Huang, David Junsong

2020, Foo, Kum Fong, Huang, David Junsong, Tan, Keng Wee, Heng, Hui Hui

While national assessments are often held responsible for streaming and students’ placement for their academic advancement, school-based assessment is increasingly recognised as an important and effective way to identify and close teaching and learning gaps. This chapter presents examples to illustrate how assessment is used in the secondary mathematics classroom to enhance students’ learning and at the same time close the teaching and learning gaps. The chapter comprises two parts. Firstly, it differentiates theories of assessment and underscores the importance of using assessment to enhance students’ learning. Secondly, the chapter illustrates how assessment strategies can be devised as an enhancement to students’ learning. Examples of strategies are presented to reveal how teachers identify teaching gaps, adjust their teaching approaches and give targeted feedback to encourage students to take ownership of their learning. In the process, students are encouraged not only to be self-directed in their learning but also serve as instructional resource for their peers in their learning journey.