The master thesis follows up on the topic of an increasingly used method called formative assessment. The goal is to analyze formative assessment as a complex method. It includes its development, psychological context of assessment, essential methods and techniques of this kind of assessment and a part about competences mainly of a teacher beginner to be a professional evaluator, whose methods reflect his personality and individual principles based on the best intentions. The first chapter of the practical part introduces qualitative research which took a place in Czech Republic and foreign countries. Results from Czech Republic refer to the fact, that Czech teachers use techniques of formative assessment, but not yet as a complex system. The results from foreign countries connect teachers' working conditions for using formative assessment based on the adjustment of schooling curriculums in the countries they teach in. The second chapter of the practical part is a methodological collection of formative assessment techniques. KEYWORDS Assessment, personal approach to a pupil, classroom climate, evaluation norms, self- assessment, peer-assessment, criteria, learning objectives, motivation, core competencies.

This paper focuses on peer reviewing as part of the writing process and as a pedagogical strategy that can help students develop their writing and critical thinking skills. To do so, it examines the extent to which peer reviewing can develop English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ ability to evaluate and reflect on their writing in upper secondary school. Moreover, this study investigates whether digital tools can help to facilitate the peer review process. By reviewing and synthesizing ten empirical studies from the period 2013-2020, the study found that students who engage in peer reviewing in writing develop critical thinking skills, self-regulation and evaluation. It further shows that there is a consensus between researchers regarding the usefulness of peer review in developing critical thinking skills. However, the findings indicate the importance of including guided peer review training before peer review activities. Furthermore, there is a strong indication that digital tools can help facilitate the peer review process if used appropriately. Digital tools help engage students in the peer review process since they are able to interact with each other’s texts online. Lastly, the findings of the study are in line with the Swedish national curriculum and the English syllabus for upper secondary school. Therefore, teachers in Sweden should consider the use of familiar digital tools to engage students in peer review to develop their writing and critical thinking skills.

The aims of this Master's thesis are (i) to examine the suitability of using peer-to-peer assessment in teaching writing skills in Czech B1-level courses and (ii) to suggest recommendations for tutors who are considering implementing the method in their Czech classes. The theoretical part is concerned with the description of particular types and forms of assessment and it presents an overview of several studies, focusing on those conducted in the field of ESL teaching. The empirical part focuses on describing the design and execution of the experiment as well as on interpreting its results. The experiment was performed as an intensive online writing course in Czech; the participants were students preparing for a B1-level exam. The investigation aimed at the quality of students' comments and at the implementation degree of their suggestions shows limited effectivity of using peer-to-peer assessment in teaching Czech on B1-level. However, based on the data, the study managed to identify several shortcomings in the way the peer-to-peer assessment method was used and it suggested recomendations for their elimination. If the tutors decide to follow these suggestions this could lead to a more succesful use of the investigated method in teaching.

This dissertation thesis is focused on the theme of formative assessment on a secondary level of education. The aim of this thesis is to define formative assessment and to show how it is implemented to the teaching process of the Czech language and literature on a secondary level of education. The theoretical part presents a review based on major international and national sources. Formative assessment is defined as an evaluation which brings valuable information concerning the knowledge and skills of the given pupil during the process of education. The typology and function of formative assessment, questions linked to its successful implementation are elaborated together with this methods: goals, criteria, feedback, self-assessment and peer assessment. The aim of the empirical part is to define the real form of the implementation of formative assessment in six targeted Czech schools. This thesis also presents the attitude of students towards the implementation of this method. A qualitative research method was chosen and a multiple case study was used as a form of research strategy. The data collection consisted of observation, document analysis and interviews with teachers and pupils. The formative assessment methods were best implemented under the supervision of a skilled mentor. Contrary to...

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Background: Recent literature on medical professionalism claims that self-awareness and the ability to reflect upon one’s experiences is a critical component of professionalism; however there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support this claim. This study employed a mixed methods approach to explore the utility of reflective writing and self- and peer assessments in explaining professionalism lapses among medical students. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted using students from Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) who had been disciplined for unprofessional behavior between 2006-2013 (case group; n=70). A randomly selected control group (n=230) was used for comparison. Reflective ability was assessed using a validated rubric to score students’ professionalism journals. Mean reflection scores and assessment scores were compared using t-tests. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the impact of reflection scores and self- and peer assessment scores on the likelihood of having been disciplined for unprofessional behavior. Subsequent qualitative analysis further explored when and how students learned professionalism during their clinical experiences. Results: The study found that students in the case group exhibited lower reflective ability than control students. Furthermore, reflective ability was a significant factor in explaining the odds that a student had been cited for professionalism lapses. There were no differences in self-assessment scores between the two groups, but students in the case group had significantly lower peer assessment scores than control students. Peer assessment scores also had the greatest influence on the odds that a student had been cited for professionalism deficiencies during medical school. Qualitative analysis revealed that students learn professionalism from role models who demonstrated altruism and respect (or lack thereof). Conclusions: These findings suggest that students should be provided with guidance and feedback on their reflective writing to promote higher levels of reflection, which may reduce the number of students who are cited for professionalism lapses. These findings also indicate that peer assessments can be used to provide students with insightful feedback regarding their professional development. Finally, role models have a strong influence on students’ professional development, and therefore must be cognizant of the implicit messages their behaviors convey.