ERIC Number: ED312424
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1989-May
Pages: 57
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-91-7870-491-X
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Assessment of Pupils' Practical Work in Technical/Practical Subjects in Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe.
Chinyamunzore, N. Nelson
A descriptive study outlined the approaches used in the assessment of student performance in technical/practical subjects (e.g., agriculture, home economics, and woodworking) in Zimbabwe secondary schools. Eight schools participated in the study. Data on techniques used to evaluate student performance were collected by questionnaires received from 31 teachers of technical/practical subjects (an 82 percent response). The questionnaires consisted of demographic information, 17 Likert-type questions, and three open-ended questions. Most of the respondents were involved in grading national examinations or attending standardization courses. In addition, interviews were conducted with heads of the participating secondary schools and with the education officers of the chosen region. The study found that students' performance was assessed through final examinations, course work, and a combination of the two. Problems related to reliability were found in the present use of coursework marks. The advantage of the combined approach was found to be that one method checked upon the other, but teachers and heads of schools were not in agreement as to whether they preferred examinations or course work as methods of assessment. They thought that it would be reasonable to count the examination as 60 percent of a pupil's grade and the course work as 40 percent. (A 29-item bibliography, the questionnaire, the interview schedule, and data from the questionnaire presented in tabular form conclude the document.) (Author/CML)
Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes, Agricultural Education, Developing Nations, Educational Testing, Foreign Countries, Grading, Home Economics Education, Outcomes of Education, Performance Tests, Secondary Education, Student Educational Objectives, Student Evaluation, Teacher Attitudes, Vocational Education, Woodworking
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Masters Theses; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA).
Authoring Institution: Linkoping Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Education and Psychology.
Identifiers - Location: Zimbabwe
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A