The functions of educational evaluation

Abstract

The importance of the motivational function of evaluation lies in the fact that it has the potential to move students forward, help them to achieve success and positive appreciation. If during the education process students are motivated mainly by means of assessment, it may happen that evaluation becomes the aim rather than a tool for achieving the aim. The function of feedback in evaluation lies in the teacher’s providing feedback to students on their performance, learning activities and the efforts made to perform the task. However, the evaluation also fulfils an informative function, particularly in terms of providing study results to students and their parents. In this paper, I introduce what is actually evaluated in education in terms of student performance or if their learning activities depend not only on the teacher’s personal conception of the teaching itself but also on some general concepts of education. The concept of evaluation gives a comprehensive view of the issue from the aspects of defining the process and applying the methods, means and results of the evaluation.