Assessment practices of teachers in the early childhood centres within the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District

Abstract

Using the sequential explanatory mixed design, this study was conducted to investigate the assessment practices of teachers in the early childhood centres within the Asikuma Odoben-Brakwa District. The population for the study comprised teachers, headteacher and children in all the public basic schools in the Asikuma Odoben-Brakwa District. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to sample 235 early childhood teachers, headteachers and children from across the district to form the sample for the study. The instruments used for the study were questionnaire, interview guide and observation. Quantitative data for the study was collected using questionnaires while semi-structured interview and observation were used for the qualitative data collection. Descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis approach were used to analyse the quantitative and qualitative data collected for the study respectively. Among the findings from the study were that, majority of the KG teachers used paper and pencil test/ exercises to assess the progress of the children, teachers used more than one method of assessment techniques to assess the children and majority of the teachers do not use peer assessment as the form of assessment techniques to assess the progress of the children. In addition, some factors that influence the choice of assessment techniques they used to assess the performance of the children, the purpose of choosing a particular method assessment, using more than one method to understand the children more were above average. Also, majority of teachers do not have in-service training on the assessment practices that are to be used in the KG centres. They were also of the view that assessment process takes a lot of their time when carrying it out. In view of these findings, it was recommended that the GES should work with other stakeholders and ensure that teachers are sent for in service training or workshops on assessment on a regular basis to make certain that they maintain current classroom assessment skills.