Classroom Assessment Practices of Lower Primary School Teachers in the Upper Denkyira West District

Abstract

The study investigated classroom assessment practices of lower primary school teachers in the Upper Denkyira West District. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, a descriptive design was used. An adopted questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 137 lower primary school teachers who were selected through purposive sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data that were gathered. The key findings of the study revealed that lower primary school teachers use varied forms of classroom assessment practices and the most dominant assessment method was the use of objective type test. It was also revealed that the prevalent strategy employed by teachers was the use of question-and-answer technique. The results also indicated that teachers generally portrayed a higher confidence in their assessment practices. Furthermore, teachers faced challenges such as poor attitude of students towards classroom assessment practices, large class size and teacher‟s workload. Also, there was no statistically significant difference between primary school teachers‟ classroom assessment practices with respect to their professional qualification. Finally, primary school teachers did not differ significantly in their classroom assessment practices with their years of teaching experience. It was recommended that school heads set up assessment unit in their respective schools and ensure frequent training of primary school teachers on various classroom strategies and assessment practices. Also, Ghana Education Service should put measures in place to help combat challenges teachers face in their classroom practices.