Instruction based formative assessment in selected Colleges of Education in Zambia: It's use and factors affecting its use
Date
2015-04-13
Authors
Mwale, Fred M.
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of Instruction Based Formative Assessment in Colleges of Education in Zambia. The objectives of the study were to establish the use of Instruction Based Formative Assessment during lectures, to determine the predominant Instruction Based Formative Assessment strategies being used and to examine factors affecting the use of Instruction Based Formative Assessment in Colleges of Education in Zambia.
The target population was Lecturers and Coordinators of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and Open Distance Learning (CODEL) in colleges of Education in Zambia. A total of 120 respondents participated in the study. There were 100 lecturers and 20 coordinators (10 CPD, 10 CODEL). Quantitative survey research design was used to capture national wide data covering 80% of the provinces of Zambia. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software that generated frequencies and percentages which were used in describing distributions of single and summated variables.
The study established that: (i) Instruction Based Formative Assessment was used by both coordinators and lecturers during lectures in Colleges of Education in Zambia. However the frequency of using this type of assessment, varied among coordinators and lecturers. (ii) The predominant Formative Assessment technique used in Colleges of Education was the technique that involved “providing feedback that moves learners forward in their learning” while the predominant Formative Assessment activity was that which involves “getting students to peer assess their work”. (iii) The predominant factors that affected the use of Instruction Based Formative Assessment in Colleges of Education in Zambia were “time limitation” and “large class size”. In view of the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made: (i) Administrators of colleges of education should ensure that lecturers in Colleges are given in-service training in student centred instructional and assessment strategies, which include instruction based formative assessment. (ii) Administrators of colleges of education should establish CPD policy of training and orientation of new lecturers in Instructional and assessment strategies. (iii) Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education in collaboration with Colleges of Education administrators, should ensure that, learner centred Instructional and assessment strategies, with emphasis on an orientation towards formative assessment, is included as a specific component of the teaching methods training curriculum and should be included in the school experience appraisal monitoring tool.
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Keywords
Educational tests and measurement , Formative Assessment , Teacher Effectiveness , Educational Accountability