ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE”
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study
Continuous Assessment is an important aspect of our educational system. The educational policy was introduced by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1981. The introduction of 6-3-3-4 system of education called for Continuous Assessment to facilitate the educational placement of youths into appropriate programme options. Continuous Assessment is an educational technique which takes into cognisance, the domains of behaviour: the cognitive, affective and psychomotor (Orhungur, 2006). It is a process in which a child’s performances in the three educational domains are obtained throughout his schooling. In this system, the student is therefore evaluated in the vocational three educational domains including:
a. Cognitive thinking, reasoning, understanding, application, knowledge and evaluation.
b. Affective values and beliefs, attitudes and appreciation, interests, human relations, habits, morals and emotions, aesthetics.
c. Psychomotor: manipulative skills, body movement, in writing, handling equipment, dancing, games and sports.
According to Federal Republic Nigeria (1981) and Ojorinde and Falayajo (1984). Continuous Assessment is a technique whereby the final grading of students in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of behaviour take account, in a systematic way, of all their performances during a given schooling period; using a variety of modes of evaluation to guide and improve the learning and performance of the students.
A broad concept of continuous assessment can be perceived as frequent decision making and judgements which individuals, groups, and institutions pass in what affect their lives and those of others. Such judgements are usually taken on the basis of experience, information, evidence, or data.
Assessment is any procedure or activity that is designed to collect information about the knowledge, attitude, or skills of the learner or group of learners (Greaney, 2001). Assessment is therefore a process through which the quality of an individuals‟ work or performance is judged (Mwebaza, 2010). He went further to posit that, “When carried out as an on-going process, assessment is known as Continuous Assessment (CA)”.
The official introduction of Continuous Assessment in the Nigerian school system by Federal Government marks an important stage in educational development in the country (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006). This innovation comes as a better alternative to an earlier system in which an overwhelming emphasis was placed on the final examination with only scant emphasis on terminal examinations and other occasional teacher made tests (Denga, 2006). According to Mwebaza (2010), all the teaching and learning is centred on passing final examinations. It is sometimes referred to as „teaching to the test‟. This challenge is compounded even further by the fact that students‟ promotion or selection to another level is based on student’s grades. This kind of assessment is subjective, informal, immediate, on-going, and intuitive as it interacts with learning as it occurs (Kellaghan & Greaney, 2003). For instance, teachers are required to assess their students regularly using different assessment strategies so that learners could memorize the subject content taught to them during the final examinations. This is done so that students could perform highly in the final examinations. The downside of this approach is that students are encouraged to exercise rote memorization of facts and cramming of information rather than acquiring problem-solving skills
The “almighty” final examination was almost the sole determinant of the children’s academic progress and promotion to higher educational levels (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006). The so called final examinations had caused tremendous nervousness in children who dreaded it with morbid fears. It is little surprising that some people resorted to all means including cheating behaviour, and rote learning of facts to ward-off the devastating effect of the final examination (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006). In order words, some crafty means to escape the harsh “verdict’ became an attractive way out.
The Continuous Assessment movement stayed in gestation for a while because of ignorance of it's benefits or some teachers came to like the “one shot” British type of assessment because it was easier than the time consuming Continuous Assessment (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006).
1.2. Statement of Research Problem
In recent times, the relatively poor performance of students in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (W.A.S.S.C.E) as well as the University and Tertiary Matriculation Examination (U.T.M.E.) can be deduced to be due to improper preparation of students, by the teachers, for these exams. One of the policies employed towards preparing the students for such examinations is the Continuous Assessment. Continuous Assessment is a strategy used by teachers to support the attainment of goals and skills by learners over a period of time (Bolyard, 2013). It is therefore relevant to say that the strategies put in place to prepare students for the aforementioned exams are not serving their purpose fully-and the Continuous Assessment is one of them.
1.3. Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to assess the implementation of Continuous Assessment in Senior Secondary Schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The specific objectives of the study were:
a. To find out the types of Continuous Assessment tools administered to the students in the schools.
b. To find out the frequency of Continuous Assessment in schools.
c. To find out the opinion of teachers towards Continuous Assessment in the schools.
d. To find out the problems associated with the implementation of the Continuous Assessment in schools.
e. To find out if teachers have the knowledge and skill required for implementation of Continuous Assessment in schools.
1.4. Research Question
This study seeks to ask these questions which are broadly stated below:
a. Do the teachers have adequate knowledge and skills to implement the Continuous Assessment?
b. What are the Continuous Assessment tools employed in implementing the Continuous Assessment and the frequency of their usage?
c. What is the teacher’s opinion of the Continuous Assessment programme?
d. What are the problems associated with the implementation of the Continuous Assessment?
1.5. Scope of the Study
This research is a survey on the implementation of Continuous Assessment in ten senior secondary schools of Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The emphasis of this study was on teachers, who are the primary implementers of the Continuous Assessment in the school. The study also revolved around Continuous Assessment strategies being used by the teachers as well as their technical capacity to implement Continuous Assessment.
1.6. Significance of the Study
This study will help in estimating the nature, quality, and extent of Continuous Assessment in senior secondary schools in Makurdi, as implemented by classroom teachers. This will help in exposing gaps as well opportunities for them to perform better towards the end objective of improving the students’ academic performance.
This study will also help school administrators attend to the challenges of Continuous Assessment implementation by Teachers in Senior Secondary Schools through training, monitoring and quality control of the Continuous Assessment process.
1.7. Definition of the Key Concepts
Continuous Assessment: It is a method of determining the final grade for a given period of time through a series of periodic assessment comprising test and non-test measures.
Assessment: It is the process of collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting information to aid in decision making.
