EVALUATION

EVALUATION : Is a systematic process of observing, collecting, analyzing and interpreting information to determine the extent to which students are achieving what the teacher intends them to achieve. Teacher’s intentions are normally expressed as instructional objectives. Generally evaluation deals with value judgment on the entire process of testing, measuring and evaluating the desirability of the results.

N.B Evaluation does not always base on measurement, sometimes can base on information acquired from non measurement techniques like observation.

GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF EVALUATION

For evaluation to be effective, the following rules should be followed

1.Know exactly what to be evaluated .Specify clearly and exactly what has to be evaluated, the characteristic to be measured should be specified in advance ,this will help in determining the evaluation of advice to use .A teacher needs to specify the intended learning outcomes before selecting the instrument to measure the achievement of the learning experiences. 

2.Select the evaluation technique that is relevant and appropriate to the characteristics to be measure.E.g. Psychomotor skills, attitudes. A test on understanding a concept will differ in degree from the test of remembering of concepts .i.e A technique for evaluation will differ with the learning outcomes to be measured.

3. Have a variety of evaluation techniques in order to achieve the comprehensiveness in evaluation .E.g. . you can use both observation and written tests. Some educational outcomes can be effectively assessed by objective tests (knowledge, understanding and application). Others can be effectively assessed through subjective (essay-tests)-analysis, synthesis, evaluation   

4.Know the limitation of each evaluation techniques  you intend to use. One of the limitation is sampling error:

§  Source of error is the failure of achievement tests to include all parts of the instructional content.

§  Another source of error is a chance factors which influence test scores e.g Guessing in objective tests, errored judgment in observation device and inconsistency in responding on self reporting instrument e.g In attitude scale,.

§  Limitation of incorrect interpreting of measurement results e.g Interpreting test results as more precise than they are (test scores are not perfect and precise but subjective).

E.g A student can perform poorly in a test because the section of the test items were drawn from the section taught when he was sick . Another student can perform  well because the section of the content that he/ she does not understand  was not sampled, hence not included in the test.

N.B Test results can portray some students quite different from what they are in terms of ability and capability. Therefore score of an educational or psychological measure should not be treated as totally accurate measurement of the trait in question.               

5. Being aware that evaluation is a means of improving the teaching process. Data collected should be used to diagnose some impediments within the process of teaching and learning in order to make some improvement  i.e Evaluation  should basically de made to obtain information on which to base on instructional decisions.

                               PURPOSES OF EVALUATION/ ASSESSMENT

Assessment/ evaluation can be done both at macro level and micro level

Macro- A country wide evaluation/ assessment.

             WHY EVALUATION AT MACRO LEVEL

i.                    To obtain feedback on programmes, methods, systems (new and continuing) E.g  7 years primary level, 3 years university, 4 years O- Level enough to ensure effective learning.

ii.                  Information to stakeholders.

E.g parents, employers, government need to know yhe level of education one has attained.

      iii.       Redefining the purpose of education. What is the purpose of primary school education? Is it about only knowing how to read and write or otherwise.

     iv.       Selection

§  To place people to other levels e.g Form 1, form 5, universities.

§  Selection focuses on the upper profile in terms of examinations.

WHY SELECTION

§  Resources are scarce therefore the upper need to be favoured.

v. Placement

   Some schools use assessment results to place students either in arts or science classes. Though this is not good for the betterment of the student’s future career aspiration.

vi. Certification

    E.g primary schools certificate, form four certificate, Advanced certificate etc.

vii. Comparability

      Comparison on quality of education with other countries e.g Tanzania, Kenya etc.

viii. Employment decions.

     Employers look for high performing students- high/ good pass mark.

ix. Promoting purposes.

x. Remedial classes/ repetition.

MICRO LEVEL ASSESSMENT

Focuses on assessment at school level.

WHY

i. Feedback to teachers and students in order to improve the teaching and learning process.

ii. Realism- How realistic was the teacher towards teaching since teaching is a planned process using syllabus, s/ work, lesson plan and notes. At the end of the term a teacher can evaluate him/ herself to weather he/she adhered to them or not through examinations feedback.

iii. Grouping people/ students.

   Slow learners vs. fast learners

   Underachieving vs. high achievers- For help.

The grouping can be:

a. Within the class

b. Between classed/ streams- A- For very intelligent

                                               B- Bright, Middle

                                               c- Lower.

c. By school- Special schools

                     - Normal schools.

§   If  students are really gifted have to be helped to reach the highest on their potential.

§  Lower achieving need to be helped to achieve better.

iv. Readness

    How ready era your students for  the next skills, help to identify whether students are ready to enter into the next level.

v. Attainment level

  Assessment helps to know the attainment level to be above, below or average. This can be obtained by calculating the mean. A normal curve will help to know if the test is fair.

vi. Going beyond normal

    The high and low achievers

§  Find the reason for lower achievers

§  Find ways (opportunities to help high achievers)

vii. Diagnosis- student’s problems, teacher’s effectiveness.

viii. Specific difficult areas

§  To identify difficult areas for more help (simplify as Bruner and Piaget suggest every concept can be simplified and understood by any one at any level.)

ix. Special needs students.

     Visual, auditory problems etc for help.

REFERENCES

Babyegeye  E.B.,(1998).Test and measurements .The open university of Tanzania .Dar es salaam.

Ebel  R.L., and Frisbie,D.A (1991).Essentials of Educational Measurement .New York :Prentice Hall.

Gronlund ,N.E and Linn ,R.L (1990),Measurement and Evaluation  in Teaching.N.Y.Macmillan.

Omary ,I.M.(1995).Conceptualizing Quality in Primary Education .papers in Education and Development,16,25-48.

Thorndike ,R.L,and Hagen, E.P.,(1991) .Measurements and Evaluation in psychology and Education :New York .Macmillan.

Tyler,E.E.,(1964).Test and Measurements New Jersey .Prentice Hall.

Wiersma, W. and Jurs .S.G, (1985).Educational Measurement and Testing .Allyn and Bacon ,Inc.USA