TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS’ LEARNING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF JIJIGA CITY ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

This study was intended to examine teachers’ perception towards continuous assessment of students’ learning in secondary schools of Jig-jiga City Administration. The available three government secondary schools were taken as a sample from Jig-jiga city administration. Based on this, a total of 268 respondents that were teachers, principals, vice-principals, department heads, students, and supervisors were selected as the samples. The data were gathered through questionnaire and focus group discussion. The findings of the study unearthed that teachers and students had favorable perceptions towards continuous assessment. Even though 87% of teachers expressed that they implemented continuous assessment in their classrooms, the frequency of implementation was found sometimes (62.4%). The major problems that hindered the practices of continuous assessment in the sample schools were large class size by 74%, shortage of time for teachers, lack of school facilities by 70%, inadequate training by 67%, shortage of stationary and instructional materials, lack of teachers’ commitment, and inadequate teachers’ knowledge on different assessment techniques, lack of guidelines in the schools, poor support from school and administration, and teachers’ wrong conceptualization of continuous assessment. Concerning the methods used to mitigate the challenges encountered on the practice of continuous assessment, most of the teachers used recurrent tests and assignments at individual and group levels. Therefore, it could be said that in the sample schools the implementation of continuous assessment using various assessment techniques is not done even though they have positive perception towards continuous assessment. Based on this, the implementation of continuous assessment cannot achieve the intended results if it continues in such manner. Thus, Jig-jiga city administration education office should give a great emphasis on the practicality of continuous assessment at school levels and ensure its continuity by monitoring its implementation through the assigned supervisors on the matter