Rethinking the National Examination: Is a uniform assessment effective for diverse students in...

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Rethinking the National Examination:

Is a uniform assessment effective for diverse students in Indonesia?

Rahmila Murtiana

Abstract

National Examination has brought pro and contra since this type of testing is imposed to

assess the performance of students at primary and secondary schools in Indonesia. The main

issue lies in the fact that the passing score in National Examination is used as the ultimate

measure which determines students’ eligibility to continue to the next level of schooling.

This study is aimed to investigate whether National Examination has functioned effectively to

evaluate and at the same time promote students’ quality. It also attempts to contribute a few

insights about the possibility of implementing alternative approach of assesment instead of

relying on the end-of-school-year national exam as the sole passing criterion. It is worth

considering the possibility of implementing another type of assessment either to replace or to

supplement National Examination. It cannot be denied that the implementation will take a

considerable amount of time, particularly in preparing the teachers, who in the assessment

process occupy the central position. Since this study only uses library research, that is, data

collection and analysis are based on literature reviews, further field research such as survey,

observation or interviews with the teachers, students, and whoever involved in the National

Examination and alternative type of assessment need to be conducted.

Key words: national examination, alternative assessments

Rangkuman

Ujian Nasional (UN) telah banyak menimbulkan pro dan kontra sejak kebijakan ini

diberlakukan untuk menilai kemampuan siswa sekolah dasar dan menengah di Indonesia. Isu

utama adalah karena nilai yang diperoleh dalam UN digunakan sebagai satu-satunya ukuran

dalam menentukan kelulusan siswa dan apakah siswa berhak melanjutkan ke jenjang

pendidikan selanjutnya. Studi ini bermaksud menelaah apakah UN telah berfungsi efektif

sebagai sarana evaluasi sekaligus sarana peningkatan kualitas para siswa. Selain itu studi ini

berusaha menyumbangakan pemikiran tentang pendekatan alternatif yang bisa dipakai dalam

menilai kemampuan siswa, daripada hanya sekedar mengandalkan ujian akhir tahun sebagai

satu-satunya penentu kelulusan. Implementasinya nanti tentu akan banyak memerlukan

waktu, terutama dalam mempersiapkan para guru, yang dalam proses penilaian sebenarnya

menduduki posisi sentral. Karena studi ini hanya bersifat kajian pustaka, diharapkan kelak

akan bisa diwujudkan penelitian lapangan yang melibatkan para guru, siswa, dan berbagai

pihak terkait dalam upaya mengimplementasikan penilaian alternatif disamping UN.

* paper presented at the Indonesian Student International Conference: Thinking of Home While Away,

Melbourne, 16-18 July 2010. Published as a book chapter in Education Count! Editors: Zulfa Sakkhiya, I Made

Andi Arsana, & Mikha Ramadewi, Insight Media Yogyakarta, 2011.

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1. Introduction

1.1. Statement of problem

As a country with a centralized education system, Indonesia has a national curriculum which

is formulated by the Ministry of National Education. In the national curriculum, the guidelines

not only include the materials and subjects to be taught in each school level, but also the

evaluation and assessment system, and the passing criteria for the students. All schools across

the provinces in Indonesia must follow these government policies.

One of the policies in regards to the evaluation and assessment of school students is national

exam. Indonesian government has imposed various ways in evaluating and assessing

students’ achievement at schools, with National Examination or famously called UN (Ujian

Nasional) as the newest type. National Examination has brought pro and contra since this

type of testing is imposed to assess the performance of students at primary and secondary

schools in Indonesia. The main issue lies in the fact that the passing score in National

Examination is used as the ultimate measure which determines students’ eligibility to

continue to the next level of schooling.

Many have voiced their opinion about National Examination. Those who agree claim that

National Examination is needed to motivate the students. One popular argument is the

standard in the passing scoring is needed, otherwise students will not take the exam seriously

(Depdiknas, 2009a). Each year the standard is increased with the hope that students will also

be able to increase their competence, which then would reflect the improvement in the quality

of national education. Meanwhile, those who oppose the implementation of National

Examination think that this type of exam should be stopped because it is unfair and

discriminate students (Eliana, 2009), hard to measure student’s ability only by asking them to

solve a set of questions, and has caused too much pressure not only to students themselves,

but also to parents, teachers, and school administrators (Afrianto, 2008; Handayani, 2010).

The controversy of National Examination has made the Supreme Court issued a verdict that

the exam must be revoked. The decision was made after a lawsuit from the Advocacy Team

for the Victim National Examination and Education Forum (Eliana, 2009). However, the

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government through the Ministry of National Education decided to continue with the

program, supported by the president SBY himself. The argument was they had not received

the Supreme Court decision, and the decision had no permanent legal force yet as the

government would still be able to make appeal. Besides, they were only asked to improve the

quality of teachers, educational facilities, and infrastructure, not to stop the National

Examination. Moreover, Minister of Education Muhammad Nuh argued that the National

Examination is a necessity because of its aim at setting a standardized education quality for

the future in addition to improve the quality of education program across different provinces

in Indonesia (Handayani, 2010).

