CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background of the Study

Exams and assessments are an important part of our educational program. They are held both officially and informally at almost all levels of education, and they serve a number of purposes. Exams and assessments may be conceived of as having primarily educational goals in the limited sense (Kayode Odumosu, 2003). The majority of 'internal' tests and evaluations administered by instructors and schools tend to satisfy one or more of these educational purposes. Other exams, such as those administered 'externally' by recognized examining boards and professional groups, have the same fundamental educational goal: to evaluate a student's achievement at the conclusion of a term of study. Any school's major responsibility is to guarantee successful teaching and learning, in which assessment and examination, a kind of evaluation, play an important role, particularly in making decisions concerning school programs (Ijaya Amuda, 2002). Quality education is critical to a nation's social stability because it promotes vital human ideals such as equality, tolerance, and peace. These principles contribute to long-term national growth, environmental conservation, and better family health, as well as responsible engagement in democratic, social, and political processes (Durodola and Olude, 2005). "For any country to be strong, unified, and self-reliant, and to have a vast and dynamic economy, such a nation must be scientifically oriented," states the Nigerian Policy on Education, recognizing science's enormous contributions to the nation's educational and economic growth. As a result, the overarching goal of education should be to instill in students the desired information, skills, values, and attitude. How assessing learners at various stages to evaluate their levels of performance is the only way to establish if they gain much from a system of education.

The assessment acts as a barometer for determining a student's educational accomplishment result. Assessment helps the school to reach the ultimate goal of having a thorough record of each pupil's development and progress in order to make impartial judgments in the classroom on cognitive, affective, and psychomotor assessment. According to Kayode Odumosu (2003), instructors must evaluate students using a classroom technique such as continuous assessment. Continuous assessment is an approach for assessing student performance and applying those findings to increase pupil success, as opposed to testing (for certification, promotion, or placement, which is generally commercial) (Equanim Quwab, 2003).

According to Musa Damina, (2000), academic accomplishment refers to the quality of outcomes achieved by students as evidenced in their examination scores. Greater C.A. indicates more incentive on the side of pupils, and it is believed that success would rise as a result. Students are often encouraged to learn via continuous assessment. The teacher interprets motivation as "the urge to work independently either applying oneself to one's work, interest in one's task or course he has chosen, the desire for a good qualification and good employment, determination to pass examination or a defined goal which one has set for himself, and sustenance of enthusiasm," according to Beard and Seniour (1980). This study therefore, intends to find out  the impact of periodic assessment test on the academic performance of senior secondary school students

1.2         Statement of the Problem

In the field of education, continuous evaluation is not a new notion. It started decades ago in nations such as the United States and Australia before being implemented in Nigeria in 1977 with the 6 – 3 – 3 – 4 educational system by the National Policy on Education in 1983 (NPE). Continuous assessment was created with the goal of allowing educators to be more active in the overall evaluation of students and allowing for a variety of educational methods (Penny cuik,  1990). As a consequence of the National Policy on Education, it became formally operational in 1985 after the preparation of a handbook for its execution (FRN, 1977, 1998 and 2004).

However, owing to the way it was planned and certain other inherent flaws in operation, continuous assessment has not made the intended impact to students' school achievement. These issues include teachers' techniques for administering continuous assessment, teachers' attitudes toward continuous assessment, students' attitudes toward continuous assessment, teachers' qualifications for administering continuous assessment, and the availability of facilities for successful implementation of continuous assessment in senior secondary schools. It was on this ground that the researcher chooses to investigate the impact of periodic assessment test on the academic performance of senior secondary school students.

1.3         Research Objectives

The general objective of this study is to find out  the impact of periodic assessment test on the academic performance of senior secondary school students. Specifically the study will be guided under the following:

i.          To examine the effect of continuous assessment test on the academic performance of senior secondary school students.

ii.        To find out the benefit of continuous assessment test on senior secondary school  students.

iii.      To investigate the relationship between continuous assessment test and students academic performance.

iv.      To proffer recommendations on how students can use continuous assessment test to attain good academic performance.

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