Economics Teachers’ Conceptions of Classroom Assessment
A Study of Senior High Schools in the Central and Ashanti Regions of Ghana
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol6.iss10.1176Keywords:
Assessment, Economics Teachers, Conceptions, Linear Regression, GhanaAbstract
Assessment literacy is part of the Economics teachers’ professional competence, yet little attention in the form research has been undertaken in this area. This study therefore explored Senior High School (SHS) Economics teachers’ conceptions of the purposes for undertaking classroom assessment. In specific terms, the study investigated Economics teachers’ understanding of the various motives that inform their assessment practices. The study also examined the influence of the Economics teachers’ demographic variables such as age, gender, and teaching experience on their conceptions of classroom assessment. It further assessed the influence of formal training in assessment on the teachers’ conceptions of the construct. The study was a descriptive type which employed the survey method. Participants of this study comprised 301 Senior High School Economics teachers drawn from the Central and Ashanti regions of Ghana. The participants were made up 213 male and 88 female teachers. A 50-item version of Brown’s Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment (TCoA) inventory scale was adopted as the questionnaire for this study. Using a test-retest procedure of two-week interval, the TCoA which also made provisions for the demographic data of respondents on a different section, was administered on 36 Economics teachers. A reliability index of .813 was obtained. The data were analyzed using mean, t-test, and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical techniques.
The findings of the study showed that a majority of the Economics teachers (mean score = 3.01) consented to the idea that classroom assessment leads to improvement in teaching and learning as well as ensuring school accountability (mean score = 3.27). The study also found that gender and age did not influence teachers’ conception of assessment. The study recommends that community of learners be organized for experienced and less experienced Economics teachers to enable them exchange ideas on the various purposes of classroom assessment.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Akinkuolie, O. O. (1989). Types of research studies. Newsletter, 10 (2), 3 – 7
Alderson, J. C. (2005). Principles and practice in language testing. Keynote address at RATE-
QUEST Conference, Cluj, Romania
Amedahe, F. K. (1989). Testing practices in secondary schools in the central region of Ghana.
Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast.
Anamuah-Mensah, J. & Quagrain, K. A. (1998). Teacher competence in the use of essay tests. A
study of secondary schools in the Western Region of Ghana. The Oguaa Educator, 12(1), 31 – 43
Anhwere, Y. M. (2009). Assessment practices of teacher training college tutors in Ghana.
Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast
Barnes, N., Fives, H., & Dacey, C. M. (2015). Teachers’ beliefs about assessment. In H. Fives &
M. G. Gill (Eds.), International handbook of research on teachers’ beliefs (pp. 284 – 300) New York, NY: Routledge
Becker, W. E., & Watts, M. (2001). Teaching Economics at the start of the 21st century: Still
Chalk-and-talk. American Economic Review, 91(2), 446 – 457
Benson, T. L. (2014). Sixth through eighth grade teachers’ conceptions (beliefs) about
assessment practices. Unpublished D. Ed dissertation presented to the Wingate University School of Graduate and Adult Education, Union Country
Best, J. W. (1981). Research in education (4th ed.), Eaglewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice
Hall Inc.
Best, J. W. & Khan, J. V. (1998). Research in education (5th ed.) Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall International, Inc.
Borko, H., Mayfield, V., Marion, S., Flexer, R. & Cumbo, K. (1997). Teachers’ developing ideas
and practices about mathematics performance assessment: Successes, stumbling blocks, and implications for professional development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13 (3), 259 – 278
Brown, G., T. L. (2003). Teachers’ instructional conceptions: Assessment’s relationship to
learning, teaching, curriculum, and teacher efficacy. Paper presented at the Joint Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Associations for Research in Education, Auckland, New Zealand
Brown, G., T. L. (2002). Teachers’ conceptions of assessment. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Brown, G. T. L. (2008). Conceptions of assessment: Understanding what means to teachers and
students. New York: Nova Science Publishers
Brown, G. T. L. (2011). New Zealand prospective teacher conceptions of assessment and
academic performance: Neither student nor practicing teacher. In R. Kahn, J. C.
