Between Insights and Grades: The Development of Assessment in Education in the Republic of Croatia

Abstract

Assessment is an indispensable and integral part of the modern educational process, and is integrated into all its phases – from planning and implementing teaching to analyzing student achievement. Its primary function is to provide quality feedback to all stakeholders in the education system – students, teachers, parents and professional associates – which enables continuous improvement of the teaching process and the achievement of better educational outcomes. The basic forms of evaluation include formative assessment, which takes place during the teaching process and is aimed at improving learning, and summative assessment, which is
carried out at the end of a certain period to assess the achieved results. The elements of assessment include monitoring, checking and grading, and in the context of the approach they are: assessment as learning, assessment for learning, and assessment of learning. These elements form interconnected components that together enable the collection and analysis of data on learning and teaching. The paper analyzes the legal frameworks that regulate assessment in the Republic of Croatia, as well as relevant scientific and professional literature. It is concluded that assessment is systematically regulated, and that the scientific community continuously reflects on and researches its application and effectiveness in practice. The paper provides an overview of basic concepts and emphasizes the importance of evaluation as a key factor in improving the quality of education through in-depth examination and interpretation of relevant written sources.