Diagnosing or Documenting? Diagnostic Assessment Practice in Primary Social Studies

Abstract

This research aims to explore teachers’ understanding, and practices in applying diagnostic assessments to Social Sciences learning in elementary schools, as well as identify challenges and opportunities that arise from the implementation of these assessments. The method used is qualitative descriptive with a case study approach, where data is collected through in-depth interviews, class observations, and documentation studies, then analyzed using thematic analysis techniques with the support of counter prejudice strategies against students' negative assumptions. The findings of the study show that diagnostic assessments are still limited by teachers and tend to be administrative, with suboptimal implementation and rarely used results in learning planning. However, there are positive indications in the form of teachers' efforts to develop assessments that are more contextual and fun, even though they are hit by technical limitations and lack of training. In conclusion, diagnostic assessments have great potential in supporting adaptive and student-centered learning, but require strengthening conceptual understanding, structural support, and teacher professional development on an ongoing basis.