McDermott, & & A. Akimjak (Eds.) Democratic access to education (pp.119 – 132). Los Angeles, CA: Antioch University Los Angeles, Department of Education
Brookhart, S. M. (2011). Educational assessment knowledge and skills for teachers. Educational
Measurement: Issues and Practice, 30 (2), 3 – 12
Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Assessment for learning in the classroom. London: Department
of Education and Professional Studies, Kings College
Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom
assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80 (2), 139 – 144
Butterfield, S., Williams, A., & Marr, A. (1999). Talking about assessment: Mentor-student
dialogues about pupil assessment in initial teacher training. Assessment in Education, 6
(2), pp. 225 – 246
Calderhead, J. (1996). Teachers’ belief and knowledge. In D. C. Berliner & R. C. Calfee (Eds.),
Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 709 – 725), New York: Simon & Schuster Mcmillan
Dayal, H. C., & Lingam, G. I. (2015). Fijian teachers’ conceptions of assessment. Australian
Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (8), 27 - 46
Deneen, C., & Boud, D. (2014). Patterns of resistance in managing assessment change.
Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 39 (4), 577 – 591
Firestone, W. A., Mayrowetz, D., & Fairman, J. (1998). Performance-based assessment and
instructional change: The effects in Maine and Maryland. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 20 (2), 11 – 95
Fulmer, G. W., Lee, I. C. H., & Tan, K. H. K. (2015). Multi-level model of contextual factors
and teachers’ assessment practices: An integrative review of research. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy, and Practice 22 (2), 475 – 494
Gatbonton, E. (1999). Investigating experienced ESL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge. Modern
Language Journal, 83 (1), 35 - 50
Goodenough, W. H. (1990). Evolution of human capacity for beliefs. American Anthropologist,
93 (1), 597 – 612
Gullikson, A. R. (1984). Teacher perspectives of their instructional use of tests. Journal of
Educational Research, 77 (4), 244 – 248
Guthrie, J. T. (2002). Preparing students for high-stakes test taking in reading. In A. E. Farstrup
& S. J. Samuels (eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction (pp. 370 – 391). Newark, DE: International Reading Association
Harris, L. R., & Brown, G. T. L. (2008). New Zealand teachers’ conceptions of the purposes of
assessment: Phenomenographic analyses of teachers’ thinking. Paper presented at the
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), Brisbane, Australia
Harlen, W. (1998). Classroom assessment: A dimension of purposes and procedures. In C. Ken
(Ed.), SAMEpapers (pp. 75 – 97). Hamilton New Zealand: Centre for Science, Mathematics and Technology Educational Research, University of Waikato
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77
(1), 81 – 112
Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assess: What do teachers need to look out for? Phi Delta
Kappan, 89 (2), 140 – 146
Hill, M. F. (2000). Remapping the assessment landscape: Primary teachers self-managing
schools. Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Waikato, Hamilton, NZ
Jimaa, S. (2011). The impact of assessment on students’ learning. Procedia – Social and
Behavioural Sciences, 28 (4), 718 – 721
Leung, C. (2004). Developing formative teacher assessment: Knowledge, practice and change.
Language Assessment Quarterly, 1(3), 19 – 41.
Linn, R. L. (2000). Assessments and Accountability. Educational Researcher, 29 (2), 4 – 16
Mehrgan, K., Hayati, A., & Alavi, S. M. (2017). Investigating the impacts of EFL teachers’ age,
educational background, instructional experience and gender on their beliefs about formative assessment. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Research 5 (18), 143 - 160
Mertler, C. A., & Campbell, C. (2005). Measuring teachers’ knowledge and application of
classroom assessment concepts: Development of the assessment literacy inventory. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April, Montreal, QC, Canada
Nichols, S. L., & Harris, L. R. (2016). Accountability assessment’s effects on teachers and
schools. In G. T. L. Brown, & L. R. Harris (Eds.), Handbook of human and social conditions in assessments (pp. 40 – 56). New York: Routledge
Nworgu, B. G. (1991). Educational research: Basic issues and methodology. Enugu: Wisdom
Publishers Ltd.
