An Investigation into Authentic Assessment Practices of Social Studies Teachers in the Senior High Schools (SHSs) in Ghana
[1]
Boadu Kankam, Department of Art and Social Sciences Education, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
[2]
Anthony Bordoh, Department of Art and Social Sciences, Enchi College of Education, Enchi, Ghana.
[3]
Isaac Eshun, Department of Art and Social Sciences, Enchi College of Education, Enchi, Ghana.
[4]
Thoephilus Kweku Bassaw, Department of Art and Social Sciences, Komenda College of Education, Komenda, Ghana.
[5]
Fredrick Yaw Korang, Social Science Department, Winneba Senior High School, Winneba, Ghana.
Influences of teachers’ authentic assessment on their classroom practices will be paramount to both teachers’ students if implemented effectively in the Social Studies classroom. The study used a descriptive case study design. Both the schools and teachers’ were simple randomly selected from fifty seven (57) government assisted Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Central Region of Ghana. The study used ten (10) senior high schools and twenty (20) teachers’. Semi structured interview was the main instruments used for data collection. The research found out that for improvements to be made on teacher knowledge and ability and the policies and practices of authentic assessment in schools, teachers, students, parents and policymakers value and see the potential for authentic assessment to improve teaching and learning, it will continue to be under-emphasized, undervalued and poorly used.. It recommended that the teaching universities in Ghana should broaden their scope on the teaching of assessment to incorporate authentic assessment.
Investigation, Assessment, Authentic Assessment, Assessment Practices, Social Studies, Senior High Schools
[1]
Bassey, M. (2003). Case study research. In J. Swann & J. Pratt (Eds.) Educational research in practice: Making sense of Methodology, 111-123. London: Continuum.
[2]
Baumann, J.F., Hoffman, J.V., Duffy-Hester, A.M., & Moon Ro, J. (2000). “The First R” yesterday and today: U.S. elementary reading instruction practices reported by teachers and administrators. Reading Research Quarterly, 35(3): 338-377.
[3]
Bekoe, S. O., Eshun, I., & Bordoh, A. (2013). Formative assessment techniques tutors use to assess teacher-trainees’ learning in Social Studies in Colleges of Education in Ghana. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(4), 20-30.
[4]
Bordoh, A., Eshun, I. &, Bassaw, T. K. (2013) Social Studies Tutors’ Cognition in Formative Assessment in College of Education in Ghana. Developing Country Studies, 3(11), 1-11.
[5]
CRDD (2010). Social Studies syllabus for Senior Secondary Schools, Accra: Ministry of Education.
[6]
Cumming, J., & Maxwell, G. (1999). Contextualising authentic assessment. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policies and Practices, 6(2), 177 – 194.
[7]
Eshun, I., Bordoh, A., Bassaw, T. K., & Mensah, F. 92014) evaluation of social studies students’ learning using formative assessment in selected colleges of education in Ghana. British journal of education, 2(1), 39-48
[8]
Firestone, W. A., Mayrowetz, D., & Fairman, J. (1998). Performance-Based Assessment and Instructional Change: The Effects of Testing in Maine and Maryland. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 20(2), 95-113.
[9]
Harlen, W. (2005). Trusting teachers’ judgment: Research evidence of the reliability and validity of teachers’ assessment used for summative purposes. Research Papers in Education, 20(3), 245-270.
[10]
Herman, J. L. (1992). What research tells us about good assessment? Educational Leadership, 49 (8); 74-78.
[11]
Gulikers, J., Kester, L., Kirschner, P., & Bastiaens, T. (2008). The effect of practical experience on perceptions of assessment authenticity, study approach, and learning outcomes. Learning and Instruction. 18, 172 –186.
[12]
Lissitz, R. W. & Schafer W. D. (2002) Assessment in Educational Reform: Both Means and Ends. Allyn and Bacon.
[13]
Lukin, L. E., Gardalos, D. L., Eckout, T. J., & Mickelson, K. (2004). Facilitating the development of assessment literacy. Educational Measurement, Issues and Practice, 23(2), 26-32.
[14]
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & McTighe, J. (1993). Assessing student outcomes: Performance assessment using the dimensions of learning model. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
[15]
McMillan, J. H. (2001). Classroom assessment: Principals and practice for effective instruction (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
[16]
McMillan, J. H. (2007). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standardized-based instruction (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
[17]
McMillan, J. H., & Hearn, J. (2008). Student Self-Assessment: The Key to Stronger Student Motivation and Higher Achievement. Educational Horizons, 87(1), 40-49.
[18]
McMillan, J. H. (2001). Classroom assessment: Principals and practice for effective instruction (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
[19]
Pellegrino, J.W., Chudowsky, N. & Glaser, R. (2001). Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment., Washington, DC., USA. National Academies Press.
[20]
Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.
[21]
Stake, R. E. (2000) ‘The Case Study Method in Social Inquiry’, in Gomm, R., Hammersley, M. and Foster, P. (Eds.) Case-study Method, London, Sage Publications.
[22]
Sternberg, R. J. (2007). Assessing what matters. Educational Leadership, 65 (4) 20-26.
[23]
Stiggins, R., & Chappuis, J. (2005). Using student-involved classroom assessment to close achievement gaps. Theory into Practice, 44, 11-18.
[24]
Tindal .G, & Fuchs, L. (1999). A summary of research on testing accommodation: What we know so far. Lexington, KY; Mid-South Regional Resources Center
[25]
Torrance, H. (1995). The role of assessment in educational reform. In H. Torrance (Ed.), Evaluating authentic assessment: problems and possibilities in new approaches to assessment. 144-156. Buckingham: Open University Press.
[26]
Vandeyar, S. & Killen, R. (2003). Has curriculum reform in South Africa really changed assessment practices, and what promise does the revised National Curriculum Statement hold? Perspectives in Education, 21:119-134.
[27]
Warman, J. (2002). Authentic assessment: A Systematic review of the research. Master’s Thesis, Ontario Institute for Studies in Educ. of the University of Toronto. Retrieved: 10-6-13 (UMI. Proquest Digital Dissertation).
[28]
Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
[29]
Yorke, M. (2003). Formative assessment in higher education: Moves towards theory and the enhancement of pedagogic practice. Higher Education 45, 477–501.