FACTORS AFFECTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT IN ENGLSH CLASSROOM: THE CASE OF GRADE TEN STUDENTS AT BEKOJI SECONDARY SCHOOL, ARSI ZONE, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

This thesis assessed factors affecting the implementation of continuous assessment in English classroom at Bekoji Secondary School, Arsi Zone, Oromia National Regional State. Specifically, the study intended to investigate teacher related factors, to identify student related factors, and to examine resource related factors that affect the implementation of continuous assessment in language classroom. The research design used in this research was descriptive case study. The study adopted the data collection instruments such as questionnaire (close-ended and open-ended), document analysis and interview. A systematic random sampling was used for the students and availability sampling method for English language teachers. All English language teachers participated in the questionnaire and interview and sixty students of grade ten were chosen randomly for the questionnaire. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used. The data collected through questionnaire and interview were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively using numbers and percentages. The findings of this revealed English language teachers’ propensity to outdated means of evaluation/assessment, absence of training in continuous assessment, inappropriate objectives in the lesson plan and large class size were the main problems affecting the implementation of continuous assessment in English classroom at the particular high school. In addition, resource related factors like absence guideline was the other result of the study that hindered the successfulness of CA in English classes. Moreover, the problem related to teachers’ level of understanding of continuous assessment and assessment devices were also other findings of the research. Lastly, the researcher would like to recommend that the regional education bureau should arrange the training program about CA for English language teachers of the aforementioned secondary school.