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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Selected teachers' understanding of assessment four years after the implementation of the New Assessment Policy
Authors:Van Laren, L.
James, A.
Year:2008
Periodical:Africa Education Review (ISSN 1814-6627)
Volume:5
Issue:2
Pages:288-303
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:teachers
educational reform
academic standards
External link:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/18146620802449944
Abstract:The New Assessment Policy was introduced in South Africa in 2003. Teachers were expected to implement this policy in the various fields that they were teaching. The present article explores selected teachers' understanding of the policy, including factors that influenced their understanding. The authors were particularly interested in what Grade 7 and 9 Mathematics and Natural Sciences Learning Areas teachers' understanding of this policy was and when, how and why this understanding was influenced. A naturalistic, qualitative case study approach was used. Three teacher education students were trained to collect data from a convenient, small sample of twelve Grade 7 and Grade 9 teachers. The findings suggest that many of the participating teachers' understanding is still linked to assessing learners' knowledge only. Some teachers included skills in their understanding of assessment, but only one Grade 7 teacher mentioned values. Furthermore, it was possible to draw a distinction between the teachers' personal understanding and their policy understanding of the Assessment Policy. The authors conclude that, after more than four years, many teachers' understanding of assessment is still restricted mainly to the assessment of knowledge. They suggest suggest that teachers' knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of assessment as well as of the assessment process should be given due consideration for effective implementation of the Assessment Policy. Bibliogr., note, sum. [Journal abstract]
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