TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page
Approval page
Dedication
Acknowledgment
Abstract
Table of content
CHAPETR ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of problem
1.3 Objective of the study
1.4 Research question
1.5 Research hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the study
1.7 Scope and limitation of the study
1.8 Definition of terms
CHAPETR TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 introduction
2.2 conceptual review
2.3 empirical review
CHAPETR THREE
3.0 Research methodology
3.1 sources of data collection
3.3 Population of the study
3.4 Sampling and sampling distribution
3.5 Validation of research instrument
3.6 Method of data analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introductions
4.2 Data analysis
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendation
Appendix
Abstract
Integrating continuous assessment in Nigeria education curriculum is becoming a top priority encouraged at all levels of education but challenging memo in the 21st century of Primary Education system. The curriculum developers of this era focus on providing Continuous Assessment to pupils as one of the ways to improve The researcher formulated four purposes of the study four research questions that guided the study. Survey research design was used, the instrument used to obtain information was a structured questionnaire, the data collected were analyzed using SPSS percentage and graphical representation. The population of the study is two hundred teachers of primary school in Aga community (200) simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample. The instrument used was validated by two experts in measurement and evaluation. Based on these finding and many more the following Recommendation were made and it was recommended that; The ministry of Education or its relevant agencies should organize seminars and workshop for Economics teachers at least once in a term in order to update their knowledge on the practice of continuous assessment.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
One major innovation in our educational system is the introduction of continuous assessment as an important component for evaluation. Educational assessment and evaluation will be liberalized by basing them in whole or in part on continuous assessment of the progress of the individual. In all primary schools, continuous assessment account for 30 percent of the pupils’ performance in each subject. Most higher institutions of learning allow between 20 and 30 percent in course assessment Alex (2010). Thus, in all institution of learning; assessment is not a new concept in education. In the United States for instance, continuous assessment is built into the teaching- learning process. In Nigeria, there are different views about the concept to the extent that some of them are misconceptions. In order to understand this concept, it is necessary to clarify these misconceptions. Continuous assessment is not continuous testing of the cognitive ability of pupil as practice in most of our primary schools these days. For instance, what is practiced in many schools is continuous testing; where teachers administer test on students on weekly or monthly basis. Some schools set aside specific days in the month for what is referred to as continuous assessment scores for the term or year. The mode of interpretation does not take into consideration other factors that may affect the student and the learning process. Furthermore, the effective and psychomotor domains are neglected. Thus, the implementation of continuous assessment seems to have derailed from the mode of operation. Greaney (2011) defines assessment as any procedure or activity that is designed to collect information about the knowledge, attitude, or skills of the learner or group of learners. Assessment is therefore a process through which the quality of an individual’s work or performance is judged. When carried out as an on-going process, assessment is known a Continuous Assessment (CA). CA is a formative evaluation procedure concerned with finding out, in a systematic manner, the over-all gains that a student has made in terms of knowledge, attitude and skills after a given set of learning experience (Ogunnyi, 2014).
According to Aggarwal (2010), Continuous assessment (CA) is not simply continuous testing. Continuous assessment doest not solely depend on formal tests. Continuous assessment is more than giving a test; it involves every decision made by the teacher in class to improve students’ achievement. Continuous assessment may take different forms such as formal questions given to students during class, take-home assignments/exercises and recapitulation exercises. Assessment is either internal or external. Internal assessment refers to school-based assessment, which includes class assignments, teacher-made tests, recap exercise, projects, field physical assessment and all these tools form part of the classroom continuous assessment strategies. A continuous assessment strategy refers to the different tools/procedures used in the classroom to understand the academic achievement levels of learners in terms of their knowledge, attitudes and values. Also a strategy in assessment is a purposefully conceived and determined plan of action. It is a pattern of assessment that seems to attain certain outcomes and to guard against other (Aggarwal, 2009). External assessment refers to tests that are produced by examining bodies away from school. In order to evaluation the new educational system, one policy that cuts across all educational levels throughout Nigeria is that on continuous assessment. In section 1 of the National Policy on Education (revised 2011), which deals with the philosophy and goals of education in Nigeria, paragraph 9(g) states that “educational assessment and evaluation shall be liberalized by their being based in whole or in part on continuous assessment of the progress of the individual”. This statement is well amplified in subsequent sections of the documents dealing with secondary Education (section 4), Secondary Education (section 5), and Tertiary Education and finally in section 12 which deals with the Planning, Administration and Supervision of Education. The repeated emphasis being placed on continuous assessment is a clear evidence of its importance. Assessment covers all competences ranging from oral, written to practical. Assessment indicators are shown at the end of each theme in thematic curriculum. Some the methods used to assess children in primary one include: direct observation, talking to individual children, oral and written questions. Children drawing and work they display, looking at children’s exercise books, observing play and free activities, listening to children debates, group discussions, songs, games and acting. Continuous assessment at middle and upper primary that is primary four to primary six, summative assessments is carried out in five subjects forming the following four papers, English Language, Mathematics, Integrated science and social studies with religious education at the end of each term, year and primary cycle (Kateeba,2012)
