Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Teacher-Made Continuous Assessment Test in Secondary School Students in Delta State

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Teacher-Made Continuous Assessment Test in Secondary School Students in Delta State

ABSTRACT

The study evaluated the Effectiveness of Teacher-Made Continuous Assessment Test In Secondary Schools Students In Delta State” The researcher formulated four purposes of the study and four research questions that guided the study. Survey research design was used, the instrument used to obtain information was a structured questionnaire, and the data collected were analyzed using mean. The population of the study is eight hundred and seventy-seven (877) students and simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample. The instrument used was validated by two experts in measurement and evaluation. Test re-test was used to determine the reliability of the instrument and the result was 0.75. Mean statistics was used to answer the research questions. It was found that continuous assessment is an effective tool used in determining the performance of students. based on these finding and many more the following recommendation were made and it was recommended that; The ministry of Education or its relevant agencies should organize seminars and workshop for teachers at least once in a term in order to update their knowledge on the practice of continuous assessment, The Ministry of Education or its relevant agencies should train enough teachers and equip to the professional guidance counsellors schools in the zone, Secondary schools in the zone should set up continuous assessment committees to perform the duties currently performed by Examination committee. Such duties include: To oversee the keeping of various assessment records, Develop time-table for assessment of pupils in the school. The committee is to be headed by the vice-principal (academics); members to include, the school guidance counsellor, Head of social science section, Head of science Education sections, Trained officers from the Ministry of Education should visit schools in the zone from time to time for on the spot assessment of the scheme, The ministry of Education should grant study leave with pay to all qua filled tutorial staff members to study statistics and computer in higher institutions to enable them acquire knowledge and improve on their efficiency in data collection and analysis involved in the practice of continuous assessment.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

         In education, the term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. This is because, education represents a fundamental and an indispensable tool for industrialization and development of every nation which is moving through assessment of individual or learners in the classroom or even beyond. Ukuije, (2019). Assessment can also be said to be any procedure or activity that is designed to collect information about the knowledge, attitude, or skills of the view of Omoifo (2018). What is termed “assessment in many schools today is summative, final, administrative, rigorous, and content-driven, rather than formative, diagnostic, private, suggestive and goal oriented, as such can be regarded as grading.” Summative assessment entails the focus on final examinations by teachers, parents, and students’ performance in the final examinations rather than inculcating students with problem solving critical thinking, and life skills. When carried out as an ongoing process, assessment is known as continuous assessment (CA).

One of the most important hallmarks of the National Policy on Education, (2018) is the provision of the continuous assessment as an effective tool for wholly and partly assessment evaluating the student’s learning outcomes in the various level of our educational system. This continuous assessment is presently being run in secondary schools as it was introduced. In 2018, the National Policy on Education, (2019) provides a six year primary education, secondary education, three years secondary education, each of which level would be allowed to implement the continuous assessment as laid down by the federal ministry of education.

It is marked by intention to make students specialize early enough in the future careers. Most importantly, it has provisions for making dropouts employee.  This new system of education will replace the formal one to the final examination system, which has outlined its usefulness. The formal examination system has been criticized for its short comings. It is a common knowledge that very many students roam about the street during most of the school year, only to the classroom a week or two before the promotion examination to do any serious work. They are not serious for any academic work because they have not prepared themselves for such tasks.

This underscores the point why eminent scholars have argued that examination is not a true test of one’s ability. There has been an occasion when some students commit suicide because of failing examination. It should be revealed that examination on high predication on the cognitive aspect of the student’s learning and tended to ignore affective and psychomotor aspects. It consequently creates out students and examination consciousness and an appetite for memorization and regurgitation of fact which in turn tend to stifle their inflection point of thinking. Chakanyuka, (2020) teacher-made tests compare individual’s performance with that of other students in the same class orsimilar class in one school. They may also compare the same student’s performances from time to time. In this case as James, (2017) postulates teacher-made tests are used as a continuous assessment tool which provides more information that is more reliable than examinations or standardized tests would. Continuous assessment builds up a picture of a student’s performance over a prolonged and representative period and can be in the form of practical work, oral tests or written tests (Hambleton and Pitomak, 2019). As Lee and William, (2020) argued the key to teacher-made tests is to make them a part of instruction and not separate from it. Tests should be instructional and ongoing rather than being “after-the-fact” to find out what students did not learn, they should be more “before-the-fact” to target essential standards (Migs, 2018).

