CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF ADULT LEARNERS IN ADULT AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

Abstract

The study examined continuous assessment and academic performance of adult learners in Adult and Non-formal Education in Uyo Local Government Area. Two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The correlational research design was adopted. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of eighty (80) adult learners out of the population of one hundred and two (102) in the study area. Plain sheets were used in collecting the continuous assessment scores and examination scores of the selected learners. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using the Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC). The results of the analysis revealed a significant relationship between continuous assessment scores and examination scores of adult learners in Adult and Non-formal Education in Uyo Local Government Area. Based on the outcome of the statistical analysis, the null hypotheses were rejected at 78 degrees of freedom and .05 probability level. It was then concluded that continuous assessment score has a significant relationship with academic performance of adult learners in Adult and Non-formal Education in Uyo Local Government Area. It was therefore recommended that adult learners should give more priority to the continuous assessment exercise in school since it is an integral part of their overall assessment.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              Background to the Study

In Nigeria and the world over, education is seen as the key that unlocks the door to modernization. For these and other reasons, it has become imperative for the authorities concerned to enforce such activities that will promote the quality of education obtained in our society so as to avoid the situation of producing educated illiterates. However, every educational system in this century needs to be properly evaluated in order to achieve its intended goal. This means assessment is necessary for every institution of learning.

The National Policy on Education (2004) aims at making education a dynamic instrument of change which will transform all aspect of our national life. The abrupt change in policy necessitated the abandonment of the old British system of education for the new A 6-3-3-4 system which tends to pragmatism in philosophy (Oladunni, 2006). This change was accompanied by innovation in the teaching-learning process as well as in the mode of assessment of the learners.

Consequently, the method of assessment of the teaching-learning process also changes from a one-shot type of examination to include continuous assessment. Contrary to the old practice whereby an assessment of learners for certification was based on one external examination, the policy stipulated that examination will be partly based on continuous assessment. The once-for-all examination was criticized as an inadequate and unsatisfactory measure of students abilities. According to Obiako (2000), external examinations set by external agencies were cited with many disadvantages such as over making the examination foreign to examiners. Other criticisms made against the one-shot the examination was lack of diagnosis and guidance oriented propensity, creation of coverage of content taught to the learners, high rate of failure, heavy dependence on note-taking and high rate of examination malpractice (Ogundeye, 2001). However, the aim of a test given to students is geared toward guiding both the teacher and students. That is, the teacher is to discover the status of his teaching efforts, while the students are to discover the learning difficulties with a view to overcoming them.

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If a test does not provide the information required to achieve the purpose for which it was meant for, then it is an exercise in futility. One method of testing which can achieve the desired objectives is the continuous assessment test which has various strengths over the conventional one-shot examination. The learners need to be tested in order to quantify their capability and ability to learn.

There is a need to ascertain the amount of knowledge, concept, ideas, and skills they can recall from what they have learned, awaken the consciousness of a learner to the fact that he/she was taught.

Without tests, obviously, learners will not learn effectively or seriously and  no matter how good, effective and efficient a the teacher may be, if the learner has no opportunity to practice, read over and provide whatever he has been taught, learning would appeal not to have taken place, hence the need for continuous assessment in schools. It is therefore hoped that the assessment of the impact posed by a continuous assessment on academic performance of adult and non-formal education students will contribute significantly in this respect.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

For some times now, many patriotic citizens of our society have been viewing with serious concern the poor performance of adult learners in Adult and Non-formal Education in examinations.

The academic performance of adult learners in Adult and Non-formal Education centres in Uyo have revealed some problems such as poor reading culture and study habit of the learners, inadequate preparation and high dependence on conventional one-shot examination without taking part in a continuous assessment which enables learners to discover their learning difficulties with a view to overcoming them, providing information to learners’ progress, and helping them to judge their own learning.  Moreover, the available data have shown that little or no research has been conducted on continuous assessment and academic performance of learners in Adult and Non-formal Education (Ezeoke, 2006). It is on the expectation that continuous assessment could exert an influence on the academic performance of learners in Adult and non-formal Education thereby resulting in poor performance. It is as a result of the above reasons that the researcher is motivated to conduct a study on continuous assessment and academic performance of adult learners in Adult and Non-formal Education in Uyo Local Government Area.

1.3       Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine continuous assessment and academic performance of adult learners in Adult and Non-formal Education in Uyo Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:

i.          Assess if there is any relationship between continuous assessment scores and examination scores of adult learners in the English language in the first terminal examination in Uyo Local Government Area.

ii.         Ascertain if there is a relationship between students’ continuous assessment scores and examination scores of adult learners in mathematics in the first terminal examination in Uyo Local Government Area.

1.4       Significance of the Study

The study will be of enormous benefits in the following ways:

i.          The study will reveal if continuous assessment score is a predictor of the learner’s success in any given subject.

ii.         It will inform  students, teachers and our academic institutions as a whole on the importance of continuous assessment.

iii.        The study will also enlighten teachers and educators on the modern techniques of continuous assessment so that they could assess the learning abilities of the learners better.

iv.        Lastly, the study will serve as a reference point for further researches on the similar or related topics.

1.5       Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

i.          What a relationship exists between continuous assessment scores and examination scores of adult learners in the English language in the first terminal examination in Uyo Local Government Area?

ii.         What a relationship exists between continuous assessment scores and examination scores of adult learners in Mathematics in first terminal examination in Uyo Local Government Area?

1.6       Research Hypotheses

The understated hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:

i.          There is no significant relationship between continuous assessment scores and examination scores of adult learners in the English language in the first terminal examination in Uyo Local Government Area.

ii.         There is no significant relationship between continuous assessment scores and examination scores of adult learners in Mathematics in the first terminal examination in Uyo Local Government Area.

1.7       Definition of Terms

The following terms used in the study were defined by the researcher as follows:

Continuous assessment: This is a system of assessment which is carried out at pre-determined intervals for the purpose of monitoring and improving the overall performance of adult learners and teaching-learning process.

Academic Performance: The performance of adult learners on taught a lesson as determined by their continuous assessment test scores and examination scores.

Adult and Non-formal Education: This is an education given to adult learners who did not have the opportunity of attending formal education when he/she was young.

Adult Learner: A person who is studying in Adult and Non-formal Education.