The interactional effects of different assessment policies on the assessment practices of grade 9 teachers

Abstract

This research study seeks to explain how the practices of teachers are affected by the implementation of multiple policies that have an impact on one aspect of the teaching practice, namely assessment. The study also wishes to add to the literature on the utility of policy coherence as an instrument for advancing change in the classroom.. I also wish to contribute to the broader field of policy implementation studies in developing countries. The conceptual framework I utilised in this study is concerned with policy coherence that is presented in the range of literature on systemic education reforms. The construct of policy coherence suggests (a) the development of a unifying vision and goals which includes the establishment of ambitious outcome expected from. all learners; (b) the co-ordination of key policies affecting teaching and learning such as curriculum., learning and teaching support materials, professional development, assessment and accountability policies; and (c) the restructuring of the governance system. in such a way that the system. sets the conditions for the achievement of stated goals will improve policy implementation at the classroom level. I used a case study approach using a purposive sample of two Grade 9 Natural Sciences teachers from. an affluent urban school. The pedagogic expectations for assessment were extrapolated from seven assessment related policies. I used these assessment expectations to aid the response to the research questions. I collected the data using a variety of methods such as classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and the analysis of documents. I triangulated all the sources of evidence to write the case study report. The mam finding of this research is that despite the experience and qualifications of, and as well as the resources available to the teachers in this study, they nevertheless showed a very limited grasp of the basic concepts associated with assessment in the context of Curriculum 2005 (C2005) and Outcomes-based Education (OBE). The second finding to emerge from this study is that despite the almost identical professional profiles, qualifications and working conditions of the two teachers, they showed diverse understandings of the meaning of OBErelated assessment policies. The third finding of this study is that when faced with multiple policies for implementation, teachers relied far more on their subject knowledge and experience than on the directives emanating from government's assessment policies. The fourth finding from this inquiry is that despite policy claims to be working within the context of systemic reforms, it was not possible to detect any significant degree of policy coherence in the design and implementation of these policies. The fifth finding of relevance is that the lack of access to formal policies, on the one hand, and yet the affirmation of existing practice by departmental officials (at the provincial and district levels) on the other hand, contributed to the mismatch observed between expectations and practical outcomes.