Classroom tests or teacher-made tests can be used for a variety of instructional purposes and these can best be described in terms of their location in the instruction process (Merther, 2019) Dandis, (2018) states that teacher-made tests can be given at the beginning of an instructional segment to determine whether students have already achieved the objectives of planned instruction. Ogunniyi, (2020) argues that, teacher-made tests serve as good indicators in monitoring the success of teacher-student material instruction. Teacher-made tests provide feedback so that teachers can shift the emphasis of their instruction and provide remedial activities before the next lesson (Kolwale, 2019). Marshall and Drummond, (2006), state that the other type of teacher-made test is the one given during the instructional process to provide the basis for formative assessment. According to Makoni, (2018) formative assessment is used to provide feedback to students about their progress, detect learning errors and provide feed-back to students and teachers. At the end of a segment of instruction (for example, a unit or course), a classroom test can be constructed by the teacher aiming at measuring the extent to which the intended learning outcomes have been achieved (Trice, 2020). Teacher-made tests or classroom tests are divided into two groups, namely essay and objective tests (Hambleton and Pitomak, 2018). Saudien, (2019) essay tests give students the opportunity to freely express themselves in their responses to a question and the student’s responses are normally extended as they have to organize their thoughts and express them in writing. On the other hand, Migs, (2018) argues that objective tests questions are those that require a specific answer. An objective question usually has only one potential correct answer (there may be some room for answers that are close), and they leave no room for opinion (Migs, 2019). Objective test questions may be constructed so that

they contain a list of possible answers, so the student will be expected to recognize the correct one. As Festus, (2018) postulates, objective test questions include multiple choice questions, matching, true and false questions as well as the fill-in-the-blank questions; and students must remember the correct, specific answer for each question. As Mpofu, (2020) posits, while teacher-made tests help improve the performance of children in the learning process, it is not always the case since tests are constructed by teachers themselves. At times, these tests lack validity and reliability. It is clear that teachers need to be extremely careful in designing the test that measures the skill it intends to measure (Mpofu, 2018). Robert, (2019) states that the other problem faced by classroom tests is that the teachers lack the skills of appraising the effectiveness of the test.

Chakanyuka, (2020) states that, for a teacher to be able to do his / her work effectively, he/she must have a means of knowing the progress of his / her students from time to time. A good knowledge of where the student is and how he/she is progressing is fundamental to effective teaching and learning (Chakanyuka, 2020). Therefore, as Alaba, (2019) postulates, well-constructed tests can give students the opportunity of assessing their knowledge and with immediate and constructive feedback; the learner can improve their performance. Makoni, (2018) says that, it is clear that teacher-made tests are being used increasingly as an alternative to terminal examinations because they provide information that is more reliable than examinations. This, as Makoni, (2018) emphasizes, is because continuous assessment builds up a picture of students’ performance over a prolonged and representative period, whereas examinations only show what the student did on one particular day.

Therefore, it is hoped that the introduction of continuous assessment will check the short comings of the examination system. There are various tools which may be used to find out the

outcomes of learning activities. These include test, assignment, project, observation, interview, and questionnaires. The data obtained on the students will then be used to aid his further use and the purpose of providing information to the parent, guardian, and others who can use this for the benefit of the students. Such an assessment involves the use of great varieties of mode of evaluation for the purpose of guiding and improving the learning and performance of the students.

Continuous Assessment is a formative evaluation procedure concerned with finding out, in a systematic manner, the overall gain that a students has made in terms of knowledge, attitudes and skills after a given set of learning experience Ogunny, (2019). It is not simply continuous testing, continuous assessment, involves every decision made by the teacher in class to improve student’s academic achievement. In assessing student’s academic achievement, continuous assessment may take different forms such as assignment, teacher made tests, projects, classroom presentations etc. Ogunnyi, (2018) noted that continuous assessment is cumulative in that any decision made anytime about any students takes cognizance of the previous decision made about him. Continuous assessment also provides the students with maximum opportunities to learn and to demonstrate from time to time the knowledge the skills and the attitudes that they have during the teaching learning process.

