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THE PROBLEMS OF CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT IN THE OVERALL ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the study

The concept of continuous assessment is still of great interest in Nigeria education. Continuous assessment is defined in the handbook on continuous assessment compiled by Federal Ministry of Education “as a method of finding out what the students have gained from learning actigit56ies in terms of knowledge, reasoning and thinking”. Prior to the implementation of the former 6-3-3-4 system of education, the traditional system of terminal examination assessment was in use in Nigeria and indeed other West Africa countries. This traditional system involved pupils being assessed solely by themselves after learning in the various subjects. This method of assessment was not suitable for the West African countries due to the fact that its graduate were ill equipped and subsequently remained unemployed.

Moreover, these West African countries that implemented the traditional system have been plagued with the occurrence of examination leakage and other malpractices, especially in the West African School Certificate Examination. What the above explanation and definition implies is that “continuous assessment as an instrument for measuring the child’s success will account for the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of the pupils.  As it has been faced with how to measure the affective and psychomotor domains. The three domains according to Bloom (2004) are equally important in the overall development of the learners. In continuous assessment the teachers are required to assess their learners on the amount of knowledge (cognitive) acquired, the attitude (affective) and the skills (psychomotor) of their pupils. This is because according to Aggrey (1980) the total education of the child involved the head, heart and the hand.

The National Policy of Education (1999) stipulated that educational assessment and evaluation will be liberalized based on the whole or part of continuous assessment. The progress of the individual learners. There have been arguments for and against the use of continuous assessment in teaching and learning process. The intention of this research is not to get involved with these arguments, but to examine the problem of continuous assessment in the overall academic performance in some selected secondary school in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. it is however important for us to accept the obvious fact that continuous assessment is a vital part of teaching and learning process, and that the teacher is the key to all classroom learning before, during and after the evaluation. Therefore, in this new system students are to continuously be assessed in the cause of their learning during the year, in addition to taking terminal examination of each student. Many experts have pointed out their opinion on ways of averting some problems in implementing continuous assessment. Which and Beygs (1971) have indicated that instead of a snapshot the evaluator has a motion picture with a firm frequency. Continuous assessment is not an act one can start and finish at any specific time. It requires patience, time, consistency and uprightness in judgment. Otherwise the concept could lose its aim and objectives. Hence the snapshot system should be put away, while said “motion picture” should be properly followed.            

1.2    Statement of problem

        The problems of continuous assessment shall be looked at in this chapter, it is however doubtful if continuous assessment is well implemented in school in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. There are inherent problems among which are, inadequate implementation of continuous assessment in some selected secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area. Lack of qualified teachers, due to the fact that many percentage of the teacher did not pass through the teacher education, teachers are not well paid, so they are not motivated to implement continuous assessment to their students.

        The consequences of these problems affect the students so badly that it result to poor performance of the overall academic of the students. These and many other problems necessitate the writing of this project to ensure that more light is thrown on the adverse consequences on the implementation of continuous assessment in schools. It will also suggest ways and means of overcoming these problems.

1.3    Purpose of the study

        This study is designed to find out the problem militating against the implementation of continuous assessment in the overall academic performance of the senior secondary school level in Oredo Local Government Area.

        This study is expected to find out the number of teachers recruited to teach various subjects furthermore, the study is also expected to find out if record of pupils are readily available and adequate.

        Finally, the study is also expected to determine if the teachers are adequately motivated to implement continuous assessment.    

1.4    Aims and Objectives of the study

        This study was carried out with a view to examine the problems of continuous assessment in secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. the purpose of the study are as follows;

To find out the problem of continuous assessment in secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area.  To find out how the problems have been overcome To suggest ways of solving these problems of continuous assessment.

1.5    Research Questions

        The study will focus on the following research questions;

What are the problem of continuous assessment in secondary school in Oredo Local Government Area? How has these problem been dealt with? In what ways has continuous assessment helped the students in making good performance academically? Has continuous assessment helped the students?  

1.6    Significance of the study

        This study will be useful to the principals, teachers, the government, parents, educational research institutes and students of higher institutions who are keen about knowing the level of educational development, monitoring educational matters, problems and prospects of education institutions at different levels. It would provide the educational authorities with results that could be pout into effective and efficient use in order to fulfill the national goals and objectives of education.

        Secondary school principals, teachers and students as well as parents will benefit enormously from the outcome of the research. It will provide the principals, teachers and students with a new sense of outlook to the problem of implementation of continuous assessment. It will make them to comprehend the fact that the successful implementation of continuous assessment is indeed a joint effort of both the principal, teachers, students and even parents.  

1.7    Scope of the study

        The scope of this study shall cover the problem of continuous assessment in overall academic performance of students in Oredo Local Government Area. 

1.9    Definition of terms

Qualified teachers: In this study, qualified teachers are those who posses a bachelor degree in education or degrees in education on their various subject of the area of knowledge.

Subject teacher: This is a person that is trained or a specialist in the field of a particular subject with at least a Nigeria Certificate IN Education

Performance: This is refers to the expected result of an action or act.

Student: A person who is learning at a college or university, or sometime at a school.

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