Quality Assurance in School Assessment for Education Improvement: The Analysis of Experiences from Secondary School English teachers in Dar es Salaam

Abstract

Quality assurance is inevitable in school assessment for the improvement of education since; the best school assessment is the tool to understand the skills and competences which the student has acquired through teaching and learning process. The skills and competences acquired will help the student to exist in the era of rapid change. Therefore, the Quality assurance should focus on enhancing and improving the process that is used to prepare the assessment, rather than focusing on the result itself. The study highlights the principles of assessment which include validity, reliability, transparency, inclusivity and equitability, relevance, manageable and practicable in ensuring the quality of assessment in school assessment. The study was conducted in ten (5) government schools and ten (5) private schools in Dar-es-Salaam Region. The study used survey methodology to collect primary data. A total of sixty-four (64) teachers participated in the research.  Data were collected through questionnaire. The result showed that Teachers were found to assess students mainly for assigning grades rather than assessing for learning. Furthermore, the findings from the study revealed that teachers had inadequate knowledge in the area of assessment principles and quality assurance in assessment. It was also found that large classes and teaching workloads affected the quality of assessment in schools. However, for ensuring the quality of school assessment, the study recommends that, teachers should get refresher courses on the principles of assessment in order to equip them with the effective assessment skills. It is also suggested that the teaching process especially in the area of assessment be monitored closely by the inspectorate division in order to ensure its quality.