Webb and Briars, (2020) asserted that continuous assessment must be an interaction between the teacher and the students with the teacher continually seeking to understand what a student can do and how a students is able to do it. Yoloye, (2017). Also pointed out that continuous assessment is only a part of the field of educational evaluation. He further argues that continuous assessment is a method of evaluation the progress and achievement of students in educational institutions. This means that continuous assessment could be used to predict future student’s academic achievement in the final examinations and the possible success at the work place or on a particular job. By using the classroom as an assessment, the teacher is able to diagnose student’s problems, judge academic learning and progress, provides feedback and incentives thus place a student at the appropriate level. Thus, in secondary schools, assessment of student’s academic achievement in the classroom has been an integral component of the teaching-learning process especially in secondary schools, because there is much effort by the teacher to teach a lot of content to students. In other words, Continuous assessment is s mechanism whereby the final grading of students’ in the cognitive, effective and psychomotor domains of behaviour systematically take account of all his performance during a given period of schooling. Such an assessment involves the use of a great variety of modes of evaluation for the purpose of guiding and improving the learning and performance of the students.

From the above, one can say that continuous assessment possesses the quality of being systematic, comprehensive, cumulative and guidance oriented. Yoloye, (2019) defines continuous assessment as follows: thus, Continuous assessment is a method of evaluating the progress and achievement of students in educational institutions. It aims to get the truest possible picture of each student’s ability at the same time helping each student to develop his or her ability to the fullest it is a method whereby the final grading take accounting systematic way of their whole performance during a given period of schooling.

From the above definition, continuous assessment can be seen as an evaluating process in which changes on all aspects of the child’s behavior, cognitive, affective and psychomotor is systematically recorded, from the day he enters for a course of study to the day of completion are recorded such that information obtained from the records can be used for guiding him to develop more effectively and also for making some decisions about the child at any time. During the course or at the end of it (Okoye, 2018). It should be noted however that various instruments are used in determining the performance of learners in the domains of educational objectives cognitive, affective and psychomotor. These instruments include tests, projects, assignments, observational techniques, questionnaires and interviews. (Paul, 2017) states that once the curriculum has been designed and developed, the major task which follows is to implement it. He goes further to say that the teachers for most part is in the forefront of this implementation of the curriculum, and this includes having thorough knowledge of the content of the curriculum, and possessing ability of selecting relevant and appropriate learning experience. In the same rein, the Federal Ministry of Education science and Technology (FMEST) (2018), appreciated the importance of teachers in the new evaluation strategy, when it prescribed that the teacher should be involved in the final assessment of the students he or she has taught. From the above analysis one can conclude that for the effective utilization of continuous assessment in the school, there is need that teachers must of necessity demonstrate competence in the construction and use of various techniques necessary for assessing cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning outcomes. The measuring instrument most commonly used by continuous assessment is the test. A test refers to a collection of questions tasks, or statements which can be presented to an individual and responses of the individual would enable the tester establish how much of a design characteristics is possessed by the test.

Test serve different functions to people who use them for the sake of this paper, it helps the teacher to know how much of the course content the students has learned. It can also ascertain the effectiveness of teaching   and to find out before beginning to teach any new body of knowledge what the students already knows. Test differs in different ways such as content, method of construction, administration, interpretation of scores. Etc. Hence it could be classified in various ways. It can also be classified into various ways with a variety of labels and objectives. One of such classification into teacher- made test are standardized Test. The teacher- made test also known as non-standardized test is a test prepared and administered by teachers to their students as the need arises. A lot of decisions are taken about the students evaluated using this kind of test. This category of test is used in the program of continuous assessment more than any other kind for collecting evidence of the learners’ progress. Due to the fact that many important decisions that have been taken concerning students at the end of any level (JSS Inclusive) are based on the continuous assessment data, the need for the use of an effective testing instrument cannot be over emphasized particularly in the light of its observed validity and reliability. Very often the quality of tests constructed are used by teachers for continuous assessment in secondary schools and havebeen a major source of concern to educationists as well-meaning Delta State.

(Nwana, 2018) stated that research studies into the content of many public examinations reveal that some examinations completely omit initial areas of the syllabus, while some over emphasizes areas of the syllabus far above or below their normally implied importance. Some also include areas not covered at all by the syllabus Nwana,(2017)went further to say that the above situation occurs even where the examiners are either school masters with many years of teaching experience or specialists in the field concerned. In a study of the quality of teacher made test, (Ajai, Chukwu,Kadaramba and Obuseh, 2019) found that teacher made test items used for examinations in History for instance, measure only the cognitive domain of behavuiour, to the detriment of the affective and psychomotor domains.

