Assessment in the Affective Domain

Introduction

In the Bloom's taxonomy, three domains of learning were identified: cognitive, psychomotor and affective
domains. The cognitive domain includes mental skills (knowledge), the affective domain dwells on growth in feelings
or emotional areas (feelings, emotions, attitude) while the psychomotor domain is concerned with manual or physical
skills (skills). In short, the three domains of learning are KSA, meaning knowledge, skills and attitude.

Navarro and Santos (2013) assert:

The affective domain is the least studied and most often overlooked domain in educational literature despite the
fact that almost every researcher or author begins with a premise on the importance of the affective domain in the
teaching-learning process. The reason, perhaps, is the fact that the affective domain is the most nebulous and the
hardest to evaluate among Bloom's three domains ....

However, it is important to realize that by tapping the potentials of the affective domain in enhancing learning,
we increase the likelihood of real and authentic learning among our students. Similarly, students may experience
affective roadblocks to learning that can neither be recognized nor solved when using a purely cognitive approach. (p.
59)

Indeed, learning is not only a cognitive process. It is also an emotional process. Research shows that SEL not
only improves achievement by an average of 11 percentile points, but it also increases prosocial behaviors (such as
kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student attitudes toward school, and reduces depression and stress among
students (Durlak et al ., 2011).

The five key skills of SEL namely: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and
responsible decision making are in the affective domain and so are the concern of assessment in the affective domain.

Soft Skills in Affective Assessment

Soft Skill Observable Behavior Learning
outcomes in Provides peers with positive feedback the affective
domain include soft
Offers help or assistance to peers
skills in contrast to the
Initiates interactions with peers
hard skills (technical
Participates in discussions with peers
skills). Soft skills are
Has sense of humor, shares amusement with peers nontechnical
skills that Has friends refer to how
one works Can carry out leadership activities in the
workplace, Engages in appropriate social behavior how one
interacts Self-Management Controls displays of temper when angry with others in
the Accepts legitimate rules workplace
and how Compromises with others to avoid conflict one looks at
problems Responds in socially appropriate ways to criticism from and solve
problems. others
Handles teasing and social provocations
Categories Cooperates with others of Soft Skills
The Maintains attention to tasks five key skills
of SEL can Is respectful to teachers and staffs be grouped
into four Academic Soft Skills Works independently categories
that most Completes assigned tasks school
leaders, Listens to and carries out teacher directions teachers, and
parents Produces work of acceptable quality for ability level would agree
are within Brings requires materials to school the
Arrives at school on time and without undue absences responsibility
of schools Asks for assistance as needed, ask questions to monitor
and Uses appropriate study skills develop.
Below are Approaches to Enjoys school observable
behaviors of Learning each soft
skill. Takes on challenging tasks
Has confidence in abilities
Works hard
Is enthusiastic and adventurous
Is involved with extracurricular school activities
The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

The taxonomy in the affective domain contains a large number of objectives in the literature expressed as interest,
attitudes, appreciations, values and emotional sets as or biases. (Krathwohl et al, 1964). The descriptions of each step
in the taxonomy culled from Kratwohl's taxonomy of Affective Domain (1964) are given as follows:

Receiving is being aware of or sensitive to the existence of certain ideas, material, or phenomena and being willing to
tolerate them. Examples include: to differentiate, to accept, to listen (for), to respond to.

Responding is being committed in some small measure to the ideas, materials, or phenomena involved by actively
responding to them. Example are: to comply with, to follow, to commend, to volunteer, to spend leisure time in, to
acclaim.

Valuing is willing to be perceived by others as attaching importance to certain ideas, materials, or phenomena.
Examples include: to increase measured proficiency in, to relinquish, to subsidize, to support, to debate.

Organization is relating the value to those already held and bring it into a harmonious and internally consistent
philosophy. Examples are to discuss, to theorize, to formulate, to balance, to examine.

Characterization by value or value set is to act consistently in accordance with the values he or she has internalized.
Examples include: to revise, to require, to be rated high in the value, to avoid, to resist, to manage, to resolve.

Teachers usually find difficulty in the use of behavioral when they formulate learning outcomes in the affective
domain. Below are examples of verbs or behavioral terms that can be used to state learning competencies in the
affective domain.

Receiving Responding Valuing Organization Characterization

 accept  complete  accept  codify  internalize
 attend  comply  defend  discriminate  verify
 develop  cooperate  devote  display
 recognize  discuss  pursue  order
 examine  seek  organize
 obey  systematize
 respond  weigh

Figure 17. Behavioral Verbs Appropriate for the Affective Domain

Methods of Assessing Learning in the Affective Domain

McMillan (2007) gives three feasible methods of assessing learning or learner's development in the affective
domain.

Teacher Observation
Teacher observation can be unstructured or structured. It is unstructured when observation is open-ended.
Teacher's observation is not limited to items in a checklist or rating scale. Teacher observation is structured when
he/she is guided in what to observe by a checklist or rating scale. To make teacher observation work in relation to the
assessment of affective learning, the following should be observed:
 Determine behaviors to be observed in advance.
 Record student's important data such as time, data and place.
 If unstructured, record brief descriptions of relevant behavior.
 Keep interpretations separate from description.
 Record both positive and negative behaviors.
 Have as much observation of each student as necessary.
 Avoid personal bias. Be objective.
 Immediately record the observations.
 Apply a simple and efficient procedure.

Student Self-Report

A student self-report can also be derived by way of a student interview or by way of a questionnaire and
survey. Teacher may interview a student on whether the student likes or hates Physics as a subject and why. One
advantage of an interview is teacher can probe into the answers of the student right there and then.

Another means to derive a student self-report is by way of a survey and a questionnaire. These survey and
questionnaire can make use of a constructed-response format like an essay. "Why is Physics my Favorite Subject"
or "Why is Physics my Pet Peeve" may be the title of an essay that teacher asks the student to write about to determine
the student's attitude toward Physics.

Or teacher may get a student self-report by means of a selected-response format by means of assessment tools
such as a checklist, a rating scale (like a Likert Scale) or a semantic differential scale. Below are examples:

Peer Ratings
Another way is to ask the student's peer to rate him/her on affective items where teacher wants to rate the student.

Ideally, teacher's observation of a student's realization of affective learning outcome should coincide with student's
self-report and that of peer rating of the student. Many times, it does not happen, however.

Affective Assessment Tools

The different methods of assessing learning or development in the affective domain, namely: observation, student
self-report and peer ratings-make use of assessment tools such as Likert Scale, Semantic Differential, Checklist,
sentence completion and student's written reflections.