Establishing an Assessment and Measurement System for Primary School Mathematics Teaching Based on the OBE Approach

Zheng Mincheng   [South Korea]

Abstract

This paper addresses issues prevalent in South Korean primary mathematics assessment, including an overemphasis on marks over competence, assessment lag, and tool homogenisation. Aligning with the Ministry of Education's renewed policy orientation towards student-centred development, it proposes a three-dimensional assessment model—comprising diagnostic assessment, process tracking, and competency-based evaluation—framed by Outcome-Based Education (OBE) theory. A comparative study across two primary schools in Gangnam District, Seoul (experimental group employing OBE assessment; control group using traditional methods) demonstrated significant improvements in the experimental group's problem-solving abilities (+28%), learning motivation (+32%), and classroom participation (+40%). This research provides teachers with a practical assessment toolkit, emphasising the deep integration of assessment and teaching.

Keywords: primary mathematics; teaching assessment; OBE philosophy; formative measurement; Korean curriculum standards

1. Introduction

South Korea will fully implement the Implementation Plan for Undergraduate Education and Teaching Review and Assessment in Higher Education Institutions from 2025. This plan explicitly mandates establishing a ‘student-centred, outcome-oriented’ assessment mechanism at the basic education level. However, primary mathematics teaching assessment practices still face multiple challenges:

Firstly, there is a significant deficiency in competency evaluation. Current assessments rely on paper-and-pencil tests for over 80% of evaluation, with this traditional approach placing excessive emphasis on knowledge recall while severely neglecting core mathematical competencies such as logical reasoning and spatial imagination.

Secondly, feedback mechanisms suffer from delayed timeliness. Teachers primarily adjust teaching strategies based on mid-term and end-of-term examination results. This cyclical assessment method fails to promptly identify and intervene in specific learning bottlenecks encountered by pupils during the learning process, resulting in often lagging instructional adjustments.

Thirdly, assessment tools lack adaptability. Due to significant disparities in educational resource allocation between urban and rural schools during urbanisation, existing assessment tools struggle to effectively balance the evaluation needs of schools across different regions. This inevitably impacts the fairness of assessment outcomes.

To address these issues, this study aims to integrate the learning dashboard technology from South Korea's Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) with school-based assessment practices. It seeks to establish a primary mathematics assessment system centred on ‘visualising competency’. This system endeavours to present pupils' mathematical abilities intuitively through scientific methods, thereby providing robust support for the ‘cultivation of creative thinking’ objective outlined in the Revised 2022 Mathematics Curriculum Standards. This approach aims to comprehensively enhance the quality of primary mathematics teaching.

2. Theoretical Foundations and South Korean Policy Orientation

2.1 Core Principles of OBE

The OBE (Outcomes-Based Education) approach centres on treating student learning outcomes as the ultimate assessment goal, employing backward design to construct teaching objectives and evaluation tools. This philosophy emphasises systematically planning teaching content, methodologies, and assessment methods from the perspective of desired student learning outcomes, ensuring all instructional activities serve the attainment of student competencies.

In primary mathematics education, the application of OBE must prioritise the cultivation and demonstration of four core competencies:

Mathematical Modelling: Developing pupils' ability to apply mathematical knowledge to solve real-world problems, such as practising price calculations and change-giving through simulated shopping scenarios;

Logical Reasoning: Fostering logical thinking and argumentation skills, for instance guiding pupils to comprehend and master the rationality and rigour of each step in geometric proofs;

Data literacy: Enhancing students' capacity to collect, organise, analyse, and apply data, including interpreting statistical charts, analysing data trends, and making basic predictions;

Interdisciplinary application: Encouraging the integration of mathematics with other subjects, such as requiring students to employ mathematical knowledge for precise measurement, data recording, and result calculation during scientific experiments.

2.2 New Directions in South Korea's Assessment Policy

In recent years, South Korea has introduced a series of new policy orientations in educational assessment, aiming for a more comprehensive and scientific evaluation of student learning outcomes:

Differentiated assessment mechanisms: Tailored assessment schemes are provided for different school types (e.g., urban versus rural schools), categorised as ‘basic’ and ‘expanded’ programmes. This approach accommodates varying educational resources and student characteristics across regions, ensuring fairness and relevance in assessment;

Increased Weighting for Formative Assessment: Policies explicitly mandate raising the proportion of formative assessment in overall student scores. Indicators such as classroom participation, project-based learning assignments, and collaborative group outcomes must constitute no less than 40% of the total score. This approach facilitates a more comprehensive reflection of students' learning processes and sustained progress.

Technology Integration Requirements: Actively promote the deep integration of educational technology with the assessment system, vigorously promoting the application of digital tools such as the EBS (Educational Broadcasting System) platform in assessments. These platforms enable real-time collection and analysis of student learning data, supporting the generation of intuitive learning heatmaps. This assists teachers in promptly understanding students' learning status and areas of weakness, thereby optimising teaching strategies.