Oga, J. K. (2013). Decision making in the research process: Companion to students and
beginning researchers. Accra: Adwinsa Publications Ltd.
Osuala, E. C. & Ezeji, S. C. (2001). Introduction to research methodology. New York:
Exposition University Press Ltd.
Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct,
Review of Educational Research, 62 (7), 307 – 332
Popham, J. (2008). Transformative assessment. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development
Rebeck, K., & Asarta, C. (2012). Methods of assessment in college Economics course. In Hoyt,
G. M. & McGoldrick, K. (Eds.), International handbook of teaching and learning Economics (pp. 177 – 187). Edward Elgar: Cheltenham
Remesal, A. (2011). Primary and secondary teachers’ conceptions of assessment: A qualitative
study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27 (2), 472 – 482
Schempp, P. G. & Johnson, S. W. (2006). Learning to see: Developing the perception of an
expert teacher. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (JOPERD), 77(6), 29-33
Shohamy, E. (2001). The power of test: A critical perspectives on the uses of Language tests.
Harlow: Pearson Education
Smith, M. L. (1991). Put to the test: The effects of external testing on teachers. Educational
Researcher, 20 (5), 8 - 11
Smith, M. L., & Fey, P. (2000). Validity and accountability in high-stakes testing. Journal of
Teacher Education, 51 (5), 334 – 344.
Stiggins, R. J., & Conklin, N. F. (1992). In teachers’ hands: Investigating the practices of
classroom assessment. Albany: State University of New York Press
Thompson, A. G. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and conceptions: A synthesis of the research. In D.
A. Grouws, (Ed.) Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp.127 – 146), New York: Mcmillan
Tsui, A. B. (2005). Expertise in teaching: Perspectives and Issues. In K. Johnson (Ed.), Expertise
in second language learning and teaching (pp. 167 – 189). New York: Palgrave
Macmillan
Woorons, S. (2001). An analysis of expert and novice tennis instructors’ perceptual capacities.
Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Georgia, Athens.
Xu, Y., & Brown, G. T. L. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy in practice: A
reconceptualization. Teaching and Teacher Education, 58 (2), 149 – 162
Zhang, Z. (1995). Investigating teachers’ self-perceived assessment practices and assessment
competencies on the Assessment Practices Inventory. Unpublished doctoral dissertation.
Tuscaloosa, AL: The University of Alabama
Zhang, Z., & Burry-Stock, J. A. (2003). Classroom assessment practices and teachers’ self-
perceived assessment skills. Applied Measurement in Education, 16 (4), 323 – 342
Alderson, J. C. (2005). Principles and practice in language testing. Keynote address at RATE-
QUEST Conference, Cluj, Romania
Amedahe, F. K. (1989). Testing practices in secondary schools in the central region of Ghana.
Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast.
Anamuah-Mensah, J. & Quagrain, K. A. (1998). Teacher competence in the use of essay tests. A
study of secondary schools in the Western Region of Ghana. The Oguaa Educator, 12(1), 31 – 43
Anhwere, Y. M. (2009). Assessment practices of teacher training college tutors in Ghana.
Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast
Barnes, N., Fives, H., & Dacey, C. M. (2015). Teachers’ beliefs about assessment. In H. Fives &
M. G. Gill (Eds.), International handbook of research on teachers’ beliefs (pp. 284 – 300) New York, NY: Routledge
Becker, W. E., & Watts, M. (2001). Teaching Economics at the start of the 21st century: Still
Chalk-and-talk. American Economic Review, 91(2), 446 – 457
Benson, T. L. (2014). Sixth through eighth grade teachers’ conceptions (beliefs) about
assessment practices. Unpublished D. Ed dissertation presented to the Wingate University School of Graduate and Adult Education, Union Country
Best, J. W. (1981). Research in education (4th ed.), Eaglewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice
Hall Inc.