There is nothing wrong with improving the quality of education throughout the country.

However, the government should not forget that students in Indonesia are heterogeneous, not

only in terms of geographical aspects but also in terms of economical, intellectual ability, and

culture. Coming from various conditions, should they take a uniform standardized national

exam, the outcome would be very unlikely the same. Students from remote areas may lack of

resources, such as poor facilities and inadequate teachers, have limited access to lesson

materials and sophisticated technology, and as a result may not have the same competence as

students who live in urban areas (Eliana, 2009). It is evident in the national news we often

heard that in certain area a number of students have failed in the National Examination; in

other words, they cannot meet the standards.

Considering that Indonesia is a vast area with diverse student backgrounds, a ’uniform’

centralized exam might not be a fair measure. Therefore, it is high time to reconsider the

National Examination and think of an alternative assessment which can measure the students’

success in learning more fairly.

1.2. Research question and purpose of the study

This paper is then written with two purposes: firstly, to investigate whether National

Examination has functioned effectively to evaluate and at the same time promote students’

quality. If not, is there any suitable alternative type of assessment for Indonesian context?

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This question leads to the second purpose of this paper, that is, to contribute a few insights

about the possibility of implementing alternative approach of assessment instead of relying on

the end-of-school-year national exam as the sole passing criterion.

1.3. Methodology

The study in this paper employs library research, that is, data collection and analysis are based

on literature reviews. The primary sources of data are reports and documents, while the

secondary sources are books and journal articles. Since this study is not based on direct

survey in the field, a documentary or secondary analysis is employed.

The methods were started by gathering reliable data and information, followed by analyzing,

synthesizing, and finally drawing conclusion and giving recommendations. The writer

realized that this methodology has limitation, however, it has to be chosen due to the limited

time to complete this study.

The findings are presented below and divided into two major sections. The first section is the

discussion on the issue of National Examination itself, which include the history, the

advantages and the disadvantages, and the comparison with exams in neighboring countries.

The second section discusses assessment in a broader context, which includes the definition

and purposes, different types of assessment, as well as the possibility of implementing an

alternative approach of assessment, which is a challenge for teachers.

2. National Examination

2.1. National examination from time to time

According to Minister Decree 2009 clause 1, National Examination is defined as the activity

of measuring and assessing the students’ competence nationally at the middle and secondary

level (Depdiknas, 2009b). Before Indonesian Independence until the year 1972 the term used

for national exam was Ujian Negara or State Exam (Afrianto, 2008). At that time the

passing rate was about 30-40 %. Because of a large number of students who failed in Ujian

Negara and therefore limit their chance to continue their schooling, a new policy was made.

Schools were given the opportunity to conduct their own exam and could decide the passing.

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The policy which had been implemented for the last 20 years brought effect: 100% students

passed (Depdiknas, 2009a).

Then in 1980 EBTANAS (National Final Learning Examination) was implemented, which was

a combination of Ujian Negara (state exam), and Ujian Sekolah (school exam). In

EBTANAS, students’ scores were based on combination of scores in report book, national

exam, and school exam. The result was a big gap between what students achieved in

EBTANAS and what they gained in school exam, for example in EBTANAS they got 3, while

in school exam they got 8. Still, all students could pass or graduated (Depdiknas, 2009a). The

total score of EBTANAS (called NEM) was used as a determinant to enter the next level of

schooling, except to university. Generally, students with high NEM can enroll in well-

qualified or favorite schools easily, while those with low NEM must be satisfied to be

admitted to the lower rank schools.

Since the year 2003 the new type of national exam called UAN (National Final Examination) -

now is more popular with the term UN (National Examination) - started to be implemented.

First, it was for students finishing from middle school (year 9) and high school (year 12).

Then, since 2009 primary school students (year 6) must also take this exam although in

somewhat different term called UASBN The subjects being tested for high school students

were Math, Bahasa Indonesia, and English, and based on Permendiknas (Minister Decree)

no. 75/2009 clause 7, in the year 2010 the subjects have increased into six. For high school

students majoring in science studies, beside the three subjects mentioned above, they have to

take Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. Students majoring in social studies have to take

Economics, Sociology, and Geography. While those majoring in language must take History

and Anthropology, Indonesian Literature, and one foreign language either French, German,

Japanese, Mandarin, or Arabic (Depdiknas, 2009b).

Those studying in Islamic school or madrasa, the subjects included in national exam are tafsir

(Qur’an study), hadist, and fiqh (Islamic law). Students in vocational school or SMK have to

take Indonesian, English, and Math (different materials depending on the program), and Teori

Kejuruan (Vocational Theory). For middle school (SMP) students, the subjects are Math,

Bahasa Indonesia, English and Science. For primary school students the subjects are Math,

Bahasa Indonesia, and Science.

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As stated in Minister Decree clause 20, to pass the exam, students must gain average score of

5.5, and minimum score of 4 for at least two subjects, and mininum 4.25 for other subjects.