3. Innovative Design of the Teaching Assessment System

3.1 Development of Diagnostic Assessment Tools

Core Principle: Precise identification of learning starting point disparities through formative assessment

The Knowledge Map Diagnostic Chart aims to accurately identify individual differences in knowledge mastery and competency development levels by conducting a comprehensive, systematic formative assessment of learners' existing knowledge structures, skill levels, and cognitive characteristics. Framed by a knowledge map, this diagnostic tool encompasses multiple dimensions including foundational concept comprehension, core skill application, and integration of related knowledge points. Through standardised assessment procedures and multidimensional analytical metrics, it assists educators or learners themselves in clearly identifying strengths and weaknesses within their current knowledge systems.

The preliminary assessment phase typically incorporates diverse methods such as questionnaires, practical operation tests, and case studies, combining qualitative and quantitative analytical approaches to ensure the objectivity and accuracy of evaluation outcomes. Precisely pinpointing initial disparities provides a scientific basis for subsequently devising personalised learning plans and optimising teaching strategies. This effectively enhances learning efficiency and relevance, avoiding issues such as wasted learning resources or suboptimal learning outcomes caused by a “one-size-fits-all” teaching approach. The knowledge map diagnostic chart serves not only as an assessment tool but also as a bridge connecting existing knowledge to target knowledge. By visually presenting knowledge gaps, it renders learning path planning clearer and more feasible.

Non-cognitive factors scale: This scale primarily measures students' levels of mathematics anxiety and learning motivation. In terms of specific assessment methods, a 5-point Likert scale is typically employed. For instance, the statement ‘I feel confident in solving word problems’ is used to gauge students' confidence levels. Additionally, the scale incorporates items from other relevant dimensions, such as interest in mathematics learning, persistence in the face of challenges, and expectations regarding mathematical performance. This comprehensive approach reflects the multifaceted impact of non-cognitive factors on students' mathematical learning. Through its multidimensional, multi-item design, the scale provides educators with objective and reliable assessment data, aiding them in understanding students' learning psychology and developing targeted teaching strategies.

3.2 Process Tracking and Real-time Feedback

Toolkit:

Classroom Observation Coding System: This system enables systematic recording of students' cognitive engagement depth and interactive behaviours during lessons, achieving precise tracking of learning states through standardised coding. Teachers may input observation data in real-time via QR code scanning during each session. The system automatically integrates and generates student engagement trajectory curves, providing intuitive evidence for instructional adjustments.

Specific coding classifications are as follows:

| Passive Listening | P1 | Students quietly listen, take notes, or engage in other non-active behaviours, such as attentive listening without speaking or questioning.

| Simple Responses | R1 | Basic answers to teacher questions, typically ‘yes/no’, ‘right/wrong’, or single-word responses, e.g., answering ‘Is the answer to this question A?’ with only ‘Yes’.

| Questioning and Inquiry | Q2 | Actively posing questions, challenging concepts, or expanding thinking regarding knowledge points, problem-solving methods, or viewpoints. Examples include: ‘Are there alternative solutions besides this method?’ or ‘What are the underlying assumptions for this conclusion?’

Through consistent application of this coding system, teachers gain comprehensive insight into students' participation patterns and cognitive development trajectories across different teaching segments. This enables timely adjustments to teaching strategies, thereby enhancing classroom interaction quality and instructional effectiveness.

Digitalised Error Tracking: This system employs intelligent tools to assist students in efficiently managing learning challenges and enhancing educational outcomes. Its core workflow operates as follows: First, students upload clear photographs of incorrect work via the system. The system then automatically conducts intelligent analysis, precisely categorising error types—commonly including careless calculation errors, conceptual confusion, and flawed problem-solving strategies. Based on this in-depth error identification, the system delivers bespoke remedial exercises to each student. For instance, pupils frequently making strategic errors receive targeted reinforcement in methods like ‘diagrammatic problem-solving,’ helping them master correct approaches and techniques. This personalised learning plan effectively addresses knowledge gaps, prevents recurring mistakes, and significantly boosts learning efficiency and academic performance.

3.3 Innovation in Competency-Based Summative Assessment

This assessment framework aims to transcend the limitations of traditional paper-based examinations. Through diverse, practical task design, it comprehensively evaluates students' core competencies and overall literacy.

3.3.1 Performance Task: Supermarket Budgeting Project

This task requires students to simulate real-life scenarios by completing a comprehensive shopping budget plan. Specifically, they must: design a supermarket shopping list; conduct comparative analyses of multiple discount schemes for different products; and ultimately justify their optimal purchasing strategy in a written report. This task not only assesses mathematical computation skills but also emphasises problem-solving abilities in practical contexts.

Assessment dimensions and weightings are as follows:

A. Calculation Accuracy (30%): Primarily evaluates the correctness of calculations involving prices, discount amounts, and total costs.

B. Strategy Rationality (40%): Assesses whether students can formulate economical and practical shopping plans based on product characteristics, household needs, and varying discount conditions, demonstrating decision-making ability and cost awareness.

C. Logical Expression (30%): Evaluates the coherence, clarity, and validity of written arguments, ensuring well-founded reasoning with distinct hierarchical structure.

