Creating rubrics to assess entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation in primary and secondary education

Abstract

This study focused on the exploration and development of rubrics as a means for learning, assessment and self-assessment of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation in primary and secondary education in Malta. The relevance of this study is related to the National Curriculum Framework (2012) which introduced ‘Education for entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation’ as one cross-curricular theme (CCT) merged into the different learning areas taught at schools. This study adopted a two-pronged data collection method approach: 18 semi-structured interviews and a focus group with 9 subjects. The interviewees and the participants of the focus group were teachers, experts who are knowledgeable in the field under study and SMT members. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to identify a balanced mix of participants from state, church and independent primary and secondary schools. The aim of the interviews was to gain first-hand experience on how these three notions are embedded in practice, the skills associated with each notion and the different tools for assessment. Following the semi-structured interviews, the competences were divided into personal, interpersonal, cognitive and practical areas with each competence having 3 different skills and 5 levels of progression: taxiing, takeoff, airborne, climbing and cruising. The rubrics created were presented and discussed in a focus group which confirmed that the rubrics could be used by teachers who teach different subjects and can be applied at all levels of schooling. The purpose of the rubrics developed is not to grade learners or pass judgement about their work (Moskal, 2000) but to engage them in an explorative journey, to guide them to reflect, be critical and to improve their skills through a set of criteria with sequential performance quality levels (Brookhart, 2013). As a tool for learning and assessment, the rubrics created will help students step out of the ‘right versus wrong’ interpretation mode and develop skills related to entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation by knowing what is expected of them and what they should do to improve their skills. The findings reveal that the education system in Malta is struggling to detach itself from a pen-and-paper exam driven legacy with vast syllabi for every subject. Consequently, the use of formative assessment is not significant and the use of rubrics is practically nonexistent. The practical relevance of this study is such that the created rubrics might facilitate the implementation of the CCT.