Particularly for students of vocational schools, they have to achieve score at least 7 for

vocational practice (Depdiknas, 2009b). If the students do not achieve these minimum scores,

they have to repeat the exam. In other words, they can not graduate and continue to the

higher level of schooling.

According to Minister Decree 2009 clause 3, the result of National Examination is used for

four purposes: first, for mapping the quality of a school; second, for the basis of selection to

enter the next level of schooling; third, as a criteria to determine whether students can

graduate from a school; and fourth, to supervise schools in order to increase the quality of

education (Depdiknas, 2009b).

Apart from these four pedagogical puposes, the policy regarding National Examination might

relate to the government’s effort in enhancing the quality of human resources through the

standardization of national education. The former Rector of Gadjah Mada University, Sofian

Effendi, once has pointed out this issue stating that ”Indonesian government needs to

introduce high-based education policies to step up academic quality by the introduction of

national academic standards” (Effendi, 2001). His proposal was based on his concern about

the disappointing fact of Indonesian education in which the achievement of Indonesian

students is still low compared to that of other Asian countries. For instance, the result of The

Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) only placed Indonesian

secondary school students at rank 32 in math and rank 34 in science among 38 countries.

In addition, according to a survey conducted by Political and Economic Risk Consultancy

(PERC), Indonesian education system was the worst of the twelve countries in Asia, and

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported that Indonesia’s Human

Development Index (HDI) was number 111 of 175 country in the year 2004 and 110 of 177

in 2005 (Yuwana, 2009). Meanwhile, National Research and Development Agency

(Bapenas) stated that from 146,052 primary schools, only eight schools got

international acknowledgment in Primary Years Program (PYP), from 20,918 junior high

schools only eight got international acknowledgment in The Middle Years Program (MYP),

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and from 8,036 high schools only seven schools got international acknowledgment in The

Diploma Program (DP) (Yuwana, 2009).

The Indonesian government has been aware of this worrying condition and tried to create

several formulas to reform the education system. In the paper presented during the First

International Forum on Education Reform in Bangkok 2001, Dr. Ella Yulaelawati from

National Office Of Research and Development Ministry of National Education underlined the

importance of education reform particularly in curriculum and assessment and argued that

higher standards in education will contribute to the growth of competitive society and the

welfare of all Indonesian citizens. She mentioned nine strategies to enhance the national

education system, one of which is the implementation of assessment and accreditation system

which empower students for better quality of learning (Yulaelawati, 2001).

The policy of National Examination seems to be one of the tools used regarding the

standardization of education. However, the question remains: has National Examination been

able to improve students’ academic quality? The next section will discuss the pluses and

minuses of National Examination system.

2.2. Advantages and disadvantages of National Examination

National Examination is like two sides of a coin: on one side it brings advantages, on the

other it causes problems. Among the positive sides of National Examination is first, it can

function as a benchmark for successful teaching and learning process at national level.

Second, it can be used as input as well as feedback for the government in order to formulate

programs for the betterment of national education (Afrianto, 2008). In addition, National

Examination may motivate students to study harder. The minimum score will boost students

to do their best efforts, otherwise they will fail. Then, in terms of scoring, National

Examination has practicality and economy because items such as multiple choice are easy to

mark (Sugiharto, 2009). Teachers do not have to spend much time in marking, which means

time efficiency. Besides, the result of National Examination is considered more objective

compared to the scores given by teachers.

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On the other side, the disadvantages of National Examination are not a few. These are mostly

experienced by students, parents, and teachers. Students who take National Examination are

under pressure. They lose their leisure time and creativity because most of their time now is

spent for studying and preparing for the exam. One student expressed his feeling in a school

bulletin that he no longer felt the enjoyment in learning because their teachers now lose their

kindness and warmth in teaching (Azhar, 2009).

Students could also become disoriented, and motivation for learning is extrinsic, not intrinsic,

and this is dangerous for a long term purpose of education. Stiggins (1997) argued that

students who receive the result of an exam which shows that they are not succeeding in

school, can grow a sense of hopelessness and an expectation of more failure in the future.

This can rob them of the motivation to try, which in turn can lead to more failure.

National Examination also leads students more into rote learning, or relying on memorization,

not critical thinking or practical skills. For example in English, students just memorize,

without knowing how to use the language in real life situation (Azhar, 2009). What is worse is

the practice of cheating during the exam and stealing the exam papers in order to find out the

questions before the exam itself is held.

In part of teachers, the implementation of National Examination could lead them to the

activity of teaching to the test, not teaching for knowledge or skill. As Afrianto (2008)

pointed out, teachers now tend to teach only strategies to answer the exams, and become less

creative in designing their lesson. They even demands students’ extra time for exam practice

and try-out. Teachers may also ignore other subjects which are not tested in National

Examination.

There is also a possibility of manipulation and cheating because teachers as well as school

administrators want students to pass, for the sake of the school image also for the teachers’

own reputation (Afrianto, 2008). It is likely that public would blame teachers, assuming that

teachers cannot teach well and become the sources of failures if many students at one school

fail in the exam. Several cases of cheating as well as the practice of distributing the answers

of the test, which involved teachers and school administrators, have been reported to occur in

different parts across Indonesia (Afrianto, 2008; Azhar, 2009).

