iKMPLUS – individual competence measurement PLUS – voluntary module “language awareness”
Submitted by:
Ilka Fladung
Abstract:
Since the school year 2021/22, the review of the educational standards in Austria has taken place annually within the framework of the individual competence measurement PLUS (iKMPLUS). The iKMPLUS is a standardised and objective instrument for the diagnosis of central competencies of pupils at a defined point in time.
The educational standards established by ordinance since 2009 remain unchanged, while the form of their review has been further developed and strengthened in its functions.
With iKMPLUS, pupils in Austria benefit from their participation in the same school year. They receive direct feedback on their learning status and are provided with tailored support.
Teachers are provided with accompanying materials and information that enable the planning of support measures and the evaluation and enhancement of their teaching practices. The standardised procedure functions as a tool for exchanging ideas between educators and for improving quality development at each specific location.
The results obtained from iKMPLUS are not a criterion for entry into secondary school and have no influence on the assessment of performance (cf. BIST-VO § 4). Instead, they assist in providing personalised support for students, developing teaching strategies, and enhancing the overall quality of the school.
This presentation details the key stages in developing the voluntary "Language Awareness" module for learners of German. The Institute for Quality Assurance in the Austrian School System (IQS) of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), the University of Cologne, and the Chemnitz University of Technology collaborated to create the tasks used in this module. The first stage sets out the description of the construct and the testing framework, followed by sample tasks and analysis of preliminary test outcomes based on data from the 2023 pilot in primary schools in Austria (n=33, 666 pupils). Finally, the process of feedback is addressed. In addition, we will present the challenges of the pilot phase and discuss mitigation strategies.
References:
Bredel, Ursula (2013): Sprachbetrachtung und Grammatikunterricht. [2. Aufl.] Paderborn u. a.: Schöningh.
Funke, Reinold (2018): Working on grammar at school. Empirical research from German-speaking regions. In: L1, Educational Studies in Language and Literature. 18. S. 1–39.
Kühn, Peter (2010): Sprache untersuchen und erforschen. Grammatik und Wortschatzarbeit neu gedacht. Standards und Perspektiven. Für die Jahrgänge 3 und 4. Berlin: Cornelsen Scriptor.