CURRENT ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING PRACTICES OF LIFE SCIENCE TEACHERS AND ITS IMPACT ON LEARNER PERFORMANCE IN UTHUNGULU DISTRICT

Oluwatoyin Mary OYINLOYE¹* and Sitwala Namwinji IMENDA^2
1Mrs., Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa, mooyinloye@yahoo.com
²Prof., Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa, imendas@unizulu.ac.za
*Correspondence Author

Abstract
Classroom assessment is an essential component of teaching and learning, and should be an on-going process that improves instruction rather than a periodic evaluation of what has been achieved. This study was designed to investigate teachers’ and learners’ conceptions and experiences about assessment for learning (AfL) and its impact on learner performance in Life Science. Simple random sampling was used to select four schools from the uThungulu district to participate in the study. Two of the selected schools constituted the Treatment Condition while the other two served as the Comparison Group.  Altogether, 160 grade 11 learners (forty from each participating school) participated in the study – comprised of four intact classrooms, one from each participating school. Two teachers were trained to use AfL as an instructional approach, while the teachers of the Comparison Group used their usual instructional approaches.  The topic being studied by all the learners were Animal Nutrition and Cellular Respiration, lasting six weeks for the two groups.  In addition, 80 Life Science teachers also took part in the study as respondents on their assessment practices in the subject.  Data were collected using pre- and post-tests for the learners, and a questionnaire for the teachers. These were followed by semi-structure interviews with the two teachers of the Treatment Group and selected learners from the same group. The quantitative component of the study took the form of a Quasi-Experimental Pretest-Posttest Comparison Group Design, while the qualitative component employed a hermeneutical research approach. Data were collected using a test, questionnaire, survey and semi-structure interviews. The results revealed that the current formative assessment practices used by Life Science teachers in uThungulu district are out of alignment with the principles of formative assessment as directed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE).  Furthermore, the respondents’ conceptions of AfL did not influence their classroom assessment and instructional practices. On the question of learner performance following the six week instructional intervention, the study found that learners in the Treatment Group performed significantly higher than learners’ in the Comparison Group. From these results, recommendations will be made to influence both policy and classroom practice.

Keywords: Assessment for learning, experiences, performance, Life Science, high school, Kwazulu Natal.