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Parents also feel the impact of National Examination. Many of them get tense and keep

worrying about the results; many others complain about the new policy (Handayani, 2010).

Mostly, parents would spend extra money by sending their children to tutoring institution

outside school hours, so that their children know the strategy of answering the questions and

could succeed in the National Examination. As well as that, in terms of the national budget,

how much incentive has been spent to prepare the exam materials, distribute them, not to

mention to train and pay those who involved in writing the exam, and then to make another

version for students who fail and must repeat the exam?

2.3. National Examination vs. national curriculum

Another negative impact of National Examination is the tendency to narrow down the

curriculum (Afrianto, 2008). This means that teachers will only focus on the subjects being

tested in the exam. The implementation of National Examination is even not linked with

guidance given in the recent national curriculum, KTSP (Unit Level Curriculum).

In KTSP, assessment of students is expected to be continuous and ongoing, not just final or

summative as National Examination. It is clear from the definition of assessment: “a series of

activities in order to obtain, analyze, and interpret data on students' learning processes and

learning results, which are done in a systematic and sustainable manner so as to become

meaningful information in decision-making” (Sugiharto, 2009). To get the optimum results, it

requires such techniques as observation, project work, performance assessment, portfolio and

self-assessment.

Beside that, based on KTSP, the life skills education which includes academic, social and

vocational skills, is of importance. The use of National Examination alone is not enough to

measure whether the students have acquired these life skills because the tests in National

Examination only consist of multiple choice items, which are only compatible with academic

skills but not with other two skills. In addition, based on KTSP teachers are actually given

autonomy to assess their students, but National Examination seems to have taken over the

teacher roles (Sugiharto, 2009).

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From the discussion above it is evident that National Examination has not yet functioned

effectively to promote students’ quality and raise the standard of national education. First, it

is because the limitations of the National Examiantion itself as measurement. In other words,

its validity and reliability are still in question. Second, after a few years of its

implementation, there is not much evidence about the increasing quality of teachers, facilities,

and infrastructure (Eliana, 2009). What is more apparent seems to be the negative impacts

experienced by the society.

The results of National Examination show that the number of students who fail keeps

increasing each year. For example, in Bali the number of students who failed this year

reached 1,090, while in Lampung 2,200 students failed, which is higher than last year. In

West Sumatra 7,450 students failed compared to 3,409 last year. Not only in provinces

outside Java experience a high rate of student failure, even in Jakarta such as North Jakarta, a

large number of students (1, 314) failed. In East Nusa Tenggara 18,833 failed the exam. In

an Islamic school in Majene South Sulawesi and four high schools in South Sumatra none of

the students passed the exam (Hariyadi, 2010).

These facts are really saddening. Still, Minister of Education argued that the increasing rate

of failures is due to the tighter supervision which prevented students from cheating. Besides,

students who fail are still given a chance to take a remedial exam. However, the Indonesian

Independent Teachers’ Federation chairman disagreed with the minister’s claim, saying that

the results reflect the failure of the education system, and are a sign of how serious the

problem is (Hariyadi, 2010).

2.4. National Examination in neigboring countries

To compare national examination in Indonesia and in other countries, below are the

description of what kind of test and how it is conducted in the neighboring countries in South

East Asia and Australia.

2.4.1. South East Asian Countries

In SEAMEO (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization) member countries,:

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar,

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Viet Nam, and Indonesia, the educational systems are quite similar, and also the assessment

system. Formal schooling comprises of primary and secondary schools; commonly it takes

six years to finish primary school, and three years in lower secondary and upper secondary

school. However, there are also countries which only need four years in primary school such

as Myanmar, five years in Laos and Vietnam, and two years in upper secondary school. The

entry age is at six years old, and the exit is between 15 to 16 years old (SEAMEO, 2001).

Regarding the assessment system, almost all member countries in SEAMEO, except Laos and

Thailand, conduct public examinations at national level for students in secondary schools.

Public examinations are considered academic achievement tests. SEAMEO Member

Countries have done several efforts to standardize the public examinations to ensure that these

examinations are valid and reliable. Examination boards are formed with the main objective

of maintaining standards. There are guidelines for setting examination papers based on table

of specifications. Marking is either computerized or markers are drawn from a pool of

experienced school or university teachers in the relevant subject areas. They develop marking

schemes and formulate procedures to coordinate and moderate the marking of the

examination scripts. Moreover, few countries give positive weight to disadvantaged regions

and students in the grading of public examination (SEAMEO, 2001). In the case of

examination system in Indonesia, there is no such thing as giving special standard for

disadvantaged regions and students. All students in al regions are treated the same, and the

result is the higher number of failures in those regions.

