The Role of Continuous Assessment in Teaching and Learning of Economics
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study is to ascertain the status of the implementation and role of Continuous Assessment by Economic teachers in Agbani Educational zone.
Specifically, the objectives of the studies include the following:
- To find out the extent of teachers compliance with the continuous assessment standards.
- To determine the ways of assisting teachers in improving upon their skill in continuous assessment practice in Economics thereby enhancing the optimum performance of the students.
- To identify the factors that militates against Economic teacher’s compliance with the laid down guidelines for continuous assessment.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Traditionally the evaluation of leamers’ progress was based on tests and examinations which focused only on the cognitive aspect of a leamer while other facets were ignored (Jacobs & Gavve. 1996:291). According to Fraser (1993:192) traditional methods of learner assessment have. the following disadvantages:
- The promotion of learners was based and confined to a specific number of tests and examinations during the year sincecontinuous assessment is an ongoing process
- Only tests and examinations were used as determinants of pass or failure of learners.
- Individual educators did assessment only.
- Leaners did not get a chance to realize their strengths and weaknesses and improve on them.
- Traditional assessment methods demotivated weaker learners. Continuous assessment is one of the aspects of the new approach to teaching and learning. Spady (1994) regards continuous assessment as authentic. Its authenticity lies in the fact that it gathers information directly pertinent to the quality of performance that perfectly embodies all the defined aspects of that performance. Torrance (1995) maintains that authentic strategies for assessment would not only consider a learner’s memory,but also skills attitudes, knowledge and values. Fraser (1993) sees continuous assessment as a component of the monitoring of educational activities. Effective teaching and learning can only take place if the learner. Educatorand content are constantly assessed.
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
Webb and Briars (1990) argued that assessment must be an interaction between the teacher and students, with the teacher continually seeking to understand, what a student can do and how a student is able to do it. Yoloye (1991) 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 evaluating the progress and achievement of students in educational institutions” (Yoloye 1999). This means that continuous assessment could be used to predict future students‟ performance in the final examinations and the possible success at the work place or on a particular job. Indeed, in secondary schools, assessment of students‟ learning in the classroom has been an integral component of the teaching-learning process especially at „A‟ level because there is much effort by the teacher to teach a lot of content to students. However, to Kellaghan and Greany (2003), that kind of assessment is subjective, informal, immediate on-going, and intuitive as it interacts with learning as it occurs. Although the main argument behind the adoption of continuous assessment is to avoid focusing all efforts, time and energy on just one exam, this is not true in Uganda‟s „A‟ level schools. Teachers and students put their focus on final examinations called Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education Examinations (UACE). This is because UACE results are an important determinant of future opportunities for higher education and other life chances. Since teachers‟ assessment of students‟ learning in the classroom plays a central role in the learning process of all students, it merits our serious attention. According to Obanya (1985), assessment involves the systematic collection of data on all aspects of an educational endeavor. This means that the data collected about students‟ academic achievement is used on a continuous basis in a systematic way, to take meaningful decisions on what should happen. Graume and Naidoo (2004) have also indicated that, “in a global economy, assessment of students achievement is changing mainly because in an ever-changing knowledge based society, students would not only be required to learn and understand the basics but also to think critically, to analyze, and to make inference for making decisions.” It is therefore critical that CAs could utilize strategies that are able to measure the changing students‟ abilities and attitudes, and this is why this study was undertaken to find out the different continuous assessment strategies teachers used in O‟level secondary schools.
THE CONCEPT OF ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATION
Understanding the concept of Continuous Assessment makes implementation easier. To some, it means a summative ‘mark’ or score added to the final examination to certify students; some believe it to be a diagnostic and formative evaluation of student’s learning (Ango, 1997). According to Nitko (1994), assessment is the 24 process of gathering information for the purpose of making decisions about education policy, curriculum programmes and about individual students learning. It refers to the process of gathering relevant information. F.M.E. (1985) pointed out that Continuous Assessment is the mechanism whereby final grading of students in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of behaviour systematically take account of all 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 performances of students. Assessment is however a means to an end, not an end in itself.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information for the study the role of continuous assessment in teaching and learning of economics. The researcher randomly selects 200 staff and students of secondary schools in Enugu metropolis as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the role of continuous assessment in the teaching and learning of economics.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of teaching and learning of economics in Enugu state.
Summary
The researcher is of the opinion that continuous assessment is a good practice especially for improving the performance of students and in monitoring their progress. Teachers contended that every aspect of performance of a student in „A‟ level on a CA strategy is challenging to the teacher to seek ways of improving it. Teachers also commented that, continuous assessment is not a physical thing, but rather the interaction they also have with their students, material and knowledge while in classroom. To the researcher, this meant that continuous assessment is what actually happens in the classroom and what teachers and students do to measure how much learning is taking place. It was found out that in continuous assessment, learners are not objects to be acted upon/assessed. They have a clear voice in the way that the continuous assessment sessions evolve. The teachers‟ perception here was more on interactions. This means that attention shifts from teaching to learning and assessment to learning itself.
Conclusion
Conclusively, teachers‟ and students‟ perceptions were very many continuous assessment strategies used and these were found to have a positive relationship to students‟ performance in the final examinations. This is because through CA, teachers tend to realize their own weaknesses in teaching and those of their students and strive to ameliorate them. Good application of CA using different strategies would help in moving towards accomplishing learning objectives and restoring greater confidence in the class and school systems. Enhanced performance of students would culminate in the reduction of the incidences of examination malpractices, as students would have been well prepared for the certificates examinations through CA. However, the contribution should not only be looked at as improving student performance but also as determining students‟ current level of knowledge, skills, or understanding of content.
Recommendations
The Ministry of Education should put in place regulations, checks and balances to ensure that different CA strategies are used both in government funded and privately owned „O‟ level schools. A uniform policy on this practice should be emphasized so that all schools benefit from it. Higher institutions of learning should train teachers on how to use CA strategies for their implementation in secondary schools. It was found out through the interviews and focused group discussions that teachers complained of the many problems they found as they attempted to implement Continuous Assessments. Therefore the training should focus on how teachers can carry out continuous assessment in the different teaching and learning stations with ease. Given the complexity of classroom assessment and evidence relating to teachers‟ skills and practice in this area, there is an obvious need for development of an infrastructure to support improvement of its quality.
REFERENCES
- Abbas, A. G. (2000) Practice and Problems of Continuous Assessment. The Nigerian Teacher Today. A Journal of Teacher Education published by National Commission for Colleges of Education 8(1&2), 9
- Airasian, P. W. (1991): Classroom Assessment. New York, Mc Grant Hill.
- Ary, D., Cheser, L, &Razavieh, A. (2002): Introduction to Research in Education. Wadsworth. Thomson Learning. USA.
- Belland, J. C. (1981). Instructional system model. The Ohio State University Monograph.
- Black, P. (1993): Formative and Summative Assessment Teacher studies in Service education.
- Black, P., & William, D. (2005): Lessons from around the World. How Policies, Politics and Cultures Constrain and afford Assessment Practices. The Curriculum Journal 16(2) 249-261
- Bloom, Bis (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives The Classification of Educational Goals Handbook I cognitive Dorman David Me Kay, New York.
