AFFECTIVE ASSESSMENTAFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT

W. James PophamW. James PophamUniversity of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los Angeles

A Concurrent SessionA Concurrent Session

KDE/ISLN/KLA Leadership NetworksKDE/ISLN/KLA Leadership Networks

Joint Summer ConferenceJoint Summer Conference

Lexington, KentuckyLexington, Kentucky

June 20, 2011June 20, 2011

Affective Assessment:

A 21st Century Shortcoming? 

ASSESSINGSTUDENTS’ AFFECT

We MEASURE

what we

TREASURE.

Students’

Subsequent

Behavior

Students’

Current Behavior

Status

Predicts

The Predictive Nature ofStudents’ Current Affective Status

Potential Attitude Targets:

Positive attitudes toward learning

Positive attitudes toward self Positive attitudes toward self as

a learner Appropriate attitudes toward

those who differ from us

• Interest in specific subjects

• Interest in subject-related activities

• Interest in public affairs

• Interest in altruistic endeavors

Potential Value Targets:

Honesty Integrity Justice Freedom

ASSESSING AFFECT:A THREE-PART STRATEGY

Affective assessment instruments should be self-report inventories, completed by students under conditions of actual and perceived anonymity, from which group-focused inferences about students’ affective status can be accurately drawn.

ANONYMITY-ENHANCEMENT TACTICS

1. Emphasize anonymity in directions.

2. Provide a rationale for the assessment.

3. Restrict responses to untraceable marks.

4. Install an anonymous collection-procedure.

5. Do not hover.

Two Measurement Tactics for Assessing Students’ Affect via

Anonymous, Self-Report Inventories:

A traditional, unidimensional Likert inventory

A Likert-like, multidimensional inventory

1. Select the affective variable to assess.

2. Create a set of favorable and unfavorable statements.

3. Ask others to classify these as positive or negative.

4. Determine number and nature of response options.

5. Construct a preliminary version including directions.

6. Try out the preliminary version.

7. Score the inventories.

8. Delete aberrant statements.

A DIFFERENCE IN DISCRIMINATION-ENGENDERING

Day in and day out, school is always the most enjoyable part of my day.

(Strongly Agree, Agree, Not Sure, Disagree, Strongly Agree)

Although I sometimes find it disagreeable, most of the time, I enjoy school.

(Strongly Agree, Agree, Not Sure, Disagree, Strongly Agree)

CONSTRUCTING A MULTIFOCUS INVENTORY

1. Choose the affective variables to measure.

2. Decide on how many items per variable.3. Generate positive/negative statement for

each variable.4. Determine number and phrasing of

response options.5. Develop directions and a presentation

format.

CONSTRUCTING ACONFIDENCE INVENTORY

1. Select suitable skills or bodies of knowledge.2. Decide on how many items per skill or body of

knowledge.3. Identify and describe tasks (or activities)

requiring the use of those skills or bodies of knowledge.

4. Determine number and nature of response options.

5. Develop directions, sample item(s), and presentation formats.

TO DELVE DEEPER INTO TO DELVE DEEPER INTO THE ASSESSMENT OF AFFECTTHE ASSESSMENT OF AFFECT

Read darn near any of Jungle Jim’s Read darn near any of Jungle Jim’s books about assessment written during books about assessment written during this or the previous century. He is so this or the previous century. He is so repetitive!repetitive!

E-Mail Address: wpopham@ucla.eduE-Mail Address: wpopham@ucla.edu