Abstract:
The study examined the assessment practices among Early Childhood Education
teachers in the Tema West Metropolis within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The
study was guided by four specific research objectives which were to assess the
training of ECE teachers, examine teachers’ perception about assessment during early
years’ education, investigate the assessment practices deployed by teachers in
assessing children as well as the gender and professional qualification differences in
the assessment practices of teachers and the challenges Early Childhood Education
teachers encounter in the use of assessment practices in the Tema West Metropolis,
Ghana. Two hypotheses were also formulated to guide the study. The study employed
a descriptive survey design within a quantitative enquiry. Data were collected through
the use of a self-constructed questionnaire. The study covered 200 ECE teachers
within 40 public basic schools in the Tema West metropolis. Census sampling
technique was used to obtain the sample for the study. Descriptive statistics such as
frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the
quantitative data collected. Independent sample T-test and One Way ANOVA were
also used to test hypothesis 1 and 2 respectively. The findings of the study revealed
that; the teachers in the Tema West Metropolis have some level of training and also
have positive perception of early grade education assessment. Though ECE teachers
in the municipality engage in the use of formative assessment practices, most of them
still engage in the use of pencil and paper test. The study concluded that ECE teachers
in the Tema West Metropolis have been trained and possess positive perceptions
about the need for assessing children during their early years’ education. The
assessment practices of teachers were building of portfolio, the use of observation,
informal conversation, self and peer assessment, performance-based assessment
among others. The teachers also engage in traditional assessment practices such as
pencil and paper test on regular basis. Lack of indoor and outdoor resources for
assessing children, lack of understanding of children’s assessment outcomes,
overcrowding or large number of children among others were some of the challenges
teachers face in assessing children in the municipality. It was recommended among
others that there should be periodic in-service training for teachers on current
assessment practices and the provision of resources for teaching and assessment of
children.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Early Childhood Education,
Faculty of Educational Studies, submitted to the School
of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Early Childhood Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
MAY, 2022