The more advance way of examination seems to be found in Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia

because their education system is more developed compared to other South East Asian

countries. In Singapore students at primary levels take Primary Leaving School Examination

(PSLE), and based on the result they will be paced in different stream: Special, Express and

Normal. Those who are in Special or Express course will be able to complete their secondary

education in four years, then take Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education

"Ordinary" (GCE "O") level examination. Meanwhile, students who take the Normal course

take the GCE "Normal" (N) level examination after four-year study, then continue for a fifth

year of secondary schooling, after which they take the GCE "O" level examination. Students

who achieve adequate "O" level results then can continue to the pre-university level, where

they take a course leading to the GCE "Advanced" (A) level examination. Those who pass

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this examination may be eligible for tertiary education. This system is similar to system in

Britain. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, students at secondary school take three types of national

examination. To enter university students must pass the Malaysia High School Certificate

(SEAMEO, 2001). All these show that countries in South East Asia also employ national

exam system, although in somewhat different way from Indonesia.

2.4.2. Australia

In Australia national testing for students is implemented through NAPLAN (The National

Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy). The implementation started in 2008 and is

intended for students Year 3, 5, and 7 across all states and territories (Ministerial Council on

Education, Employment, and Youth Affairs, 2007, as cited in Brady & Kennedy, 2009, p. 22).

Before this new form of assessment, Australia already developed the national benchmarks in

numeracy and literacy, and the results were publicly reported in the annual National Report

on Schooling. Based on these benchmarks, it could be identified the students’ level of literacy

and numeracy. If their ability does not meet the minimum standard, they will have difficulty

making adequate progress at school. National newspapers usually report where the cohort of

students are in relation to the benchmark. For example, “91 percent of year 3 students in New

South Wales reached the national benchmark” (Brady & Kennedy, 2009, p. 22). Parents can

find out their child’s achievement against this national benchmark as well as if compared to

other children. Basically, the purpose of this reporting is to identify which students need

more assistance in learning.

As a developing country which keeps fixing up its national education system, Indonesia could

learn from what has been applied in the neigboring coutries. For instance, related to the

education reform and the notion of moving from centralized to decentralized education

system as mentioned by Effendy (2001) and Yulaelawati (2001), perhaps Indonesia can learn

from Australia where each state is free to create its own regional curriculum in addition to

national curriculum. It means that schools in different states can also have the freedom to

create their own assessement system. Singapore and Malaysia which already have a high

standard of education and high quality of human resources could be the model as well, but

again, Indonesia must be realistic in adapting other countries’ system by considering the local

condition and ability. If Indonesian education system intends to level up with Singapore or

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Malaysia through high standard in national examination, before implementing the policy, it

would be better if the government firstly improve the resources such as learning materials,

school facilities and teacher competence, and minimize the ’quality gap’ among schools in

different regions so that the national exam results would be fair enough.

3. Alternative approach of assessment

To address the issue of National Examination and to put it in a broader framework of

assessment, the next section will discuss the assessment in general, starting from the

definition of assessment, the purposes, different types of assessment, and alternative approach

of assessment as suggested by educational experts.

3.1. Definition of assessment

Some people use the term assessment and evaluation interchangeably, while some others

differentiate assessment from evaluation. Basically, assessment is defined as a collection of

judgment (Broadfoot, 2007). In a more detailed account assessment is a judgment or

appraisal of the learner’s work and specific needs, which could be gathered through formal or

informal procedures, and the result is meant to provide direction for immediate and future

instruction (Chapman & King, 2005).

National Examination as a part of assessment seems to meet this definition. From the results

of National Examination we can judge through formal procedures whether students are

competent enough or not. However, it is still questionable whether teachers have used the

results to improve the instruction in the future.

3.2. Types of assessment

Assessment can be categorized into: formal and informal, formative and summative,

continuous and final, coursework and examination, process oriented and product oriented,

internal and external (Chapman & King, 2005; Satterly, 1989; Wragg, 2001).

An informal assessment is what is done by the teacher on a daily basis during teaching and

learning activity, for example, questions and answers during a lesson (Brady & Kennedy,

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2009). Chapman and King (2005) defined informal assessment as “tools that gather

information from spontaneous, gut reaction of the moment” (p.xvi). Response cards and

hands signals that indicate individual knowledge of a topic or skill are examples of informal

assessment. Informal assessment can be very useful because students are monitored

continuously. Compared to informal assessment, a formal assessment is more structured. It

could be in the form of standardized test or examination paper (Wragg, 2001). According to

Chapman and King (2005) formal assessment is “tools that collect specific, observable

information” (p.xvi). The data may be derived from content knowledge, skills and abilities or

behavior observations. Tests, quizzes, check lists, rubrics, Likert scale, are examples of

formal assessment tools (Chapman & King, 2005).

Formative assessment is, carried out on a daily basis, and the purpose is to get information on

which to base further teaching (Brady & Kennedy, 2009). Similarly, Chapman and King

(2005) define it as “ongoing assessment before, during, and after instruction to identify needs

and provide continuous feedback so the students learn more effectively, and usually one

selected results from identified formative assessment are averaged and included in a formal

grade” (p.xvi). In contrast with formative assessment, summative assessment is carried out at

the end of a program, for example, at the end of the term, semester, or school year to measure

achievement, and the results are usually used as evidence for a grade, for reporting to parents,

or to make placement decision (Chapman & King, 2005).

