Assessment for Students Improvement: Describing Kenya Teachers' Conceptions and Practices of Assessment

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

Student Assessment is considered to be a very important aspect for the improvement of the improvement of a student. Different educational institutions all over the world adopt different practices for assessing the students. In this study we try to understand the meaning of student assessment. A detailed emphasis has been given to the learning techniques and a practice of student assessment in the schools of Kenya. The whole dissertation has been divided into 5 chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction and background of the study. Chapter 2 provides a review of the literature. Chapter 3 provides the methodology used to generate results for this study. Chapter 4 provides the discussion and analysis of those results. Finally, Chapter 5 presents the conclusion for this study and suggestions for the future research.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Problem Statement3

Aim of the research4

Significance of the Research4

Research Questions4

Rationale of the Problem4

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE7

Educational Change7

Assessment9

Learning and Assessment11

Skills13

Practical Assessment13

Verbal Assessment13

Attitude13

Personal Judgment13

Questioning13

Three Stages of Assessment14

At the beginning (Initial)14

During Learning (Formative)14

At the end (Summative)15

Three records of assessment15

Primary records15

Historical records16

Basis of Assessment16

Difference between Measuring and Assessing17

Classification of the Evaluation17

The Diagnostic Evaluation18

Formative evaluation18

Summative Evaluation19

The Importance of Academic Evaluation Process in the Classroom20

Evaluation and Quality Education25

Objective27

Good Communication27

Optimum Equalization of Power27

Use of Resources28

Cohesion28

Moral28

Innovation28

Autonomy28

Adaptation29

Balance on the technical problem solving29

Importance of Classroom Assessment30

Importance of Measurement Principles in Classroom Assessment as seen by Experts37

Teacher Use of Measurement Principles42

Factors Affecting Use of Measurement Principles44

Training in Measurement44

Teachers' Perceptions of the Importance of Measurement Principles47

Availability of Time49

Availability of Resources50

Teacher Competence in Mathematics50

Class Size51

Recent Thoughts about Educational Measurement51

Summary of the Literature Review55

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY57

Participants, including methods for protection of human subjects58

Data Collection60

Data Analysis63

Confidentiality65

Reliability65

Research Validity65

Ethical Considerations66

Conclusion67

REFERENCES68

APPENDIX A75

APPENDIX B78

APPENDIX C85

APPENDIX D88

APPENDIX E90

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Throughout society modern education is considered unanimously as a major factor. This has been recognized the world over. Various reforms mark that education will be democratic and, above all, will be national in the sense that without hostility or exclusiveness in different countries striving to develop their education sector and attend to the understanding of our problems, the use of our resources to the defense of our independence policies, the assurance of our economic independence and the continuation and growth of our culture. National education faces three major challenges: coverage with equity, quality of the processes of learning and educational levels, and integration and operation of the system of education. These are also the challenges that said the National Development and find their expression in three principles fundamental education for all, quality education and education ...