An exploration of teachers' experiences in designing assessment tasks for business studies in grade 10-12.
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Date
2013
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Abstract
The introduction of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in Grade 10-12 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 consecutively brought about drastic changes in assessment in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. School-based assessment (SBA) or continuous assessment (CASS) comprising formal and informal assessment has to be implemented by teachers, where formal assessment is exceptionally significant as it contributes 25% of the learner’s promotion mark. As a result teachers have to develop assessment tasks that are pertinent to the learners and align with assessment policy. Therefore this study seeks to explore teachers’ experiences in designing assessment tasks for Business Studies in Grades 10-12.
This study is undertaken as a result of the researcher’s observation during SBA moderation sessions and school support visits of how teachers struggle to develop assessment tasks that adhere to the requirements of the NCS assessment policy in Business Studies. Given the nature of the study, a qualitative research methodology was adopted. The research project is a single case study of a school in Umkomazi ward within Ugu District in KwaZulu-Natal. Three teachers were selected based on their experience in teaching NCS Business Studies in Grades 10-12 and having been involved in designing assessment tasks since 2006. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analysis of these teachers’ planning and assessment documents.
The findings of this study revealed that teachers use the NCS assessment policy as a guide when designing assessment tasks, but still have challenges with designing assessment tasks that cover all cognitive levels and designing a rubric. Hence the study recommends ongoing teacher development programmes and improving curriculum support in order to capacitate teachers on assessment practices.
Description
M. Ed. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.
Keywords
Educational tests and measurements., Educational evaluation--KwaZulu-Natal., Business education--KwaZulu-Natal., Theses--Education.