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Although there has been marked progress towards realizing Universal Basic Education (UBE), and increasing access to secondary in Nigeria. The Government of Nigeria faces various challenges in providing quality Education. This led the (national curriculum development center) NCDC to introduce the idea of continuous assessment as one of the ways to improve on academic performance. Continuous assessment is conducted in all schools, as formative assessment to inform educators and learners about learner’s progress in order to improve learning (Kateeba, 2012). The Education system in Nigeria has traditionally emphasized passing examinations. This has promoted examination malpractice whereby learners are reading for the purposes of getting better grades, so they end up finding all the possible ways to cheat exams given as a form of continuous assessment. Some teachers in Aga community in Ikorodu due to pleasure given by their head teachers and Inspector from state ministry of education of schools who often go around schools to check the assessment grades of pupils deliberately set simple continuous assessment test in order to record high percentage passes in their classes in order to convince the inspectors that he teaches so well that most of his pupils pass well, some teachers are also reluctant to conduct the continuous assessment as planned by the school. Continuous assessment, if adhered to strictly, makes the teachers overworked and as a result some teachers put down fabricated marks/grades in pupil’s records to represent grades of tests which in actual fact were not conducted. The above practices are most damaging to the main purpose of the whole purpose of continuous assessment. Therefore, this research is intended to find out whether continuous assessment has influence on pupils’ academic progress.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The study has one major objective which is further divided into general objective and specific objective; the general objective is to examine the influence of continues assessment on the academic performance of primary school pupils in Aga Community in Ikorodu LGA of Lagos state, Nigeria. The specific objectives are;
- i) To examine the influence of continues assessment on pupil academic performance in Aga community
- ii) To ascertain if there is any significant relationship between pupil performance in continues assessment and pupil performance in class examination
iii) To ascertain the role of the teachers in implementation of continues assessment in primary schools in Aga community in Ikorodu LGA
- iv) To proffer suggested solution to the identified problem
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions were formulated by the researcher to guide the study
- i) Does continues assessment influence pupil academic performance in Aga community?
- ii) Is there any significant relationship between pupil performance in continues assessment and pupil performance in class examination?
iii) Do teachers play any role in the implementation of continues assessment in primary schools in Aga community in Ikorodu LGA?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher to aid the successful completion of the study;
H0: There is no significant relationship between pupil performance in continues assessment and pupil performance in class examination
H1: There is a significant relationship between pupil performance in continues assessment and pupil performance in class examination
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study which will highlight the difficulties and prospects of using continuous assessment technique to evaluate the performance of students, teachers, school, parents, government and society.
The students are seen as those whom this technique is designed for. Continuous assessment helps to identify the areas where students are having difficulties concerning the lessons they have received. It is also carried out upon the students so as to ascertain the level of performance and how the knowledge the pupils acquired during the classroom lesson has been able to affect positively the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domain of the learners.
The teachers are the executors of this technique. The teacher’s classroom activities and duties include not only teachings and discipline in the class but also the execution of classroom continuous assessment to test the ability of the students in handling problems independently with the knowledge gained during the teaching activities in the classroom. Iketaku (2013), continuous assessment provides a more valid of the child’s overall ability and performance.
School authority will gain a lot by creating awareness of the importance of continuous assessment to the pupils as such is a method of intellectual measurement of the students. The school authority has it as a duty to see that pupils are tested from time to time for the purpose of finding areas of difficulties and introducing workable solution for the students’ intellectual development.
The parents on the other hand do gain by asking for their children welfare thereby making sure that they checkmate the activities of their children both in the school and at home; also checkmate the action of school authority in respect to examination and other related matters.
The Government will known the necessary requisite for the implementation of continuous assessments; for instance, record keeping machine, writing materials, good environment etc. all these and more should be readily available if continuous assessment should be valuable in the development of pupils’ intellects.
The Society is the beneficiary of the out come of this technique if well applied to the training of the students. Finally, the society has an important duty in seeing that destructions that could hinder the pupils from partaking in the continuous assessment techniques are avoided as continuous assessment prepares students both academically and otherwise to face societal problems
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study covers the influence of continues assessment on the academic performance of primary school pupils in Aga community in Ikorodu LGA of Lagos state; Ikorodu is a city located in the north-east of Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located along the Lagos Lagoon and shares a boundary with Ogun State. At the 2006 census the population was 535,619. Situated approximately 36 km north of Lagos, Ikorodu is bounded to the south by the Lagos Lagoon, to the north by a boundary with Ogun State, and to the east by a boundary with Agbowa-Ikosi, a town in Epe Division of Lagos State. The town has grown significantly in the past 40 years and is divided into sixteen or seventeen “Ituns” or minor areas. The main industries in the town are trading, farming and manufacturing.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Continues assessment
Continuous assessment is a form of educational examination that evaluates a student's progress throughout a prescribed course. It is often used as an alternative to the final examination system.
Academic
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university
Academic performance
Academic performance or “academic achievement” is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals.
Primary school
A primary school, junior school or elementary school is a school for children from about four to eleven years old, in which they receive primary or elementary education.
Community
A community is a social unit with commonality such as norms, religion, values, customs, or identity
