Browsing by Author "Mangilima, Tumaini Augustine Masalu"

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    An appraisal of the contribution of alternative assessment methods to student-teachers’ participation in learning mathematics in Tanzanian teachers’ colleges
    (University of Dar es Salaam,, 2012) Mangilima, Tumaini Augustine Masalu
    This study assessed the contribution of alternative assessment methods to student- teachers' participation in learning Mathematics in Tanzanian Teachers* colleges. The study aimed at identifying alternative assessment methods used by tutors, assessing their effectiveness in enhancing student-teachers’ participation in learning mathematics, finding out whether alternative assessment methods lead to differences in participation between males and females and exploring the challenges both tutors and student-teachers face when alternative assessment are used in Mathematics assessment practices. The study employed cross sectional survey design and was conducted in three teachers’ colleges in Morogoro region. The participants of the study were 10 Mathematics tutors, 63 Diploma Mathematics student-teachers and 110 Certificate student-teachers. Purposive sampling and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select the sample. The data were collected through interview with tutors, observation checklist, focus group discussion with student-teachers and questionnaires administered to both Mathematics tutors and student-teachers. Findings revealed that alternative assessment methods used by Mathematics tutors include portfolio, projects, performance tasks, seminar presentation, essay writing and microteaching. Student-teachers were involved in individual tasks as well as group tasks and the given feedback was constructive, which encouraged student- teachers to participate in learning. Tutors showed a limited ability to use different alternative assessment methods due to lack of implementation skills. No significant participation differences were observed between males and females. Insufficient resources, large number of enrolled student-teachers, insufficient time, lack of in- service training and little assistance and guidance provided to student-teachers by Mathematics tutors were the challenges that were observed in the use of alternative assessment methods. The study concluded that alternative assessment methods are the possible means of improving student-teachers’ participation in learning Mathematics. The study recommends that tutors have to be empowered with skills through in-service training that will enable them to use a variety of alternative assessment methods to motivate student-teachers’ participation. Alternative assessment methods need to be given more weight in both formative and summative assessment. Further, colleges need to be supplied with enough resources to facilitate the use of alternative assessment methods in Mathematics learning and assessment