and then thrown on the table to teachers. We want the order to be exactly the opposite – we are asking teachers what should be changed in Polish schooling, in the core curriculum, in assessment, to make it better,”
As he explained, the role of IBE PIB is “to propose the best possible solutions based on scientific research, examples of successful education reforms from other countries and public consultations, in which more than 20,000 teachers have already taken part”.
The Graduate Profile – setting goals
Tomasz Gajderowicz also recalled that the first stage in the work on the planned educational reform was the development of the Graduate Profile by IBE PIB. On the basis of scientific research, analyses, reports and experiences from other countries, the profiles of graduates of preschool and primary schools were developed, containing the key competences with which they will attain at each level. These profiles have been extensively consulted with the community of parents, students and teachers as well as organisations and institutions involved in education and schools. In 2025, a profile of post-primary school graduates will be developed. The prepared profiles will be the basis for developing changes in education, making it more responsive to the challenges of the 21st century.
“The graduate profile has defined our objectives. One of the goals that is pursued in the graduate profile is social competence, as well as personal competencies, i.e. the ability to manage oneself, to take care of one’s wellbeing, to work with mistakes, to be able to look at oneself and to improve oneself. If we want to shape these competences, we can’t persist only in scoring,” he stressed.
According to Gajderowicz, if educational reform is to be effective, it must simultaneously address three key areas: the core curriculum, assessment and didactics. “Assessment is part of teaching, but the teacher should be familiar with a range of assessment methods,” he concluded.
Assessment for development – presentations and discussion
Further presentations by IBE PIB experts were devoted to assessment from the perspective of educational psychology (Piotr Rycielski), assessment for development: from assumptions to practice (Ewa Nosowicz), and support for teachers in the field of assessment for development (Katarzyna Mykowska).
The seminar concluded with a panel discussion of good practices for motivating pupils to develop. The discussion, moderated by Aleksandra Rodzewicz of IBE PIB, involved:
- Grzegorz Kryger – Pomorski Superintendent of Education,
- Grażyna Dziedzic – Kujawsko-Pomorski Superintendent of Education,
- Jolanta Skrzypczyńska – Warmia-Mazury Superintendent of Education,
- Maria Iwona Łapińska – Director of Primary School No. 34 in Olsztyn,
- Jolanta Okuniewska – Teacher of Primary School No. 13 in Olsztyn
- Katarzyna Pietrzyk – Pedagogist of the Warmia-Mazury Teacher Training Centre in Olsztyn, teacher at the Primary School in Tylków.
The seminar was held as part of the project implemented by the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute “Supporting the accessibility of education for children and youth”, co-financed by the European Union under the European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027 (FERS) programme.
Find out more about the project