Counselling Assessment of Student Learning

Assessment is a term that includes, “the gathering of information, using a broad array of evaluative procedures, for decision making about individuals, groups, programs, or processes” (Association for Assessment in Counselling, 2003). In gathering this information there are many factors that play a significant role impacting the assessment outcome. One of the most powerful factors is the environment in which the individual, group or programs exist. This essay will firstly show how the environment as an integral part in the child’s development impacts on learning and secondly, identify relevant assessment methods and techniques that could be used by a counsellor when assessing a primary school aged child.

According to Bronfenbrenner’s structure of the environment, there are five systems of an individuals development. These include the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem and the chronosystem. Each layer builds on the last, completeing the big picture of the person. The most important layer to a young child is the microsystem, which is their immediate family environment and their relationships with their surroundings. These form the basis of a child’s belief system and impacts on who they are. In the counselling assessment process, it is essential to understand why the child might be experiencing difficulty, so the best place to start, is to understand the environment that has helped nurture the child from birth.

Assessment targets include abilities, “achievements, personality variables, aptitudes, attitudes, preferences, interests, values, demographics, and other characteristics” (Association for Assessment in Counselling, 2003). A counsellor’s assessment of a school age child concentrates on abilit...

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