Deurlopende assessering in die wiskunde-klaskamer

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Traditionally the success of learners in South Africa was based on one examination. Theeducation depended on memorization, at the expense of other important skills such ascritical thinking, problem solving and analysis. The modern working situation requireslearners with critical thinking skills who can solve problems. Traditionally learners wereseen as 'empty vessels' and their existing knowledge was not considered. Thetraditional assessment methods were not good enough to give teachers the informationthey needed to know about the learner. The education therefore requires reconstruction.In 1997, education in South Africa experienced a paradigm shift with the introduction ofCurriculum 2005 and Outcomes-Based Education (OBE). The education system hasbeen systematically reconstructed since then. In 2001, Curriculum 2005 wasimplemented in the senior phase. Along with this paradigm shift came a change inlearner assessment. The Further Education and Training band will only be influenced bythe curriculum in 2004, but since 1996, teachers have been instructed to assesslearners continuously.The Institute for Mathematics and Science Teaching of the University of Stellenbosch(IMSTUS) was contracted in 2000 to implement continuous assessment (CASS) inMathematics in Grade 10 – 12 in the Northern Cape. The project is known as the CASSproject. One of the aims of this project is to motivate teachers to implement the newguidelines of the Northern Cape Education department for continuous assessment. The research is firstly an empirical investigation of the perceptions of teachers in theIMSTUS project being conducted in the Northern Cape on continuous assessment.Secondly, it is an investigation to determine whether teachers are convinced thatalternative/formative assessment can improve teaching and learning. It focuses onwhether continuous assessment is regarded by teachers as an educational tool or abureaucratic process.A questionnaire was given to teachers who participated in this project. Thequestionnaire consisted of questions on teachers' perceptions on continuousassessment, the rationale for assessment, how assessment and feedback can be done,and the equity in the assessment of Mathematics. There were 34 questionnaires ofwhich 31 (91%) were returned. Twenty-three of the responses were from schools in theKimberley district, while the other 8 were from the De Aar district. The participatingschools were from traditional advantaged, as well as disadvantaged communities.The conclusions of the research are that the participating teachers have the followingperceptions on continuous assessment:1. Continuous assessment is used for:• grading purposes and for year marks, in other words for bureaucraticpurposes;• the improvement of teaching, learning, and for diagnostic purposes, toidentify learners' misconceptions and strengths -in other words, it can alsobe used for educational purposes. 2. The process of continuous assessment does not reflect learners' realmathematical potential.3. Some respondents were of the opinion that the process of continuousassessment does however reflect learners' real mathematical potential.4. Continuous assessment is time-consuming.5. Continuous assessment must be systematical.The way in which teachers implement continuous assessment testifies to asummative process, although they in a way learners formative assess. This does notimprove formative assessment and therefore is it exclusively a bureaucratic process.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University