Department of Curriculum Studies

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Browsing Department of Curriculum Studies by Author "Abrahams, Hilton John"

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    The experiences of students and staff of assessment practices at one agricultural institute in the Western Cape Province
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Abrahams, Hilton John; Bitzer, E. M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Assessment plays a key role in determining the quality of student learning and is the tool used at many academic institutions to help gauge student performance and determine student success. In view of the myriad of factors that may influence the learning environment and particularly student performance and success, a need was identified to investigate the potential influence of assessment practices on student performance at an agricultural institute. In higher education students move from secondary education practices into a tertiary academic sector that may not adhere to the same assessment criteria. This sudden change in assessment environment could have an effect on student learning and student performance. Several authors have highlighted the fact that assessment drives learning while several have indicated assessment practices plays a role in student performance. Very few studies have been conducted on the assessment practices at agricultural education institution in South Africa. Such knowledge may provide valuable information to first-year students, lecturers and policy makers of foundation programmes at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute and similar agricultural training institutes. In this study the research problem originated from staff observations and concerns at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute (EATI) which included the quality of students that enter the institute, coupled with seemingly low throughput rates as well as first year success rates as well as the confusion around the existence and use of a teaching; learning and assessment policy. Thus, the aim was to investigate the experience of assessment practices at one agricultural institute potentially influence first year students’ and staff’s perceptions regarding academic performance. Two data sources were used, the experiences of the BAgric and Higher Certificate first-year students and the opinions of the lecturers involved in the teaching of first-year students. These data sources contributed to determining the perceptions of the tested parties on whether assessment practices had an impact on student performance. In conducting the study, a pragmatic stance on knowledge was taken and questionnaires for students and for teaching staff were used with qualitative and quantitative data sections. The findings of this inquiry indicate that there exists a perception amongst both staff and students that assessment practices (and several other contributing factors) could potentially impact on students’ academic performance at the EATI. Implications flowing from this study for the Elsenburg Agricultural training Institute as well as possibilities for future research are pointed out.