Continuous assessment is similar to informal type, which is conducted throughout the term or

semester or year, while final or terminal assessment is the one given at the end of semester or

year. Coursework assessment is what students do or produce during the course based on the

tasks given, for example homework or project or assignments, whereas examination type is

what students do or produce at a set time and under certain condition, for example sitting

exam, or national exam (Brady & Kennedy, 2009).

Process-oriented assessment focuses on what is done and conducted in ‘real time’, such as

participating, talking, and debating; whereas, product-oriented focuses on what is produced,

for example, written works and projects. Internal assessment is done by a person within the

teaching situation such as the classroom teacher, while external assessment is done by a

person outside the teaching situation (Wragg, 2001). In addition, there is also public and

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national examination, which “occupy only a tiny percentage of the to the total time spent on

assessment in school, yet they often provide the basic data on which a pupil, a teacher, a

school, a whole area even, or indeed a nation itself, may be judged” (Wragg, 2001, p. 55).

In the framework of various assessment modes described above, National Examination in

Indonesia can be categorized as summative, formal, final, product-oriented, and public type.

The argument for the implementation of National Examination is then: while there are various

types of assessment, why only relying on one type to assess students’ performance? It would

be more fair if students are measured using different tools, as one tool may not fit them all

(Chapman & King, 2005).

3.3. Purpose of assessment

Various purposes of assessment have been formulated by educational experts, among them

are: assessment can be used to diagnose one’s strengths and weaknesses, to evaluate the

outcomes of teaching, as a guidance for students to make decision, to predict students’ future

performance, and to place students on particular group or level based on their grade

(Mackintosh & Hale as cited in Broadfoot, 2007, p. 6).

Similar to the purposes above, Wragg (2001) mentioned at least six purposes of assessment.

They are: as knowledge of results (feedback), support and encouragement, motivation,

diagnosis, selection, measurement and comparison. In a rather different manner, Broadfoot

(2007) listed purposes of assessment as certification of achievement (competence), selection

(competition), the evaluation of provision (content), and the control of both individual

aspirations and systemic functioning (control).

If National Examination is analyzed in terms of these assessment purposes, the points from

Broadfoot (2007) seem to be the most relevant to what the policy makers of National

Examination is trying to achieve, particularly the first two points: competence and

competition. The results of National Examination function as certification of achievement

because if the students could not achieve the standard scores, they would not be eligible to

graduate from their school and continue to the higher level of schooling. In terms of selection

(competition), National Examination seems to select students who are more competent than

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the others and therefore can survive in the competition. In this case, National Examination is a

high-stake assessment because it determines the future education of the students.

Perhaps it is worthwhile to consider the view from Stiggins (1997) who divided the function

of assessment into three levels, and described how each can contribute to students’ success.

The first level is assessment results inform instruction, that is, the results of student

achievement assessment can be used to inform a variety of decisions that influence the

effectiveness of classroom instruction. At the second level, assessment results bring teacher

supports, that is, decision makers should back up the teachers in the form of curricular,

professional development, and resource support. The third level is assessment results lead to

sound policies, that is, the standards are put in place that govern the practice in the school and

classroom. Policy makers and those who enforce policy include the superintendent, the

school board, public officials, and citizens of the community. Based on these three levels of

function, it could be decided whether a program works for any individual child, or for all

children (Stiggins, 1997, pp. 24-25) .

Ideally, National Examination in Indonesia should be able to meet those functions. Stiggins

(1997) pointed out that if the results of assessment or examination reflect a lack of academic

success, our instructional approach must be changed to prevent the pattern of failure from

becoming chronic. In addition, we should find a different formula, for instance by using

ongoing classroom assessments to bring some hope of future success to our students

(Stiggins, 1997, p. 13).

3.4. Alternative assessments

Based on the facts discussed previously regarding negative impacts of National Examination,

alternative assessment is worth considering. Educational experts have suggested various

types of alternative assessment, such as authentic assessment, performance based assessment,

assessment based on students’ multiple intelligence, peer assessment, and self assessment.

3.4.1. Authentic assessment

According to Goodwin and MacDonald (as cited in Brady & Kennedy, 2009), “the term

authentic is used to depict holistic assessment that are embedded in classroom contexts and

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enable students to demonstrate learning by integrating and applying knowledge and skills in

real-world tasks” (p.19). Chapman and King (2005) added that the analysis of students’ skills

and performance can be done through variety of observable indicators such as purposeful

activities, demonstrations, hands on experience, or project.

Students are given tasks which are meaningful and valuable during the learning process, for

example analyzing a real case study of malaria patient or reassembling motor parts, instead of

just memorizing the characteristics of malaria or the machine parts. In a math class students

could be given a real life problem such as “students must travel 20 miles to camp and have

only 10 minutes to get there. How far must they drive and would there be a speeding

infraction?” This problem is given on a card and students work in group of three. Students

must use the provided formula to determine the value of the unknown variable. Each group

has different problem, and after they complete their problem they report to the whole class.

This technique enable students to actively participate in learning, besides, they can help one

another (Weber, 1999).