Effective teacher made test items for a subject like business studies should be capable of measuring adequately, the specified objectives with emphasis on all the aspects of domains of  student’sbehaviour. All suggestions of types of test items that are in harmony with these objectives will enhance the effective evaluation of the students’ performance in the subjects. This present study however aimed at ascertaining the quality of tests in the junior secondary school system in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. Today, there is great reliance on classroom test for continuous assessment among schools.

Hence it becomes pertinent that evaluation of teacher made test should be carried out.

• Statement of the Problem

One of the characteristics of continuous assessment is that of its comprehensive. While the success of continuous assessment in any educational system is based largely on the success of instrument used by the teacher to measure the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of the student’s evidence from research studies by Anyanwu, (2020). Points to the fact that most teacher made test or non-standardized test item used in the schools are more of factual question types which only emphasize on the learners thinking ability but sparingly test their performance in the areas of manipulative attitudes and perception skills. It is possible that problem of an instrument like the continuous assessment not adequately measuring the ability skills could be associated with the teacher’s experience and qualification in constructing valid tests items and the teacher’s inability to measure the different types of domains of educational objectives. herefore, this study is prompted by the desire to determine the degree of which teacher made tests in all relevant domains of educational objectives relates to students in teaching and learning in secondary schools.

This research work is designed to investigate the attitude and competence of teachers to conduct continuous assessment in selected secondary schools in Delta state.

The problem of the evaluation of assessment encountered by teachers in our secondary school to the useful suggestions and other educational administrator on ways of making continuous assessment successful would be considered. Among other things the questions below would have been answered at the end of the work.

• Aims and Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to:

Purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of continuous assessment in teaching and learning in schools: specifically this study aims;

1. To identify the extent to which continuous assessment techniques has been of great gain to the school system.
2. To examine the capabilities of schools using the Continuous assessment technique to enhance students’ academic success.
3. To determine the problems created by the introduction of continuous assessment technique in our school system.
4. To proffer solutions based on the observed problem on how to make the technique more indigenous and reflective of our local needs especially in our schools.
   • Research Question
5. To what extent could continuous assessment techniques be of great gain to the school system?
6. To what extent could the capabilities of using continuous assessment technique in our school system to enhance students’ academic success?
7. What are the benefits or gains recorded by school system as a result of bringing continuous assessment technique into play?
8. What are the proffered solutions based on the observed problems on how to make the technique more indigenous and reflective of our local needs especially in our schools?
   • Significance of the Study

A study of this kind, which is an attempt to reveal the quality of teacher made continuous assessment test, items, in use is necessary. The findings of this study will be useful to teachers by making them aware of the quality of tests they construct and use for asserting their student’s performance in all aspects of the domains of learning. This awareness will go a long way in helping them to develop more valid test for student’s evaluation. The result of the study will be of great benefit to students, administrators and the society at large.

Educational development sustains the growth of the nation. As a result and in order to, with this ever expanding industry, we need adequate assessment method that would show exactly what one wishes to know about the individuals. This explains why teachers’ attitude and competence in evaluating the assessment of the students is very important because they are agents of change in the society. Continuous assessment is a necessity for all teachers in the new educational system in Asaba. This work will equip for the classroom teachers to continuous assessment in their various schools. It will direct and inform teachers on areas of the behaviour of the children to be assessed and the procedure to adopt in achieving this purpose.

• Area of the Study

The research will be carried out in all the Government secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. There are 13 Government secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.

• Delimitation of Study

   The study is restricted to the evaluation of continuous assessment instruments in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State in secondary schools. Since the old system of assessment concentrated more on the cognitive domains neglecting the affective and

psychomotor domains, this study will investigate to find out the spread of the question items used in the three domains of educational objectives and in the six levels of cognitive domain which includes the following knowledge, comprehension, domains, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation, the difficulties encountered by teachers in item constructions will be investigated.

1.8 Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined as used in report order to avoid misinterpretation by different individuals.

Evaluation: Evaluation is to determine whether certain changes are taking place in the learning as well as to determine the amount or degree of changes in individual student.

Teacher-Made tests: Are used as a continuous assessment tool which provides more information that is more reliable than to compare individual’s performance with that of other students in secondary schools.

Continuous assessment: this is a method of ascertaining what a student gains from school in terms of knowledge, industry and character development, taking into account his/her performance in test, assignment, project and other educational activities during a given period of an education to be determined.

Pages:  104

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.