Instructional Planning and Assessment in Home Economics
Instructional Planning and Assessment in Home Economics
This domain, mainly for trainee and practising teachers, tests how to plan a lesson, write objectives, organise practicals and assess learning fairly.
Core rules
- A scheme of work maps topics across a term; a lesson plan covers date, class, topic, objectives, prior knowledge, teaching aids, introduction, development, conclusion and evaluation.
- Objectives should be specific, measurable and learner-centred, and linked to Bloom's levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation.
- Demonstration method: explain, demonstrate slowly, question, then let learners practise under supervision; keep groups small.
- Assessment types: diagnostic (before), formative (during), summative (end). Tools: checklist for procedures, rating scale for quality, rubric for a product or project.
- A table of specification balances test items across topics and cognitive levels.
- Practical work must be assessed on process (hygiene, safety, organisation) as well as product.
Worked example
Write an objective for a lesson on making scones, then assess it. Reasoning: 'know how to make scones' is not measurable. Better: 'By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to make six scones that are evenly risen and golden brown using the rubbing-in method, observing hygiene and safety.' The rubric then carries criteria for rise, colour, texture, hygiene and safety, each with marks, so objective and assessment tool match.
Traps
- Using vague verbs such as know, understand or appreciate.
- Marking only the finished product and ignoring hygiene and safety.
- Setting test items that do not match the stated objectives.