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study
Continuous Assessment is an important aspect of our educational system. The educational policy was introduced by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1981. The introduction of 6-3-3-4 system of education called for Continuous Assessment to facilitate the educational placement of youths into appropriate programme options. Continuous Assessment is an educational technique which takes into cognisance, the domains of behaviour: the cognitive, affective and psychomotor (Orhungur, 2006). It is a process in which a child’s performances in the three educational domains are obtained throughout his schooling. In this system, the student is therefore evaluated in the vocational three educational domains including:
a. Cognitive thinking, reasoning, understanding, application, knowledge and evaluation.
b. Affective values and beliefs, attitudes and appreciation, interests, human relations, habits, morals and emotions, aesthetics.
c. Psychomotor: manipulative skills, body movement, in writing, handling equipment, dancing, games and sports.
According to Federal Republic Nigeria (1981) and Ojorinde and Falayajo (1984). Continuous Assessment is a technique whereby the final grading of students in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of behaviour take account, in a systematic way, of all their performances during a given schooling period; using a variety of modes of evaluation to guide and improve the learning and performance of the students.
A broad concept of continuous assessment can be perceived as frequent decision making and judgements which individuals, groups, and institutions pass in what affect their lives and those of others. Such judgements are usually taken on the basis of experience, information, evidence, or data.
Assessment is any procedure or activity that is designed to collect information about the knowledge, attitude, or skills of the learner or group of learners (Greaney, 2001). Assessment is therefore a process through which the quality of an individuals‟ work or performance is judged (Mwebaza, 2010). He went further to posit that, “When carried out as an on-going process, assessment is known as Continuous Assessment (CA)”.
The official introduction of Continuous Assessment in the Nigerian school system by Federal Government marks an important stage in educational development in the country (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006). This innovation comes as a better alternative to an earlier system in which an overwhelming emphasis was placed on the final examination with only scant emphasis on terminal examinations and other occasional teacher made tests (Denga, 2006). According to Mwebaza (2010), all the teaching and learning is centred on passing final examinations. It is sometimes referred to as „teaching to the test‟. This challenge is compounded even further by the fact that students‟ promotion or selection to another level is based on student’s grades. This kind of assessment is subjective, informal, immediate, on-going, and intuitive as it interacts with learning as it occurs (Kellaghan & Greaney, 2003). For instance, teachers are required to assess their students regularly using different assessment strategies so that learners could memorize the subject content taught to them during the final examinations. This is done so that students could perform highly in the final examinations. The downside of this approach is that students are encouraged to exercise rote memorization of facts and cramming of information rather than acquiring problem-solving skills
The “almighty” final examination was almost the sole determinant of the children’s academic progress and promotion to higher educational levels (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006). The so called final examinations had caused tremendous nervousness in children who dreaded it with morbid fears. It is little surprising that some people resorted to all means including cheating behaviour, and rote learning of facts to ward-off the devastating effect of the final examination (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006). In order words, some crafty means to escape the harsh “verdict’ became an attractive way out.
The Continuous Assessment movement stayed in gestation for a while because of ignorance of it's benefits or some teachers came to like the “one shot” British type of assessment because it was easier than the time consuming Continuous Assessment (Onwuegbuna & Onwuegbuna, 2006).
1.2. Statement of Research Problem
In recent times, the relatively poor performance of students in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (W.A.S.S.C.E) as well as the University and Tertiary Matriculation Examination (U.T.M.E.) can be deduced to be due to improper preparation of students, by the teachers, for these exams. One of the policies employed towards preparing the students for such examinations is the Continuous Assessment. Continuous Assessment is a strategy used by teachers to support the attainment of goals and skills by learners over a period of time (Bolyard, 2013). It is therefore relevant to say that the strategies put in place to prepare students for the aforementioned exams are not serving their purpose fully-and the Continuous Assessment is one of them.
1.3. Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to assess the implementation of Continuous Assessment in Senior Secondary Schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The specific objectives of the study were:
a. To find out the types of Continuous Assessment tools administered to the students in the schools.
b. To find out the frequency of Continuous Assessment in schools.
c. To find out the opinion of teachers towards Continuous Assessment in the schools.
d. To find out the problems associated with the implementation of the Continuous Assessment in schools.
e. To find out if teachers have the knowledge and skill required for implementation of Continuous Assessment in schools.
1.4. Research Question
This study seeks to ask these questions which are broadly stated below:
a. Do the teachers have adequate knowledge and skills to implement the Continuous Assessment?
b. What are the Continuous Assessment tools employed in implementing the Continuous Assessment and the frequency of their usage?
c. What is the teacher’s opinion of the Continuous Assessment programme?
d. What are the problems associated with the implementation of the Continuous Assessment?
1.5. Scope of the Study
This research is a survey on the implementation of Continuous Assessment in ten senior secondary schools of Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The emphasis of this study was on teachers, who are the primary implementers of the Continuous Assessment in the school. The study also revolved around Continuous Assessment strategies being used by the teachers as well as their technical capacity to implement Continuous Assessment.
1.6. Significance of the Study
This study will help in estimating the nature, quality, and extent of Continuous Assessment in senior secondary schools in Makurdi, as implemented by classroom teachers. This will help in exposing gaps as well opportunities for them to perform better towards the end objective of improving the students’ academic performance.
This study will also help school administrators attend to the challenges of Continuous Assessment implementation by Teachers in Senior Secondary Schools through training, monitoring and quality control of the Continuous Assessment process.
1.7. Definition of the Key Concepts
Continuous Assessment: It is a method of determining the final grade for a given period of time through a series of periodic assessment comprising test and non-test measures.
Assessment: It is the process of collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting information to aid in decision making.
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