3.4.2. Performance-based assessment

It is an alternative form of assessment that requires the direct observation of students as they

engage in tasks and activities, such as role play, debate, or contributing to a group work

(Brady & Kennedy, 2009, p. 3). Through this assessment, student performance of an

educational objective is observed and rated, often over time, based on certain criteria or

standards which students must be aware of (Weber, 1999). The examples of performance-

based assessment in a large-scale are California Assessment Program and the Standardized

Assessment Task in the United Kingdom. These large-scale programs have been criticized as

taking up much time and costly (Brady & Kennedy, 2009). Therefore, it is suggested to

design a smaller scale of classroom assessment.

Authentic and performance assessment in their application seem quite similar, but authentic

assessment has its basis more on socio-cultural contexts rather than in theories (Brady &

Kennedy, 2009).

3.4.3. Assessment related to multiple intelligence

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Except in high school, where students already major either in science, social, or language

programs, in National Examination the subjects tested seem to only put importance on

scientific studies. How about students in primary and middle schools who excel in social, art

and humanities? Should they be forced to master the skills they are not competent at?

The fact the students have diverse intelligence should not be ignored. According to Gardner

(1983, as cited in Weber, 1999) multiple intelligence include verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial,

logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and

naturalistic. Weber (1999) has suggested different ways of assessing students based on their

particular intelligence.

For students with verbal-linguistic intelligence, they could be assessed through activities such

as completing oral or written reports, fill in missing words from key articles or texts,

storytelling, and creative writing. Students with visual-spatial intelligence should be assessed

by asking them to draw, create maps, develop photos, display bulletin boards, create posters,

or design buildings. Students with logical-mathematical intelligence are assessed by asking

them to work with math formulas, teach abstract materials to peers, use numbers and statistics

creatively. Students with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should be assigned to design an

outdoors lesson activity, engage in sports, do related games and performances, create and

invent products, and so on (Weber, 1999).

For students with musical intelligence, the assessment is in the form of music demonstration,

singing, and creating music and songs. Students with interpersonal assessment could be

assessed by asking them to join a discussion group, interview an expert, or collaborate in

classroom decisions, while students with intrapersonal intelligence could be assessed through

their personal reflections, journals, individual projects, and personal portfolios. Finally,

students with naturalistic intelligence are assessed by asking them to collect data from nature,

complete experiment, or photograph natural patterns (Weber, 1999, pp. 18-19).

Through these various ways of assessments students’ performance can be judged more fairly.

Chapman and King (2005, p. 33) recommended teachers to create a collection of assessment

tools correlated with all intelligences and use it when needed. The problem in Indonesian

context is teachers as well as the students themselves are not aware of these multiple

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intelligence, and as a result, teachers use the same teaching and assessment techniques in the

classroom. Besides, the students often do not have clear future orientation, that is, when they

choose school or program, they sometimes just follow friends or parents, not based on their

own strength and preference.

3.4.4. Self assessment

Through self-assessment, students are given opportunity to evaluate and review what they

have been doing and give judgment to their own works (Wragg, 2001). According to Stiggins

(1997), students who learn to evaluate their own achievement become better achievers

through the process because they maintain contact with their own strength and weaknesses.

When assessing their works, students can be helped by teachers by giving them some clues or

criteria of what should be judged. For younger age students, self assessment is possibly a bit

hard to implement, but teachers can vary it to suit their ages, for example, by asking them to

give short comments whether they have been satisfied or not about their works (Wragg, 2001,

p. 69).

Beside self-correction, peer assessment can be also done, in which students assess each other.

However, it should be carefully prepared, particularly in the context where students tend to

compete among one another, as they might judge their fellow students unfairly (Wragg, 2001,

p. 71).

3.5. Challenge for teachers

Implementing alternative approach of assessment is not without hindrance, particularly in

Indonesia, where the teachers must deal with heavy load of curriculum. On one hand,

teachers are encouraged to try the alternative assessment because of its invaluable benefits.

On the other hand, they must stick to the content of national curriculum, which are set by the

central government, and alternative assessment could mean extra work and extra time.

Another constraint in Indonesian context is the large number of students in a classroom,

which would make it rather difficult for teachers to closely monitor individual students. This

may make teachers feel reluctant to implement alternative approach of assessment.

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Nonetheless, teachers should realize that they actually spend between one-third to one-half of

their teaching time for assessment-related activities. Assessment occurs continuously when

teachers interact with students, asking questions and interpreting answers, watching them

perform, examining homework, using quizzes and tests (Stiggins, 1997, p. 12). What teachers

might have not known is the way to gather and organize the results of those kinds of

assessment. It is because they have been too accustomed with ready-made assessment

provided by the institution or the government.

Portfolio is one assessment tool that could help teachers collect and record the students’

works. Arter and Spandel (1992, as cited in Stiggins, 1997) defined that a student portfolio is

a purposeful collection of student work that represents the student’s efforts, progress or

achievement. This supports the notion that student’s assessment must be continuous, not

final. Beside portfolio, teachers could as well use other assessment tools such as checklists

and rubrics. From all the results gathered, teachers then can make overall evaluation on what

students have achieved during their study.

