The impact of rater training on rater reliability in an English oral test

Speaking skill assessment is gaining great interest in the field of assessment nowadays. Literature has highlighted reliability of raters in rating a speaking performance as one of the challenges due to human’s subjective nature. This study has attempted to explore the influence of rater training on rater reliability in the assessment of a spoken task. A qualitative research design was used and, semi-structured interview was employed to obtain data for this study. A total of 21 secondary school teachers participated in the study. They were raters trained to assess an oral English interaction test. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis which resulted in three main categories i.e. importance of rater training, effects of rater training on rater reliability, and improvement of rater training. The results show that rater training is essential before any rating is to be done, and its effects include, among others, maintaining rating consistency, exposure to test task, and criteria for grading. While suggestions to improve rater training sessions are related to the length, frequency, and quality of training.

Teachers’ conceptions and choices of assessment tasks in a Nigerian postgraduate teacher training

Student assessment is a process that entails the collection of evidence of learning in diverse and systematic ways to make judgments on students’ learning. What then is the perception of this vital tool in the hands of the users (teachers)? This study investigates teachers’ conceptions of assessment and their choices of assessment tasks in postgraduate teacher training. Action research with one group pretest-posttest design was adopted for the study. The survey used to collect data for this study has three sections (A, B, & C). Section A elicits participants’ personal information; Section B contains 20 different assessment tasks. Section C includes 26 items that examined participants’ conceptions of assessment from four different sub-scales (school accountability, student accountability, improvement of teaching and learning, and irrelevance factors). The researchers further validated the survey, and the Alpha reliability coefficient of the whole scale was 0.85. Data collected from twenty-eight randomly selected teachers out of forty-five were analyzed using descriptive measures and paired sample t-test. Findings revealed that teachers enact both summative and formative assessment tasks but with preferences for summative tasks. A significant difference in teachers’ conception of assessment was recorded, but there was no significant difference in teachers’ assessment conception based on gender. Recommendations are presented to improve the research knowledgebase on assessment in the Nigerian education context.

21st Century Skills in Higher Education: Teaching and Learning at Ifugao State University, Philippines

The study ascertained the profile of students and faculty members and the level of their critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation, self-direction, global connections, local connections skills, and use of technology as a tool for learning. It also determined the significant difference among the 21st century skills and the dimensions, profile and the respondents. It also determined if a significant relationship exists between the levels of the 21st century skills among students, faculty members, and administrators. Survey through a questionnaire was used to gather data. Stratified sampling technique was applied in determining the 539 students, 125 faculty members, and 35 administrator respondents in the study. Frequency count and percentage were employed to find out the profile of students, faculty members and administrators. Mean rating was used to determine their level of 21st century skills. Results revealed that most of the student respondents are females, enrolled in the education, information technology and agricultural technology programs. Majority of the faculty members and administrators are females, in their middle adulthood stage and taught for more than six years. Results further indicated that the students, faculty members and administrators had a very good level of 21st century skills. Significant differences were noted between the 21st century skills of students by courses/programs and campuses. Significant differences were also recognized among faculty members between their 21st century skills and age. There is no significant relationship between the level of 21st century skills of students, faculty members, and administrators. The findings imply that there is a need to adopt more programs and activities in order to improve the 21st century skills among the students and faculty members. This can be done by upgrading the information technology systems of the University. Strengthening and reactivating global and local connections is also deemed necessary. These can be realized by increasing student and faculty mobility, use of blended learning approach in both the graduate and undergraduate levels, international partnerships, and reaching out to the local communities through projects among others.

Instructional strategies and students’ entrepreneurial empowerment through Marketing Trade subject in Lagos State, Nigeria

The increasing occurrences of youth unemployment and the associated vices led to the introduction of Marketing Trade subject, and other trade/entrepreneurship subjects, at senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Therefore, this study was carried out to assess the instructional strategies and students’ entrepreneurship empowerment through the acquisition of competences in Marketing Trade subject. The study raised and answered two related research questions and also formulated and tested one relevant research on the null hypothesis (H0). The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study comprised 1367 students of Marketing Trade subject in the randomly selected public senior secondary schools under Education District IV of Lagos State, Nigeria. Using Taro Yamane’s sample size calculation method, the sample size was 309 respondents, but 308 was returned eventually. The research instrument used was structured questionnaire. The Cronbach Alpha correlation coefficient used to determine the internal consistency of the research instrument yielded an average index of 0.88. The research questions and hypotheses data were analysed using mean and Pearson Product Moment of Correction statistical tools respectively. The findings show that recommended instructional strategies were not used appropriately, and as a result, the expected marketing competences were not acquired to the extent that they can empower students for entrepreneurship. It was therefore recommended that Government, Ministry of Education, teachers, and other relevant stakeholders should collaborate to ensure that Marketing Trade subject is ideally implemented to empower students with the requisite competences needed to achieve its goals and objectives in Nigeria.

Enhancing quality of education in the university system: A study of Nigerian education system

How to enhance and maintain quality of education in Nigerian University education system has become one of the central issues in educational assessment and evaluation. It is important to note that no nation can rise above the standard of her education. The quality of education in Nigeria is presently rated as low. Many scholars have observed that many graduates are unemployable because they lack relevant and required skills. Therefore, this paper examines the present educational quality in Nigeria, reasons for the current trend, assessment issues, advantages and disadvantages of computer-based tests in the university system, recruitment of staff without thorough assessment and politics of accreditation in Nigeria. It was concluded that the quality of education in the University system can be enhanced and maintained through qualitative assessment. Also, there is the need to review the process of recruitment of staff, accreditation procedures, monitoring and evaluation of standard as well as students’ assessment practices.

