Affective Domain of

Learning Assessed by:

ANECDOTAL RECORDS
Anecdotal
Records
• Recorded accounts of pertinent,
characteristic actions and observations of
an individual as noted and written by a
teacher.
 Helpful sources of information in
evaluating pupil/student`s growth,
especially if these records represent a
longitudinal collection of behavioral
patterns.
Anecdotal Records

 Very useful for teachers in obtaining greater

understanding of their pupils/students and
in identifying the causes of their behavior.

 a written report describing an incident of an

individual behavior. Incidents would usually
be chosen because these appeared
significant for the understanding of the
individual, either being typical of him or as
being unusual or surprising.
 Why make a record?
 Dependable datum that will remain unchanged
from the time we make it until the time we want to
refer to it.
 Provides:
 Stable evidence on which later appraisals can be
based.
 Documentation about a person, whether to school
authorities, to parents, or to a potential, that lends
weight and substance to the report.
Who should be observed?
 children in terms of the teachers` interest in them
 concentrate observations on small number of
pupils/students

What should be recorded?

 interaction of a pupil/student with
pupils/students in the room
 evidence of acceptance or rejection, aggression or
withdrawal
 events that throw light on the pupil/student`s role
in the group and his reaction to it.
Three Common Deviations of
Anecdotal Records
1. Anecdote evaluates – tells the teacher`s
reaction to the child

2. Anecdote interprets – gives the teacher`s

conclusion as to the
reasons for behavior

3. Anecdote describes – general terms rather

than specific terms
 Features:
Good Anecdotal Records
1. provides an accurate description of a
specific event
2. describes the setting sufficiently to give the
event meaning
3. includes interpretation or evaluation by the
recorder, the interpretation is separated
from the description, and its different status
is clearly identified
Features:
Good Anecdotal Records
4. The described event relates to the child`s
personal development or social interactions.
 event is either representative of the typical
behavior of the child or significant because it
is strikingly different from his usual form of
behavior.
 How should anecdotal
records be kept?
Based on primary purpose:
 kept in two or three separate logs or diaries
for records of two or three pupils
 Record form be evaluated in terms of the
total record system
 Use 8 1 /2 x 1 inch sheet of paper or
standard index card
 What should be done to
organize or summarize records?
 Information data should be interpreted.
Example:
Data on intelligence test such as in the Binet
Test or IQ. This consists of a series of
responses to specific items that are
summarized in mental age or IQ.
 What should be done to
organize or summarize records?

 Thumbnail sketch of the individual should be

prepared.
 Other known facts of the child:
Health, intellectual ability, academic
achievements, home surroundings, family pattern
 Descriptive summary and its interpretation should
be kept clearly differentiated.
 4 types of Anecdotal Records

1. Evaluative Statements – evaluate or judge the behavior of

the pupil/student observed.
Example:
… Z was very active in a poetry class and wanted to do just
what she wanted to do. No consideration for others. She
showed a bad attitude.
I had to ask her to sit in front.
4 types of Anecdotal Records

2. Interpretive Statements – attempts to account

for or explain the behavior of the pupil on the
basis of the single observation noted.
Example:
… X has been over-active in class lately. Won`t stay
in his seat. Growing so fast that he cannot remain
settled… the inward change, the growth, causes
the restlessness.
 4 types of Anecdotal Records

3. Generalized Descriptive Statements – records

which describe certain pupil/student behavioral
patterns in very broad general terms, with qualifying
adverbs such as frequently, everyday, or always.

Example:
… Y has been awfully restless these days. Whispering
most of the time, not kept busy. In the circle during
discussions, even though he is interested, his arms
are moving, or he is punching the one sitting next to
him.
 4 types of Anecdotal Records

4. Specific or Concrete Descriptive Statement–

teacher describes concretely the situation in which
the action or comment occurred.

Example:
“… Y did not go out to play during recess although the
weather was just fine. She stayed in the room by
herself. She was reading a novel.
 Suggestions to do
anecdotal recording
1. Record or notation should be carefully thought out –
brief, objective and clear.

2. Best written in a notebook or journal soon after the

behavior has been observed.

3. Not include the observer`s interpretation of the

behavior If comments are made, put in separate
sheets, preferably at the back of the anecdotal sheet.
 Suggestions to do
anecdotal recording
4. Three or four pupils/students whose behavior has been
significantly meaningful to the teacher should be sufficient
for recording in the notebook each day.

5. Observations should be recorded during the day very soon .

It is not advisable to wait after two or three days to do this.

6. Put the date of the entry. The observer should initial the
entry correspondingly.

7. For cooperative anecdotal recording, use one notebook.

 Suggestions to do
anecdotal recording
8. Though anecdotal records are normally confidential, other
teachers who teach the pupil in other subjects should have
access to the pupil`s anecdotal notebook.

9. The teachers handling the pupil should cooperate in

summarizing the observation notes for evaluation purposes.

10. In the interpretation of the anecdotal records, the behavioral

patterns that tend to be repeated are indicative of the pupil`s
typical performance. These should probably be the topics to
be taken up in the interviews, if any, with him.
 Anecdotal Records
( Form No. 1)
Pupil Stephen Covey Grade II

Date Place Observer Records

11-19-18 SFPCES with Gamaliel Pupil kept on
SPED Bañas pushing the
Learning back of the
Center boy in front
of him during
discussions.
 Criteria of Good
Anecdotal Records
1. Objectivity – do not give an account of the
personal emotional reaction of the
reporter or the one who makes the
record.

2. Adequate background – definite information about

time, place and person involved, as
well as name, age, and the specific
situation/s wherein the pupil is
observed.
 Criteria of Good
Anecdotal Records
3. Selectivity – select significant anecdotes in
understanding a pupil`s problem

4. Reliability – report is based exactly on one`s

personal observation, NOT on hearsay.
 Advantages and Limitations
of Anecdotal Records
1. Most important: description of actual behavior in
natural situations.
2. Useful for pupils who have communication skill
deficits
3. Major limitation: amount of time required in
maintaining an adequate system of records – a
time-consuming task.
4. Serious limitation: difficulty of being objective
when observing and reporting pupil behavior.
 Improving the Effectiveness of
Anecdotal Records
1. Determine in advance what to observe, but be
alert to unusual behavior.
2. Observe and record enough of the situations to
make the behavior meaningful.
3. Make a record of the incident soon after the
observation is made.
4. Limit each anecdote to a brief description of a
single specific incident.
 Improving the Effectiveness of
Anecdotal Records
5. Keep the factual description of the incident
and your interpretation of it separate.
6. Record both positive and negative
behavioral incidents.
7. Collect a number of anecdotes on a pupil
before drawing inferences concerning
typical behavior.
8. Obtain practice in writing anecdotal
records.
Source:

Del Socorro, Felicidad R. Ph.D. and et.al(2011).

Assessment of Student Learning 1 and 2.
Quezon City: Great Books Publishing, pp.
98 – 106
Garcia, Carlito(2005). Measuring and
Evaluating Learning Outcomes: A Textbook in
Assessment of Learning 1 and 2.