Browsing by Author "Kitosi, Janeth Augusta Daudi"

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    The extent to which continuous assessment and the national form four examination are valid measures of attainment in biology
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 1982) Kitosi, Janeth Augusta Daudi
    This study was aimed at finding out the extent to which evaluation instruments in biology measured the objectives stated in the biology syllabus. So answers were sought for three specific problems: First, to what extent did the biology final examination and continuous assessment of the subject measure the objectives of the biology syllabus? The objectives in mind were; pupils ability to understand principles and ideas; ability to think critically and communicate information scientifically ; ability to understand technical and practical skills; and ability to relate principles and skills to community and other situations, Secondly, was there any significant difference between the abilities and skills assessed by the final examination and those assessed by continuous assessment? Thirdly, what are the teachers' students and examination officials' views on the adequacy or inadequacy of assessment techniques in Biology? Three methods were used in collecting data for the study. These were documentary review, questionnaires and interviews. The study was conducted in Dar es Salaam and Iringa regions. During the research 868 questions from continuous assessment tests, exercises and projects, and the final examination were analysed and classified on the basis of the ability or skill being elicited by the question. Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive domain was used to classify the items. The study also included 24 teachers and eighty 1982 Form Four students from four secondary schools, and 4 examination officers from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania. The findings revealed that evaluation instruments were taping more of the first objectives pupils' ability `to understand biological knowledge and principles than the other three higher level objectives, i.e. pupils' ability to think critically and communicate information scientifically, ability to understand technical and practical skills, and ability to relate principles and skills to community and other situations. The study also indicated that there was a high correlation between abilities and skills assessed by the final examination and the abilities and skills which were assessed by continuous assessment. It was also revealed that teachers, students and examination officials were generally negative on whether evaluation instruments were adequate or inadequate. From the findings it was concluded that evaluation instruments in biology were inadequate to evaluate some objectives especially those pertaining to higher order knowledge and skills. Although continuous assessment had made it possible to cover a larger part of the syllabus than was the case before its inception, the new assessment procedure had not overcome the deficiencies inherent in a single examination administered at the end of the course. Continuous assessment still concentrated on abilities and skills which were tested by the final examination, instead of emphasizing those abilities which could not be measured by the final examination. Thus continuous assessment had not extended the quality of abilities and skills assessed by the examination system. In view of the findings several recommendations were made, the most important ones beings (i). In formulating the objectives for guiding the evaluation of the subject, designers of the biology curriculum together with the National Examinations Council should make sure that the objectives include all the six categories of Blooms cognitive educational objectives. If such objectives are used by teachers and examination setters, for evaluating students it could be possible for all types of cognitive abilities and skills to be equally treated in the tests and examinations (ii) The National Examinations Council should concentrate on quality rather than quantity of evaluation. Thus the required number of exercises (25) and tests (1) per term may be unrealistic when considering the teaching load of teachers. The exercises are likely to be routine rather than prepared for testing specific skills that are expected to be acquired by students. (iii) There should be a means of ensuring that teachers do not just record marks in continuous assessment forms without actually having given the tests and exercises, (iv) Educational Measurements and Evaluation should receive more emphasis during the training of teachers. Three areas of further research were then suggested (i) performance of student in examination questions which demand various abilities and skills such as those pertaining to knowledge, comprehension and application ( ii) low the general objective stated in the biology syllabus could be developed into specific operational outcomes which can be assessed, (iii) the extent to which continuous assessment of the biology subject measures students achievement in the psychomotor and affective domains.