THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL CHEMISTRY EDUCATION THROUGH FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Abstract

In the context of educational reform in Ukraine, particularly the implementation of the New Ukrainian School (NUS) concept, which involves a transition to a competency-based approach to learning, research on effective methods of formative assessment is becoming increasingly relevant. The aim of the study is to develop and test a model toolkit for formative assessment in chemistry education, which will contribute to improving the quality of the educational process and developing students’ key competencies. The research methods include an analysis of scientific and methodological literature, a comparative analysis of formative and summative assessment, a pedagogical experiment, surveys of students and teachers, as well as statistical analysis of the obtained data. The research results indicate the effectiveness of formative assessment, which focuses on the learning process rather than just the final outcome. A model toolkit for formative assessment has been developed, which includes: checklists for laboratory work that allow students to independently monitor the correctness of experiments and analyze their actions; reflective pages in workbooks that encourage students to self-analyze, recognize their mistakes, and find ways to correct them; student achievement reports that provide feedback to parents and enable them to actively engage in the learning process; a two-stage knowledge assessment system that allows students to improve their results after correcting mistakes and additional work on the material. The pilot implementation of the proposed approaches in secondary education institutions confirmed the positive impact of the model toolkit on students’ success in chemistry. Сonclusions indicate that implementing the developed formative assessment model enhances students’ motivation for learning and fosters critical thinking. Thus, this model can be effectively applied in Ukraine’s modern educational system.