THE EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT ON PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION QUALITY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Continuous assessment, according to Osunde (2003), is a classroom approach used by teachers to determine the level of knowledge, competence, and comprehension gained by students. Many regard the adoption of continuous assessment in our schools as a constructive response by the government to long-standing critiques of our educational system, as well as an indicator of a willingness to enhance the nation's process of assessing the educational system's product. According to Ughamadu (2004), continuous assessment is not a new word in Nigerian education, in which the instructor evaluates the students' performance in relation to their success in the topic being taught. The Nigerian education system ushered in the notion of continuous evaluation with the establishment of Education Onocha's 6-3-3-4 method (2010). This method superseded the 6-5-2-3 system, which was used for certification and placement into the next level of education by schools and other institutions. The national education policy mandates that students be reviewed and certified periodically through continuous evaluation. Instruments designed to assess students' talents and competence should assess. The metric should represent students' genuine abilities. The purpose of this study was to examine a teacher's ability to develop, administer, and secure a continuous assessment item. Continual evaluation, according to (Onocha, 2001). Is also a sort of evaluation carried out by a teacher in the classroom. Complete records, administer assignments and exams, grade these assignments and tests on a regular basis, evaluate student behavior, and make choices. The old system of assessment was one shot in the sense that examinations were only done at the end of the term's work, and in some cases, pupils were net examined on what they were used to. One shot assessment only used tests, class assignments, quizzes, take-home questions, and projects to assess learners (Okpala, 2003). This used to be the case even with examination bodies like the Nigeria Teacher Institution (N.T.I) and others (WAEC). Certificate of Examination for West Africa, Only the cognitive domain, that is, intellectual capacity, was tested in the previous method. Domain, hobbies, and altitude are all influencing factors. The assessment overlooked the learners' feelings and emotions (Osunde, 2003). Except in a few cases, the prior method did not completely consider the psychomotor domain. Continuous assessment is a system of evaluation that considers all of a student's experiences over the course of their education. Continuous assessment is entire and aggregated over a period of time (Ola, 2001). Continuous assessment is a way of determining what a student receives from schooling in terms of knowledge and character development, taking into consideration all of his or her performance in exams, assignments, and other educational activities over the course of a term, year, or educational level (Udeji, 2003). Finally, it is well known that school enrollment has risen dramatically (Titi, 2000). As a result of the development, many teachers' attitudes have been effected by the heavy work associated with continuous assessment; some find it too burdensome, while others see it as an unnecessary waste of time; some teachers short circuit tests, while others conduct just one test and simply multiply the scores. Some instructors postpone handing tests, some cancel classes under the guise of marking students' tests, and some purposefully set tough assignments that will keep the students occupied indefinitely so that the teachers may have some time to themselves.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The introduction of a continuous assessment evaluation system in Nigerian schools has had a significant influence on the quality of education in basic schools (Osunde, 2003). As a result, the difficulties for which this project is looking for solutions are as follows.

i. What are the issues that are impeding the conduct of continuous assessment?

ii. What role does continuous assessment play in improving educational quality?

iii. What is a continuous evaluation instrument used in elementary schools to help with excellent education?

iv. Why is continuous assessment being implemented?

v. How can continuous evaluation be regulated and standardized across elementary schools to ensure high-quality education?

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

As a result, the study's goal is described as follows:

i. To determine the issue affecting the implementation of continuous assessment in elementary schools.

ii. To determine the rationale for instituting continuous assessment in elementary schools.

iii. To determine the tool that was utilized to provide quality education through ongoing assessment.

iv. Determine how continuous assessment may be regulated and standardized throughout all elementary schools.

1.4  RESEARCH QUESTION

i. What are  the issues affecting the implementation of continuous assessment in elementary schools?

ii. What is  the rationale for instituting continuous assessment in elementary schools?

iii. What are  the tools  utilized to provide quality education through ongoing assessment?

iv.  How can continuous assessment may be regulated and standardized throughout all elementary schools?

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study will serve as a foundation for good supervision (by a primary school teacher) in order to alter or reinforce students. The way people think about evaluation methods. The findings of this study are also expected to inform the government on how to standardize continuous assessment practices in primary schools. The findings will also serve as a springboard for additional study into the effect of continuous assessment on primary school education quality.

1.6  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study's scope is restricted to primary schools in the Ofa Local Government Area, and it must develop its own conceptual framework for examination.

1.7  DEFINITION OF THE TERMS

i. Continuous Assessment:  continuous assessment simply refers to the system strategies/techniques for assigning a final mark/grade to students based on their work completed throughout the length of a course of study rather than a single test.

ii. Impact: The effect or influence of an event, situation, or other circumstance on someone or something.

iii. Quality: is the criterion by which anything is judged when compared to other things.

iv. Education: is a process of teaching, training, and learning, especially in schools or colleges, to enhance knowledge and develop skill, which often begins in elementary school and continues through college.