Formative Continuous Assessment Intervention in Primary Schools from Two Regions in Ethiopia: Perceived Contributions, Challenges, Opportunities and Implications

Abstract

Research evidences have consistently revealed that scores they completed Ethiopian
children were unable to properly read to learn because they didn’t learn to read at the time
first cycle primary school. These critical concerns of reading in early grades suggest that the
entire classroom approach has to be redressed in a new light. With this in mind, formative
continuous assessment (FCA) intervention was conducted with grades 1-4 mother-tongue
teachers and principals in selected schools of the Amhara and Tigray regions. The purpose
of this assessment was to examine the perceived contributions, challenges, opportunities and
implications of this intervention using classroom observations (n=112) and interviews with
woreda education experts (n=15), school directors/ vice directors (n=52), and FCA trained
teachers (n=52). Findings indicated that the use of knowledge gained through FCA training
and the FCA tools supplied were found to yield very encouraging results and contributions.
Significant improvements were noted in teachers’ motivations and attitudes, pedagogical
methods, assessment practices, record keeping, and feed backing. These changes were also
noted on student participations and achievements as well. However, these contributions
were challenged by different kinds of problems including the design of FCA tools, teacherrelated problems, FCA’s time consuming nature coupled with large class size, resourcerelated problems and problem of follow up and supervision. Attempts were made to point out
opportunities that could be exploited towards overcoming these challenges and in doing so
effectively implementing FCA. It was concluded that FCA expansion, scalability, and continuity
need to be considered. To this effect, it was recommended, among others, that there is a need to
work out strategies of FCA implementation, widen the scope and coverage of the FCA training,
revise the FCA tools, and create school-readiness for FCA implementation.