Understanding the diverse ways teachers approach classroom assessment in an examination-oriented educational system

Abstract

This study is part of a larger dissertation that examined the assessment culture within Ghana’s education system. Specifically, this paper explores the diverse ways teachers approach assessment in an examination-oriented educational system. Using a survey design, 427 K-12 teachers in Ghana participated in the study. The teachers responded to the abridged version of the Approaches to Classroom Assessment Inventory (ACAI; version 3.0). The results of the study showed that, despite having the same educational system and policies, Ghanaian K-12 teachers have varying ways of approaching classroom assessment. Through latent profile analysis, three distinct groups of assessors were identified among teacher participants: improvement-accountability oriented assessors, teacher-centred assessors, and accountability oriented assessors. The study found that teachers’ demographics (e.g., years of teaching experience, age, assessment education, school division, class level, and school location) significantly impacted their approaches to assessment. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.