Junior high school integrated science teachers and pupils’ perceptions of classroom assessment practices and pupils’ academic performance

Abstract

The study investigated junior high school integrated science teachers and pupils’ perceptions of classroom assessment practices and pupils’ academic performance. The study followed the convergent parallel mixed methods research design, using a sample of two hundred (200) junior high school pupils and eleven (11) integrated science teachers from public and private junior high schools in the Sunyani Municipality. A convenient sampling technique was used to select eight schools for the study. In choosing the pupils from each participating school, a proportional simple random method was used. However, a purposive sampling technique was used to select the teachers for the study. Data on teachers’ perceptions of teaching and classroom assessment practices as well as pupils’ perceptions and academic performance in Integrated Science were obtained through questionnaires, interviews, lesson observation, and document analysis. Data collected from the respondents were compiled, sorted, edited, and coded into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The results revealed that the selected Integrated Science teachers in public junior high schools were more academically and professionally qualified than those in private junior high schools. The pupils selected for the study showed positive perceptions towards transparency of assessment, application, and students’ capabilities, with means of 3.59 (SD = 1.30), 4.19 (SD = 0.96), and 4.25 (SD =.89), respectively, as opposed to congruence with planned learning, with a mean of 3.02 (SD = 1.11). Nevertheless, the teachers also showed a more positive perception towards classroom assessment by admitting that assessment was useful to them and to their pupils. There were no significant differences between the integrated science teachers’ priorities for conducting classroom assessment based on school type (p =.74). In addition, it was found that the most frequent method teachers from both school types used to teach the subject was discussion, which did not resonate with the teaching methods prescribed in the 2012 JHS integrated science syllabus. It was also observed that the most frequently used assessment tools by the teachers were class tests, homework, and class exercises. Moreover, the study revealed that Pupils from private Junior High Schools in the Municipality academically perform better than their counterparts from the public Junior High Schools, with mean scores of 79.42 (SD = 5.67) and 62.96 (SD = 7.46), respectively, p<.00. Finally, it was shown that science textbooks, computers, and the 2012 JHS integrated science syllabus were available in the schools studied. The public schools seem to be better resourced than the private schools used in the study. Based on the results obtained, the study recommended that the District and Municipal Education Directors and Circuit Supervisors should keep close eyes on the work of the public integrated science teachers in the municipality to bridge the gap between the performance of public and private junior high school pupils in integrated science. To improve pupils’ academic performance in integrated science, the study also recommends that the teachers try as much as possible to assess the pupils on what they are taught and also give room for the pupils to be part of their own assessment by employing peer and self-assessment in their class. Finally, to cultivate the habit of positive perception in pupils towards assessment, the pupils should have a say in how they will be assessed.