Abstract:

Learning is an integrated process that causes a qualitative transformation in the mental structure of the learner. This transformation is possible only by changing an individual's behaviour, either by circumstance, experience, or both. In the school context, learning and assessment are virtually inseparable. Assessing student knowledge is essential for verifying that the students have learned and for detecting whether the students can apply that learning in other situations. It has a fundamental role as a structuring element of learning and is a constant reality in the school environment due to its great importance in student education and those should be present throughout the teaching learning process and not just at specific times. Thus, the assessment consists in locating the situation of each student in relation to their pedagogical position, to perform or guide the entire teaching process. Taking students' assessment as a foundation for personal and social construction, it can be seen as a powerhouse of knowledge and learning. The aim of this study is to characterize students' performance through dictation, identification of errors in a text and proof of knowledge using Portuguese language and mathematics questions, and to analyse the relationship between students' performances and their personal and social traits. 1300 primary school students participated in this study. The results seem to demonstrate that students manifest difficulties in the Portuguese and maths subjects. The difficulties in Portuguese are further reinforced by the number of errors in the dictation and the number of words identified as errors in the error identification text. There were also several associations between students performance and family context variables, which underlines the importance of family variables in students' academic performance. The results point, therefore, to the need to sensitize the educational community to the development of attractive educational strategies for their students, and to the need for a close relationship between the school and the parents.

Keywords:

Students’ performance, Primary school, Education, Students, School success.