Assessing Learning Skills and Work Habits: What Do Report Card Data Tell Us?

Oct 15, 2026

Many school systems require teachers to assess and report aspects of student performance beyond grades. In Ontario, K–12 teachers use a common set of six Learning Skills and Work Habits, yet little research examines how these are assessed and how they relate to achievement. This study analyzes Grade 9 and 12 report card data from two Ontario districts to test whether the skills operate as independent dimensions and how they correlate with teacher-awarded grades and EQAO standardized mathematics results.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Learning skills beyond academic achievement

Ontario’s Learning Skills and Work Habits framework

Evidence linking learning skills to learning

Assessing Learning Skills and Work Habits: What Do Report Card Data Tell Us? Stefan Denis Merchant Queen’s University Don Klinger University of Waikato John Kirby Queen’s University Abstract Many school systems ask teachers to assess and report upon aspects of student performance beyond academic achievement. In Ontario, K–12 teachers assess a common set of six Learning Skills and Work Habits. How well teachers are able to undertake these assessments is not well studied. This study examines Grade 9 and 12 report card data from two districts in Ontario, Canada to determine to what extent different learning skills are assessed independently of each other, and to what extent they are associated with teacher-awarded academic achievement and achievement on a standardized Grade 9 mathematics examination delivered by Ontario’s Educational Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). Results indicate that the set of six Learning Skills and Work Habits Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 45:3 (2022)©2022 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) are assessed as a unitary construct. Grades on these skills have higher correlations with teacher-awarded grades than with standardized test scores. Finally, gender differences in both academic achievement and achievement on the set of skills are investigated. Keywords: learning skills, report cards, classroom assessment, self-regulation, 21st century skills Résumé Plusieurs systèmes scolaires s’attendent des enseignants qu’ils évaluent et rendent compte des différents aspects de la performance des élèves, au-delà de la réussite scolaire. En Ontario, tous les enseignants (de la maternelle à la 12e année) évaluent un ensemble commun de six habiletés d’apprentissage et habitudes de travail. La capacité des enseignants à effectuer ces évaluations n’est cependant pas bien étudiée. Cette étude examine doncles données des bulletins scolaires de 9e et de 12e année de deux commissions scolaires d’Ontario, afin de déterminer dans quelle mesure les différentes compétences d’apprentissage sont 1) évaluées indépendamment les unes des autres, 2) associées à la réussitescolaire et 3) corrélées avec les résultats d’un examen de mathématiques standardisé . Les résultats indiquent que l’ensemble des six habiletés d’apprentissage et habitudes de travail est évalué comme un construit unitaire. L’examen des notes sur ces habiletésd’apprentissage et habitudes de travail révèle des corrélations plus élevées avec les notes attribuées par les enseignants qu’avec les résultats de l’examen standardisé . Enfin, les différences entre les sexes dans la réussite scolaire et la réussite sur l’ensemble des habiletésd’apprentissage et habitudes de travail ont été étudiées. Mots-clés : habiletés d’apprentissage, bulletins scolaires, évaluations en salle de classe, auto-régulation, compétences du XXIe siècle Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 45:3 (2022) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Introduction Teachers are commonly expected to assess elements of student performance beyond academic achievement. These assessments include constructs such as effort, participation, and collaboration. Examples of such expectations for student evaluation can be found in many countries, including Canada, Northern Ireland, and Singapore (Merchant et al., 2018; Northern Ireland Ministry of Education, 2007; Singapore Ministry of Education, 2021) . Similar expectations are included in international education systems such as the International Baccalaureate program, and the International Primary Curriculum (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2009; Fieldwork Education, n.d.) . Educational organizations in the United States have also acknowledged the need for teachers to evaluate educational outcomes beyond achievement. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (AS

FAQs

What question does the study investigate about learning skills?

It examines whether different learning skills are assessed independently of each other and how they relate to teacher-awarded academic achievement and standardized Grade 9 mathematics performance.

What data sources are used in the study?

The study uses Grade 9 and Grade 12 report card data from two school districts in Ontario, Canada.

What do the results suggest about the six learning skills and work habits?

The six skills are assessed as a unitary construct, with higher correlations to teacher-awarded grades than to standardized test scores.

Oct 15, 2026

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