FORMS OF ASSESSMENT AND LEARNERS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN SELECTED PRIMARY GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN SERERE DISTRICT, UGANDA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70572/agp.v2i5.102Keywords:
Forms of assessment, Academic achievement, Primary education, Government schools, Serere DistrictAbstract
Background.
There has been a challenge of low academic performance among learners in Serere District, particularly in government-aided schools, which necessitated an examination of the role of assessment methods in influencing academic outcomes. This study investigated the relationship between forms of assessment and learners’ academic achievements in selected primary government schools in Serere District, Uganda.
Methodology.
A cross-sectional correlational survey design was employed, involving self-administered questionnaires distributed to 130 selected Primary Six learners and 40 teachers from 10 primary schools, as well as structured interviews with 10 headteachers. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and significance at the 99% and 95% confidence limits (two-tailed level).
Results.
68(54.8%) of the participants were females 90(72.6%) of the respondents were learners. This is a statistically significant positive correlation between formative assessments and learners' academic performance (r = 0.538, p = 0.000), indicating a moderate positive relationship. Similarly, there was a high positive correlation between summative assessments and learners' academic performance (r = 0.756, p = 0.000). One headteacher stated that: “Summative assessments are key in the education system in Uganda, it’s used for certification of the completing students at all levels of learning, and this assessment is organized at the national level.”
Conclusion.
Summative assessments, particularly end-of-term and end-of-year examinations, were found to serve as benchmarks for evaluating student competencies. However, the study revealed that an over-reliance on summative assessment limited opportunities for continuous skill development.
Recommendations.
There is a need to integrate formative assessment strategies into daily lesson plans to offer individualized learning approaches and adaptive teaching methods. Achieving a balanced combination of formative and summative assessments is crucial in fostering improved learning outcomes among primary school learners.
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