Exploring challenges of implementing school-based assessment in high schools of Mopani West District

Abstract

School-based assessment, one of the tools used to assess competence, skills, values and attitudes, is an important step in the learning process and determines whether the learner has met the course objectives. The fact that school-based assessment serves as a component of the final promotional mark for all the registered candidates in South Africa, its importance cannot be undermined. This means that the school-based assessment mark is a compulsory component of the final promotion mark for all candidates registered for the National Senior Certificate. School-based assessment is an allocated 25% of the final promotion mark in Grades 10 to 12. The absence of school-based assessment mark in the candidate will result in learners receiving incomplete results, which means repeating the subject or the year to re-do school-based assessment tasks. There is a shift towards increased accountability and assessment in schools regarding school-based assessment implementation. It is for this reason that the study explored challenges that educators, Heads of Department and deputy principals face in the implementation of school-based assessment. The research methods comprised semi-structured interviews and participant observations. A sample of twenty-five (25) participants were purposively selected consisting of ten educators (five males and five females) with two educators from each school, ten Heads of Department (five males and five females) with two Heads of Department from each school. Five deputy principals (two females and three males) with one deputy principal from each school were used. Data were analysed and interpreted in this study. Findings of this study confirms challenges during the implementation of school-based assessment. The challenges are influenced by many factors for example, training content gap and attitudes. The study recommends that for school-based assessment to be successful, teachers and Heads of Department need to be dedicated in displaying creativity by using varieties of strategies during their implementation of school-based assessment. Further study on school-based assessment implementation is inevitable to ensure the success of school-based assessment.

Ku kamberiwa loku simekiweke exikolweni ku tshama ku ri ku kandziyisa ka nkoka pholisi ya kharikhulamu ya Afrika-Dzonga hambileswi ku nga na ku cinca loku xiyekaka na nhluvukiso eka sisiteme ya Dyondzo. Mhaka ya leswaku timaraka to kambela leti simekiweke exikolweni ti tirha tanihi xiphemu xa mpimo xa mfungho wo hetelela wa ku tlakusiwa eka vahlawuriwa hinkwavo lava tsarisiweke eAfrika-Dzonga, nkoka wa yona a wu nge tekeriwi ehansi. Hi ku ya hi milawu leyi fambelanaka na mafambiselo, vufambisi na vufambisi bya xikambelo xa Xitifikheti xa le Henhla xa Rixaka (Xitiviso xa Nawu xa Nomboro ya 371 eka Gazete ya Mfumo No. 37651 ya siku ra 16 Mawuwani 2014) ehansi ka ndzima ya vumbirhi, ya ndzawulo ya dyondzo ya masungulo eAfrika-Dzonga, xikolo- mfungho wo kambela lowu simekiweke i xiphemu lexi bohaka xa mfungho wo hetelela wa ku tlakusiwa eka vahlawuriwa hinkwavo lava tsarisiweke eka Xitifikheti xa Rixaka xa le Henhla. Nkambelo lowu simekiweke exikolweni wu fanele ku hlayela 25% wa 75% wa mfungho wo hetelela wa ku tlakusiwa eka giredi ya 10 ku ya eka 12. Ku pfumaleka ka mfungho wa xikambelo lowu simekiweke exikolweni eka muhlawuriwa swi ta endla leswaku a kuma mbuyelo lowu nga helelangiki. Mukamberiwa wo tano a nge vi na mbuyelo naswona u fanele ku phindha dyondzo kumbe lembe ku endla nakambe mintirho yo kambela leyi simekiweke exikolweni. Ku na ku cinca ku ya eka ku engeteleriwa ka vutihlamuleri na ku kambela eswikolweni mayelana na ku tirhisiwa ka nkambisiso lowu simekiweke eswikolweni. Hi xivangelo lexi ndzavisiso lowu a wu kunguhate ku lavisisa ku twisisa ka ku tirhisiwa ka nkambisiso lowu simekiweke exikolweni exikarhi ka vadyondzisi, Tinhloko ta Tindzawulo na Vaseketeri va tinhloko ta swikolo. Maendlelo ya ndzavisiso ya katsa swibumabumelo swa vatekaxiave na mimbulavurisano. Xikombiso xa makume mbirhi ntlhanu (25) wa vatekaxiave lava vumbiwaka hi khume ra vadyondzisi (ntlhanu wa vavanuna na ntlhanu wa vavasati) na vadyondzisi vambirhi ku suka exikolweni xin’wana na xin’wana, khume ra Tinhloko ta ndzawulo (ntlhanu wa vavanuna na ntlhanu wa vavasati) na Tinhloko timbirhi ta vii tindzawulo ku suka eka xikolo xin’wana na xin’wana na ntlhanu wa Vaseketeri va tinhloko (vaxisati vambirhi na vanharhu va xinuna) na xandla xin’we xa nhloko ya xikolo ku suka exikolweni xin’wana na xin’wana ku tirhisiwile. Data yi xopaxopiwile no hlamuseriwa eka ndzavisiso lowu. Swikumiwa swa ndzavisiso lowu swi tiyisisa mintlhontlho hi nkarhi wa ku tirhisiwa ka nkambisiso lowu simekiweke exikolweni. Mintlhontlho yi kuceteriwa hi swilo swo tala xikombiso, ku hambana ka nhundzu ya ndzetelo na mavonelo. Dyondzo yi vula leswaku leswaku ku kamberiwa loku simekiweke exikolweni ku humelela, vadyondzisi na ti-HOD’s va fanele ku tinyiketela eku kombiseni ka vutumbuluxi hi ku tirhisa tindlela to hambana hi nkarhi wa ku tirhisiwa ka vona ka nkambisiso lowu simekiweke exikolweni. Dyondzo yo ya emahlweni eka ku tirhisiwa ka nkambisiso lowu simekiweke exikolweni a yi papalateki ku tiyisisa ku humelela ka nkambisiso lowu simekiweke exikolweni.

ix houdings. Die studie impliseer dat vir skoolgebaseerde assessering om suksesvol te wees, onderwysers en HOD's toegewyd moet wees om kreatiwiteit aan die dag te lê deur verskeie strategieë te gebruik tydens hul implementering van skoolgebaseerde assessering. Verdere studie oor die implementering van skoolgebaseerde assessering is onvermydelik om die sukses van skoolgebaseerde assessering te verseker.