Browsing by Author "Madondo, Sipho Eric Sihle"

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    Evaluating the use of standardized tests in South Africa: case study on annual national assessment at Ilembe district
    (University of Zululand, 2020) Madondo, Sipho Eric Sihle
    The Department of Education in South Africa implemented Annual National Assessments as a vehicle to address poor learner achievement and to improve the quality of education. The point of departure was learners’ dismal performance in English First Additional Language and Mathematics as critical subjects. Moreover, to improve the quality of education and to ensure that South African learners’ are competitive to the learners of the world and in closing the gap of poor performance, this was transparent and revealed in studies of international standard. South African learners are performing poorly in comparison to those of the world and this is a cause for concern for the stakeholders in education. The project focussed on evaluating the use of Annual National Assessments in learning and teaching at schools in the intermediate phase; teachers’ understanding of the ability of ANA to determine the performance of learners and in the improvement of quality of education; various stakeholders’ contributions in teaching, learning and addressing challenges in relation to testing and assessment, development of the model that could be used to complement the implementation of ANA and the improvement on performance of learners in ANA English First Additional Language and in Mathematics. The study was conducted at ILembe District in Kwa-Zulu Natal. It adopted a qualitative research design. Annual National Assessment (ANA) is a form of standardised testing that is used universally. It’s an instrument used to determine learner performance in the foundational subjects within the education systems. The developed and the developing countries are following the same trend to benchmark their education systems and to improve learner performances to be on the same par. When America realized that her system of education was not achieving her desired outcomes, she implemented a “No Child Left Behind” to close the gaps that were identified and improve the quality of education to ensure that she produces citizens that are efficient and productive to the American economy. The Irish Education system also followed the same trend to improve the quality of education for her citizen and learner performance. Data were gathered through group interviews from teachers and Departmental Heads (HODs) of the Intermediate Phase at rural primary schools. Thirty participants consisting of ten English First Additional Language, ten Mathematics teachers and ten departmental heads from ten primary schools at ILembe District at the Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal. The participating schools were drawn from two hats each representing different circuit to ensure that all schools stand an equal chance to participate in the study with a total of five schools per hat. The purposive sampling was used for the collection of data during the recorded sessions. Information collected was written, categorised and presented in the form of themes with verbatim quotations from the subjects to support the identified themes. The relevant literature on Standardized Testing or Annual National Assessment was extensively reviewed to understand its context, content and the impact it has on teaching, learning, improvement of learner performance and the quality education provision in various part of the world and SADEC. The relevant documentary analysis was consulted explicitly to determine the South Africa’s position in improving learner performance and quality education in comparison to that of the world and SADEC. The findings of the study indicate that Annual National Assessment is a very important strategy to improve learner performance, the quality education and positively contributes to assessment of learners but there are loopholes found on the way ANA is conducted and implemented: the lack of an on-going teacher service training, the ineffective communication between stakeholders to understand the purposes of ANA and especially to teachers who are at the grass-root level of implementation. It also revealed that, the lack of content understanding by teachers for English First Additional Language and Mathematics is a grey area that sought attention. It transpired that teachers need to be thoroughly trained on these subjects because what emanated is that some teachers are not qualified on the two specific subjects so they do not have knowledge and the content of the subjects in question. The project therefore validates that, there is inadequate teacher developmental programmes, misplacement of teachers in grades and no training workshops for English First Additional Language and Mathematics to empower them on how to improve teaching strategies, content dissemination as well as learner performance in English First Additional Language, Mathematics in Annual National Assessment. Curriculum mentors, subject supervisors and School Management should tighten their supervision and monitoring strategies in schools to assist, motivate teachers and learners to work more successfully and productively. The involvement of teachers in policy making, decision taking, effective communication and regular visitation by the Departmental Officials for support is recommended. This will assist and develop teachers on curriculum related matters. The following should be given priority: teacher training workshops on regular basis are of essence, teacher sharing sessions to ensure that changes taking place are understood by every stakeholder especially teachers and parents. Yearly, quarterly and monthly communication to make learners and parents aware of the importance, the value of English First Additional Language and Mathematics should be carried out as well as education in general.
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    The role of parents in the continuous assessment of learners
    (2002) Madondo, Sipho Eric Sihle; Ngidi, D.P.
    The present study examines the role of parents in the continuous assessment of learners. The first aim was to ascertain the extent to which parents play an active role in the continuous assessment of their children. The second aim was to ascertain the extent to which parents understand the significance of continuous assessment. The third aim was to determine whether parents' biographical factors such as gender, age, type of parent, academic qualification as well as learner's grade have any influence on parents' active role which they play in the continuous assessment of their children. The last aim was to determine whether parents' biographical factors such as gender, aEQ, type of parent, academic qualification as well as learner's grade have any influence on parents1 understanding of the significance of continuous assessment. To this end, a questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of one hundred and eighty four parents. The findings reveal that parents differ in the extent to which they play an active role in the continuous assessment of their children. A very high percentage (72,3%) of parents report an above average level of active role. The findings show that parents differ in the extent to which they understand the significance of continuous assessment. A very high percentage (65.2%) of parents report an above average level of understanding of the significance of continuous assessment. The findings also indicate that parents' personal variables such as age, type of parent, academic qualification as well as learner's grade have no influence on parents' active role which they play in the continuous assessment of their children. The last findings show that, with the exception of learner's grade, gender, age, type of parent and academic qualification have no influence on parents' understanding of the significance of continuous assessment. A very high percentage (72.2%) of parents.with learners in grade 8 report above average level of understanding of the significance of continuous assessment as compared to (57.5%) of parents with learners in grade 7. On the basis of the findings of this study, recommendations to the Department of Education and Culture, as well as for directing future research were made.