Implementation of Omnibus Policy on kindergarten education

The implementation Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education was conducted primarily to determine the extent the implementation of the provisions stipulated in the DepEd Order no. 47, series 2016. It serves as the basis for the continuing enhancement in the operation and management of the kindergarten program; a benchmark that will motivate the administrators to initiate continuous improvement on all areas of concerns in the operation of the program as to Instruction, assessment, learning resources, and instructional materials, learning space and environment, and monitoring and evaluation in cluster 2 of the City Schools Division of Dasmarinas, Cavite. The methodology used was a descriptive normative survey through a structured questionnaire which contents were based on the DepEd Order no. 47, series 2016. The nominal data were treated using simple frequency count and percentage distribution, weighted mean was utilized on the areas of implementation in the Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education, and Chi-Square was used to test the significant relationship of the demographic profile of the respondents to the implementation of the omnibus policy, whereas ANOVA was used to determine the significant difference between the perception of respondents to the implementation of the Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education. Significant results of the study revealed that Assessment, Instruction, and Monitoring and Evaluation got the highest rating as always observed, whereas, Learning resources and instructional materials, and Learning space and environment were felt the same but of lower weighted mean. It is highly remarkable that inadequate play area and equipment found to be the most serious concern in the implementation of the Kindergarten program, and Information and Technology (ICT).

Analysis of the relevance of basic electricity to Home Economics Students in Technical Colleges in Edo State, Nigeria

The study was designed to determine the relevance of basic electricity to home economics students in technical colleges in Edo state, Nigeria. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, three research questions were raised while one hypothesis was formulated. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population and sample of the study consists of one hundred and forty (140) NTC II and III Home Economics students in four technical colleges in Edo State. A four point rating scale questionnaire titled Relevance of Basic Electricity to Home Economics Students Questionnaire (RBEHSQ)was the instrument used to collect data from the respondents. The face and content validity of the instrument was ascertained by two lecturers in department of vocational and technical education, and one Lecturer in department of measurement and evaluation, faculty of education, University of Benin, Benin city, Nigeria. The split half technique was used to determine the reliability of the instrument. The two sets of scores obtained were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Corrolation Coefficient (PPMCC) and the process yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.71 which means that the instrument was reliable. Mean ( ) and standard deviation (SD) were used to answer research questions 2 and 3 while research question 1 was answered with simple percentage. The hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance with chi-square. Findings revealed that Home economics students are much aware of the relevance of basic electricity to home economics, students are moderately familiar with the basic electricity aspect of home economics programme and that the extent to which students are acquainted with basic electricity skills relevant to home economics is low. Tested hypothesis revealed that there is no significant difference between the perception of male and female students of the relevance of basic electricity to home economics. Based on the findings, it was recommended that efforts should be made by home economic lecturers to relate basic electricity to home economics so as to enable students become aware of the relationship between subjects, educational planners and school management should make adequate provision for necessary facilities for the teaching of basic electricity. School management should also ensure that only qualified lecturers are employed to teach home economics and that lecturers on their part should handle the basic electricity with all seriousness in such a way that would increase students’ interest and acquire skills in basic electricity.

Involvement of Orang Asli Youth in Vocational Education and Training in Malaysia: Aspirations and Outcomes

Skilled human capital is highly important in economic development. This career aspiration is to create a skilled workforce in a country. A lack of Orang Asli involvement in vocational fields is worrisome for many parties, especially the government. Thus, this study aims to explore the participation and involvement of Orang Asli youths in Vocational Education and Training (VET). Qualitative research methods were used in this study to provide in-depth knowledge of the involvement of Orang Asli youths in VET. Ten Orang Asli youths from various ethnics groups, aged 17¬–18, were selected as study participants. Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews and document analysis. From the analysed data, themes were pointed out and a triangulation technique was performed to determine the validity. The findings showed that awareness about VET among the Orang Asli youth is satisfactory. This paper also will discuss the involvement of Orang Asli youth in VET courses nationally and the unemployment among the Orang Asli youth because of their lack of skills and training required by employers. This paper also presents conclusions and recommendations to improve the participation of Orang Asli youth, especially in employment prospects and to enhance their socio-economic status among the communities for a brighter future.

An internal evaluation of higher education curriculum using data transformation model

A curriculum does not exist in a void; internal members play a key role in responding to the different forces that continually shape it. One of the approaches to evaluation is through internal evaluation from the perspective of the inside members who work with the curriculum. However, the internal evaluation may pose restricted evaluation due to the innate subjective human judgment. Considering these contexts, this paper performed a pilot internal evaluation of a selected aspect of a higher education curriculum using a triangulation mixed method design called the data transformation model. Based on the results, the evaluation using the data transformation model probed important points of agreement and discrepancy in the data sets. The implications for evaluation theory and curriculum practice are discussed. It is suggested that an extension of the current formative internal evaluation continuing the tradition of data transformative model but progressively focusing on larger aspects of the curriculum should be further conducted.

A case study of direct assessment of students’ manipulative skills in chemistry practical: Perspective of lecturers

Direct assessment has adopted in matriculation college as an innovative change in assessment method for practical in line with the implementation of outcome-based education. The purpose of this study was to obtain the views of matriculation lecturers on the use of direct assessment to assess students’ manipulative skills in titration experiment during Chemistry practical. A qualitative case study approach was adopted, in which four matriculation lecturers were purposely selected. Observation and interview were conducted to obtain their views regarding to the perception, implementation, effectiveness, and critical factors for sustainability of direct assessment. The findings of the study indicated that lecturers positively perceived direct assessment were able to enhance students’ manipulative skills in Chemistry practical, by identifying their weaknesses in skills and to increases their motivation in hands-on practical. Several issues such as lack of skills among lecturers and the requiring of excessive effort needed to overcome in order to sustain the implementation of direct assessment in matriculation college.