Investigating Science Teachers’ Competencies in Classroom Assessment and Its Implications to Curriculum Management

Abstract

This descriptive research investigated competencies in classroom assessment of 155 Science teachers, chosen via total enumeration from public secondary schools of the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. They answered with consent an experts’-validated survey questionnaire in Google Forms and a semi-structured interview guide via Messenger and Google Meet. Data gathered were analyzed and interpreted using frequency, percentage, mean and rank. Results showed that the teachers in Science are generally at a low level of competency along the seven standards of assessment Mariano Marcos State University, College of Teacher Education, Laoag City; most of them used multiple choice, identification, performance assessment, and problem solving but not much of cloze tests, portfolio and e-assessments.  The teachers’ top ranked problems in doing assessment include time for checking and test preparation; students’ guessing their answers and low/poor performance; and finding the quality of tests via reliability and validity computation. They claimed that they need training along general assessment, trends in assessment and alternative assessment. The low level of competency of the teachers in assessment defines the types of assessment methods they use and adds up in the difficulties they encountered in assessing their students’ performance. The results imply curriculum enhancement for existing subjects on assessment as well as instructional enhancement for teachers. The results could serve as basis in crafting a training program on assessment that includes seminar-workshops/trainings on the seven standards of assessment, test construction, test analysis, using authentic assessment, and trends in assessment, is proposed to equip teachers with knowledge and skills in formulating valid and reliable tests.