Best, J. W. & Khan, J. V. (1998). Research in education (5th ed.) Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall International, Inc.
Borko, H., Mayfield, V., Marion, S., Flexer, R. & Cumbo, K. (1997). Teachers’ developing ideas
and practices about mathematics performance assessment: Successes, stumbling blocks, and implications for professional development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13 (3), 259 – 278
Brown, G., T. L. (2003). Teachers’ instructional conceptions: Assessment’s relationship to
learning, teaching, curriculum, and teacher efficacy. Paper presented at the Joint Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Associations for Research in Education, Auckland, New Zealand
Brown, G., T. L. (2002). Teachers’ conceptions of assessment. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Brown, G. T. L. (2008). Conceptions of assessment: Understanding what means to teachers and
students. New York: Nova Science Publishers
Brown, G. T. L. (2011). New Zealand prospective teacher conceptions of assessment and
academic performance: Neither student nor practicing teacher. In R. Kahn, J. C.
McDermott, & & A. Akimjak (Eds.) Democratic access to education (pp.119 – 132). Los Angeles, CA: Antioch University Los Angeles, Department of Education
Brookhart, S. M. (2011). Educational assessment knowledge and skills for teachers. Educational
Measurement: Issues and Practice, 30 (2), 3 – 12
Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Assessment for learning in the classroom. London: Department
of Education and Professional Studies, Kings College
Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom
assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80 (2), 139 – 144
Butterfield, S., Williams, A., & Marr, A. (1999). Talking about assessment: Mentor-student
dialogues about pupil assessment in initial teacher training. Assessment in Education, 6
(2), pp. 225 – 246
Calderhead, J. (1996). Teachers’ belief and knowledge. In D. C. Berliner & R. C. Calfee (Eds.),
Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 709 – 725), New York: Simon & Schuster Mcmillan
Dayal, H. C., & Lingam, G. I. (2015). Fijian teachers’ conceptions of assessment. Australian
Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (8), 27 - 46
Deneen, C., & Boud, D. (2014). Patterns of resistance in managing assessment change.
Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 39 (4), 577 – 591
Firestone, W. A., Mayrowetz, D., & Fairman, J. (1998). Performance-based assessment and
instructional change: The effects in Maine and Maryland. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 20 (2), 11 – 95
Fulmer, G. W., Lee, I. C. H., & Tan, K. H. K. (2015). Multi-level model of contextual factors
and teachers’ assessment practices: An integrative review of research. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy, and Practice 22 (2), 475 – 494
Gatbonton, E. (1999). Investigating experienced ESL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge. Modern
Language Journal, 83 (1), 35 - 50
Goodenough, W. H. (1990). Evolution of human capacity for beliefs. American Anthropologist,
93 (1), 597 – 612
Gullikson, A. R. (1984). Teacher perspectives of their instructional use of tests. Journal of
Educational Research, 77 (4), 244 – 248
Guthrie, J. T. (2002). Preparing students for high-stakes test taking in reading. In A. E. Farstrup
& S. J. Samuels (eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction (pp. 370 – 391). Newark, DE: International Reading Association
Harris, L. R., & Brown, G. T. L. (2008). New Zealand teachers’ conceptions of the purposes of
assessment: Phenomenographic analyses of teachers’ thinking. Paper presented at the
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), Brisbane, Australia
Harlen, W. (1998). Classroom assessment: A dimension of purposes and procedures. In C. Ken
(Ed.), SAMEpapers (pp. 75 – 97). Hamilton New Zealand: Centre for Science, Mathematics and Technology Educational Research, University of Waikato
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77
(1), 81 – 112
Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assess: What do teachers need to look out for? Phi Delta
Kappan, 89 (2), 140 – 146
Hill, M. F. (2000). Remapping the assessment landscape: Primary teachers self-managing
schools. Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Waikato, Hamilton, NZ
Jimaa, S. (2011). The impact of assessment on students’ learning. Procedia – Social and
Behavioural Sciences, 28 (4), 718 – 721
Leung, C. (2004). Developing formative teacher assessment: Knowledge, practice and change.
