Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
February 2016
Funded by UNESCO
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A. INTRODUCTION:
Promoting the provision of quality relevant education for all learners, coupled
with the need for competent quality teachers in delivering wholesome
education for social progress and economic growth is critical.
Despite the fact that good progress has been and continues to be made in
expanding access to education across all levels of the schooling system,
particularly in basic and secondary education, the quality and relevance of
education has increasingly become a matter of concern. The unprecedented
decision by the Ministry in shifting emphasis from Assessment of Learning to
Assessment for Learning is a major breakthrough and characterizes bold
thinking on the part of Management.
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approaches that have high predictive value, fairness and ability to address our
national problems as they relate to assessment matters.
In view of the above ground realities the GTU, EFANet and the Gambia College
with funding from UNESCO and with collaboration with MoBSE, committed
themselves to supporting the national education development agenda and
thereby created a lifelong learning opportunity for a more effective internal
quality management processes through team work and the involvement of
teachers, trainee teaches and school principals.
B. SENSITIZATION
Over two hundred teachers, trainee teachers and principals attended the
three-day sensitisation. The exercise was preceded by a formal opening
ceremony under the auspices of the Regional Education Director, Region One.
Statements were made by GTU, the Ministry of Basic Gambia College officials.
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C. TRAINING
i. Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was chaired by the Registrar of the College Mr. Demba
Yarbo. The Principal, Mr. Abubacarr Jallow, Madam Isatou Ndow Vice Principal
and Head, School of Education, Mr. Ousman Senghore Head of Assessment
Unit at MoBSE and Mr. Essa Sowe, Deputy General Secretary of the Gambia
Teachers Union (GTU) all made remarks.
Mr. Yarbo emphasised the importance of the training workshop and urged the
participants to take them seriously so that they can share with other teachers
in their various schools. He also lamented on the timely organisation of the
training and thanked UNESCO, MoBSE and the Gambia Teachers Union for
organizing such a well needed training. He went further to mentioned that
Assessment is among the key tools of measuring performances and by
measuring performance it will be easier to track progress of every activity and
thus ensuring efficiency of teaching and learning. He concluded by challenging
the participants to be vigilant and to make the best used of the training.
Mr. Essa Sowe the Deputy General Secretary (DGS) Gambia Teachers Union
dilated on the role of the partners and their values in the provision of quality
relevant education for all learners. The DGS further buttressed on several
objectives in order to meet the purpose of the programme. He finally shed
some light on the importance of the training and hailed the collaboration of
the partners.
On his side, Mr. Ousman Senghore Head, Assessment Unit at MoBSE who also
doubles up a Principal Progamme Officer UNESCO/NATCOM also elaborated on
the importance of the training. He shared the training schedule with the
participants and finally thanked the stake holders for their efforts for the
anticipated success.
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misconception about assessment. He also delivered on the context of the
training and the modules involved.
The Principal also challenged the participants to be committed and urged them
to make efforts to relate the training to teaching and learning methods as the
Assessment is meant to measure knowledge. He also shared some words of
wisdom. He said one of his professors assertion that Attitude, Skills and
Knowledge (ASK) matte a lot in ensuring quality learning.
The Vice Principal of the Gambia College, Madam Isatou Ndow thanked the
GTU, MoBSE and UNESCO for their efforts in seeing that the training was a
success.
This module emphasised the important role a properly designed and better
choice of assessment in the teaching/learning process ca yield. It helped to
reinforce teachers understanding of student learning and provision of
feedback information to the teacher on the extent to which his/her teaching
contributed to student learning achievement.
Basically, it was meant to help teachers develop skills that will enable them to:
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iii. MODULES 2 & 3: ASSESSMENT DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND
USE
Skills acquired will also help teachers and school heads acquire skills on data
Analysis that will enable them to systematically apply statistical and/or logical
techniques to describe and illustrate, condense and recap, and evaluate data.
The training module is hoped to create clearer agenda for teachers that can
effectively address students learning strengths and weaknesses in situations
where teachers and parents both understand, and agree to the nature of the
students educational needs.
Aspects of the training also looked at the classroom level, where the teacher
will be interested in the pattern of performance as shown by the profiles of
individual student and class performance across themes and sub-thematic
areas.
Finally, the training was very interactive and opinion of participants were
teased out to gauge their understandings coupled with assignments which
were meant to ensure a more practical application and use of the training
materials
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THE FUNCTIONS OF ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATION
Assessment plays a very important role in education. Indeed, there can be no meaningful
and effective teaching without assessment. The role of assessment in education can be
broadly categorized into five themes:
(b) Ascertaining the extent to which Instructional Objectives have been Achieved
The essence of any instructional package is to accomplish some predetermined
objectives. The success or failure of such a package is determined by the extent to
which the objectives have been attained. This can be only be verified through the
information obtained from assessment.
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resignation may set in. Data on assessment, particularly the student characteristics,
will indicate what objectives are within the reach of students.
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(a) Selection:
This implies accepting or rejecting a particular candidate for a given opportunity. The
need for selection may arise when:
(b) Classification
This implies deciding which programme is best suitable for a given student. We are
involved in classification when we decide on who should enroll in Commercial,
Technical or Science subjects, or whether a particulate student should be in a normal
class or a special class. Decisions such as these demand data on the individuals ability,
performance and interest. This can only be provided through assessment.
(c) Placement
Assessment also helps as to decide on the appropriate level in a programme an
individual should be placed. Examples of placement include urging a student to go
back to a lower level, to remain in the same class or to go to a higher class.
(e) Certification
After completing a particular educational programme, there should be evidence of
what each individual was able to acquire in terms of knowledge, attitude and skills
from the programme. This is important particularly for employment purposes. The
evidence needed for certification at any level is provided through assessment.
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(3) GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING FUNCTIONS
Through assessment we obtain empirical data to strategically direct our guidance and
counselling services. Thus assessment data is used.
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In his message to Congress on Educational Reform (March, 1970), President Richard
Nixon stressed the need for accountability by local school systems. He said
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