A study of the assessment practices in teacher education programmes in Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined the frequency of use of the assessment practice using Assessment Practices Inventory for Teacher Education (APITE). The Rasch model and one-way MANOVA were performed to analyse the data collected through the survey. The samples were 205 lecturers who teach at teacher education programs from six universities in Tanzania. The APITE psychometric properties support the reliability and validity of the instrument to investigate assessment practices in teacher education programmes. The results revealed that performance-based assessment is the most difficult dimension while communicating assessment results to students is the least difficult. The study has found that lecturers scarcely use case studies, action research and peer assessment when assessing pre-service teachers. Multivariate results reveal that lecturers who teach education courses use more varied forms of assessment practices than those who teach science subjects and social and humanity studies. There are also significant differences between lecturers who had taken and those who had not taken an assessment course; those who had taken an assessment course significantly use assessment practices effectively than those who had not. The findings are discussed in light of the need to create awareness and training in assessment amongst academicians in teacher education programmes.