Language Assessment Quarterly, 1(3), 19 – 41.
Linn, R. L. (2000). Assessments and Accountability. Educational Researcher, 29 (2), 4 – 16
Mehrgan, K., Hayati, A., & Alavi, S. M. (2017). Investigating the impacts of EFL teachers’ age,
educational background, instructional experience and gender on their beliefs about formative assessment. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching & Research 5 (18), 143 - 160
Mertler, C. A., & Campbell, C. (2005). Measuring teachers’ knowledge and application of
classroom assessment concepts: Development of the assessment literacy inventory. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April, Montreal, QC, Canada
Nichols, S. L., & Harris, L. R. (2016). Accountability assessment’s effects on teachers and
schools. In G. T. L. Brown, & L. R. Harris (Eds.), Handbook of human and social conditions in assessments (pp. 40 – 56). New York: Routledge
Nworgu, B. G. (1991). Educational research: Basic issues and methodology. Enugu: Wisdom
Publishers Ltd.
Oga, J. K. (2013). Decision making in the research process: Companion to students and
beginning researchers. Accra: Adwinsa Publications Ltd.
Osuala, E. C. & Ezeji, S. C. (2001). Introduction to research methodology. New York:
Exposition University Press Ltd.
Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct,
Review of Educational Research, 62 (7), 307 – 332
Popham, J. (2008). Transformative assessment. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development
Rebeck, K., & Asarta, C. (2012). Methods of assessment in college Economics course. In Hoyt,
G. M. & McGoldrick, K. (Eds.), International handbook of teaching and learning Economics (pp. 177 – 187). Edward Elgar: Cheltenham
Remesal, A. (2011). Primary and secondary teachers’ conceptions of assessment: A qualitative
study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27 (2), 472 – 482
Schempp, P. G. & Johnson, S. W. (2006). Learning to see: Developing the perception of an
expert teacher. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (JOPERD), 77(6), 29-33
Shohamy, E. (2001). The power of test: A critical perspectives on the uses of Language tests.
Harlow: Pearson Education
Smith, M. L. (1991). Put to the test: The effects of external testing on teachers. Educational
Researcher, 20 (5), 8 - 11
Smith, M. L., & Fey, P. (2000). Validity and accountability in high-stakes testing. Journal of
Teacher Education, 51 (5), 334 – 344.
Stiggins, R. J., & Conklin, N. F. (1992). In teachers’ hands: Investigating the practices of
classroom assessment. Albany: State University of New York Press
Thompson, A. G. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and conceptions: A synthesis of the research. In D.
A. Grouws, (Ed.) Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp.127 – 146), New York: Mcmillan
Tsui, A. B. (2005). Expertise in teaching: Perspectives and Issues. In K. Johnson (Ed.), Expertise
in second language learning and teaching (pp. 167 – 189). New York: Palgrave
Macmillan
Woorons, S. (2001). An analysis of expert and novice tennis instructors’ perceptual capacities.
Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Georgia, Athens.
Xu, Y., & Brown, G. T. L. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy in practice: A
reconceptualization. Teaching and Teacher Education, 58 (2), 149 – 162
Zhang, Z. (1995). Investigating teachers’ self-perceived assessment practices and assessment
competencies on the Assessment Practices Inventory. Unpublished doctoral dissertation.
Tuscaloosa, AL: The University of Alabama
Zhang, Z., & Burry-Stock, J. A. (2003). Classroom assessment practices and teachers’ self-
perceived assessment skills. Applied Measurement in Education, 16 (4), 323 – 342
Downloads
Published
2018-10-01
Issue
Section
Journal Articles
License
Copyright (c) 2018 Mumuni Baba Yidana, Anti Partey P.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyrights for articles published in IJIER journals are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author for more visit Copyright & License.
How to Cite
Yidana, M. B., & P., A. P. (2018). Economics Teachers’ Conceptions of Classroom Assessment: A Study of Senior High Schools in the Central and Ashanti Regions of Ghana. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, 6(10), 153-174. https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol6.iss10.1176