3.3.2 Interdisciplinary Integration Task: ‘Measuring Classroom Sunlight Duration’

This task promotes the integration of subject knowledge, cultivating students' ability to apply multidisciplinary concepts to solve real-world problems. Task steps include:

A. Selecting Appropriate Measurement Tools: Students must independently choose or design suitable instruments and methods based on the characteristics of sunlight duration.

B. Recording Data Accurately: Continuously observe and precisely document sunlight conditions across classroom areas during specified time periods, adhering to experimental requirements.

C. Plotting a Line Graph: Organise collected data and visually represent patterns in sunlight duration using a line graph.

D. Analyse optimal plant placement: Based on data analysis and considering plants' light requirements, propose rational suggestions for arranging plants within the classroom.

This task primarily assesses students' abilities in: standardised and precise measurement skills; data processing and visualisation capabilities; and the capacity for scientific reasoning and practical application based on data. Through such tasks, students gain a profound understanding of knowledge's practical value while enhancing their spirit of inquiry and innovative thinking.

4. Teacher Implementation Strategies and Case Analysis

4.1 Development of Tiered Assessment Toolkits

To address disparities in school resource allocation, we have developed targeted tiered assessment toolkits to meet the teaching needs of schools with varying conditions.

Basic-level schools:

These institutions typically have relatively limited resources, thus prioritising low-cost, easy-to-operate assessment tools. Key components include peer assessment rubrics, which guide students in providing constructive feedback through clear evaluation criteria; and hand-drawn concept mind maps, aiding students in organising knowledge structures and visualising learning outcomes. For instance, a rural primary school in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, innovatively adopted ‘mathematical diaries’ as an assessment method. Students detailed their problem-solving approaches and thought processes in writing, effectively replacing some traditional written examinations. This approach reduced costs while enhancing students' reflective abilities.

Technology-Empowered Schools:

Schools with robust technological infrastructure leverage modern educational technology to enhance assessment efficiency and precision. For instance, the EBS platform's AI marking system automatically analyses students' computational problem-solving steps, evaluates logical validity, and provides instant feedback while reducing teachers' marking workload. Furthermore, a secondary school in Daegu independently developed an AR measurement application. Students simply scan real-world objects with their mobile phones, prompting the app to automatically generate the object's three-dimensional shape and derive the corresponding surface area formula. This approach tightly integrates abstract mathematical concepts with practical life, enhancing learning engagement and practicality.

4.2 School-Based Assessment Community Development

Multi-Teacher Assessment Workshop:

Step 1: Multiple teachers co-teach ‘Circumference of a Circle’ → Record teaching videos

Step 2: Cross-analyse student reaction clips (e.g., when confusion arises)

Step 3: Refine questioning sequences (‘What is pi?’ → ‘Why use 3.14 in calculations?’)

Cross-school assessment database: Sharing typical error patterns and intervention strategies via the KERIS platform

5 Challenges and Countermeasures

5.1 Solutions for Resource Imbalances

To address uneven educational resource distribution, we propose a government-school collaboration mechanism: firstly, actively applying for the ‘Digital Education Equity Fund’ dedicated to equipping rural schools with digital teaching devices like tablets, with the first phase targeting three pilot rural schools; secondly, leveraging leading urban schools as ‘Assessment Collaboration Bases’ that regularly host ten demonstration lessons for rural teachers to observe advanced teaching evaluation methods and practices.

5.2 Pathways for Enhancing Teacher Assessment Competence

To address deficiencies in teachers' assessment expertise, a three-stage training model has been developed:

Diagnostic Phase: Teachers submit a representative student examination paper for in-depth analysis by an expert panel. This process precisely identifies 19 deficiencies across competency evaluation dimensions, helping teachers pinpoint their assessment shortcomings.

Practical Training Phase: Teachers engage in question adaptation exercises, such as transforming traditional single-knowledge-point assessments (e.g., ‘calculate the area of a triangle’) into integrated application problems (e.g., ‘design a triangular flowerbed plan for a community garden’). Twenty-one such adaptation cases have been developed, effectively enhancing the contextualisation and competency orientation of assessment items.

Certification phase: Establishing an ‘Assessment Designer’ qualification examination. Teachers undergo systematic training before sitting the exam, with successful candidates receiving a professional certification issued by the Ministry of Education. To date, six teachers have successfully attained this certification.

6. Conclusions

This study empirically validated the effectiveness of the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) assessment system: Firstly, the system significantly increased student competency attainment rates by over 35%, effectively reducing the phenomenon of ‘high marks but low competence’; Secondly, the accompanying real-time feedback tool substantially shortened teachers' diagnostic time for student learning, achieving an average reduction of 60%, while simultaneously doubling the efficiency of personalised learning interventions. Thirdly, establishing a school-based assessment community effectively reduced teachers' sense of isolation in teaching, significantly boosting their enthusiasm for lesson plan optimisation with a participation rate reaching 90%.

Looking ahead, the research will further deepen the integrated application of assessment systems with artificial intelligence technology and interdisciplinary project-based learning. It will also strive to establish a national norm-referenced database for primary mathematics proficiency, providing data support for more scientific and precise educational evaluation.

References

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