Exploring the Relationship between Classroom Assessment Practices and Social Studies Curriculum Objectives among Teachers in Junior High Schools: A Case Study of the East Mamprusi Municipality in Ghana's North-East Region

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between Junior High School social studies teachers’ classroom assessment practices and the curriculum objectives of social studies in the east Mamprusi municipal. Sixty (60) Junior High School Social Studies teachers were involved in the study. Data were collected through the administration of questionnaires, interviews and observation with a mixed-method design employed in the study. Results from the study showed that teachers had a negative attitude towards classroom assessment even though they had a positive attitude towards some assessment techniques; the results also revealed that the teachers preferred to use both traditional and alternative assessment practices in their instructions. It was also revealed that teachers do not align their classroom assessment practices with the curriculum objectives of social studies. It was recommended that teachers’ attitudes towards classroom assessment and their assessment practices should be improved (especially regarding assessing attitudes and values). It was also recommended that refresher courses should be organized for teachers already on the field to upgrade their knowledge and skills in educational assessment based on the curriculum objectives.