Teachers Competence in the Educational Assessment of Students: The Case of Secondary School Teachers in the Amhara National Regional State

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess secondary school
teachers’ competence in the educational assessment of students in Amhara
National Regional State. Data was collected using a modified form of the
“Teacher Assessment Literacy Questionnaire,” a four-option multiple choice
test from 814 teachers. The questionnaire consisted of seven competence
areas and a total of 31 items. Means and standard deviations, and proportion
(percentage) were used to describe the collected data. Moreover, t-test and
one-way ANOVA and repeated measures ANOVA were used to analyze the
data. The result showed that secondary school teachers in Amhara National
Regional State failed to demonstrate competence in the educational
assessment of students. They failed to demonstrate competence in the
overall and in each of the seven standards of educational assessment of
students. The t-test showed that those who took a separate course in
measurement and evaluation during their training scored statistically
significantly higher than those who did not take a course where the mean for
those who took a course being greater by 1.28 points. Although it was not
statistically significant, language teachers scored higher than those who were
teaching other subjects, where the mean difference was one point. The
results implied that the status of training prospective teachers in student
assessment should be analyzed seriously. The Regional Education Bureau
may consider developing in-service training programs in educational
assessment for teachers.