Stiggins (1997) suggested that effective classroom teachers understand the interpersonal

dynamics of classroom assessment and know how to set students up for success through using

the appropriate assessment results. He was also optimistic that well-prepared teachers would

realize that they lie at the heart of the assessment process in schools and they would take the

responsibility very seriously. Although it seems that there has not been much support for the

teachers in their preparation to fulfill this responsibility, this condition is changing, as

professional development in assessment is becoming an increasingly prominent educational

priority (Stiggins, 1997, p. 19).

4. Conclusion and recommendation

National Examination is a high-stake, standardized test, which has been implemented in

Indonesia with the main purpose to raise the education standard. However, many problems

still occur, and pro and contra continue to exist. This means that the implementation of

National Examination needs to be reviewed by the government, particularly the purpose of

National Examination which determines whether students can graduate or not from a school.

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The latest news has revealed that in 2011 the government is going to implement a new

formula, that is, to determine students’ eligibity to graduate, the score from National

Examination (UN) will be combined with the score from school, with the ratio 60:40. The

score from the school is obtained from the average of the school report during three-year

study and the result of UAS or school exam (Napitupulu, 2010). Whether this latest policy

will bring more effective result to the national education system, it still needs to be proven.

Actually, for the purpose of enhancing the quality of education and human resources, instead

of raising the passing score of National Examination or changing the policy each year,

Indonesian government should pay more attention and spend more budget on improving the

infrastucture and educational resources. The policy makers should refer again to what

Yulaelawati has previously stated that ”data from national examinations, tests and surveys,

combined with international data will be used to establish standards” (Yulaelawati, 2001).

What has occured in practice, unfortunately, is the opposite. The government keeps raising

the standard for National Examination without really doing the mapping of the quality of

schools, students, teachers, and learning materials, It is not much known yet whether the

government has provided adequate support or supervision for the low achievers and the left-

behind schools to meet the national standards, or ever made a necessary change in

instructional approach, as suggested by Stiggin (1997) regarding the three functions of

assessment (see section 3.3.), and this makes the education reform in Indonesia appear to have

been mistakenly interpreted.

If compared with most educational contexts in other countries, it is true that the standardized

national assessment results always command all of the resources, news coverage, and political

power. However, Goodwin and MacDonald (1997 as cited in Brady & Kennedy, 2009, p. 19)

reminded us that standardized approach of assessment is often unable to take into account

background variables such as student socioeconomic status and race, and this often leads to

students who are poor or who are member of different racial groups doing badly in such tests.

These authors were referring to American context, so even in a developed country such as the

U.S., the standardized test results may bring bias and injustice, not to mention in Indonesia,

where there is a diversity of students, characterized by different learning experience,

resources, social, economic, and cultural conditions, which more or less will give impacts to

their academic competence. Similarly, Sugiharto (2008) argued that a centralized exam

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intended for all students in all provinces can not serve as a standard measure, and test takers

from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds may be disadvantaged in taking the national

exam.

To respond to this condition, the Indonesian government needs to consider the dissemination

and implementation of alternative approach of assessment. It is firstly because assessment is

inseparable part of learning process, and if assessment is only referred as a uniform test at the

end of learning such as National Examination, that notion should be changed. In our society,

people often tend to rely on scores to show the level of achievement, while in fact, “numbers

are not the only way to communicate about achievement” (Stiggins, 1997, p. 11). Secondly,

alternative assessment is necessary because the diversity of Indonesian students can not be

ignored. Their diverse competence, intelligence, culture, socioeconomic status, talent, and

potential might influence their learning and their achievement, so they certainly need to be

treated fairly through various methods of assessment. If National Examination still continues

to be used, why not combining it with other types of assessment such as performance-based

assessment or assessment related to multiple intelligence. In other words, alternative

assessment could be used to supplement National Examination. In this way, students from

diverse background will not be disadvantaged.

In this light, teachers will play their central role in assessing the students’ achievement. If

through alternative assessment the scores or results given by teachers are doubted as it might

be subjective, it could be overcome by making moderation among teachers from different

schools, just as in Australian schools where a group of teachers in particular districts meet to

make scoring moderation. Furthermore, it would be beneficial if the student report not only

contains numbers which often make the students either excited or distressed, but also with

teacher’s comments about the student’s progress, from which the students could learn their

potential and what aspects need to be improved. To realize this, teachers need to equip

themselves with the skills and knowledge on how to assess students effectively, and it is the

role of the government through Ministry of National Education to support teachers by

facilitating or providing professional development program on assessment matter.

Lastly, because this study is only based on literature research, it is recommended that

empirical study be conducted in the future. Perhaps, it could start with a pilot project,

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followed by a more in-depth field research involving surveys, observations, and interviews

with teachers and students in certain regions in Indonesia in order to investigate their opinions

and attitude regarding national examination and alternative assessment. The results of a more

in-depth study will certainly benefit whoever involved in the policy and could inform the

government before making decision.

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