Mediating Economics Curriculum Implementation Through Meaningful Assessment- A Case Study of the South African Educational System

Abstract

This empirical study explored how Economics teachers mediate Economics curriculum implementation through the use of meaningful assessment. Assessment plays a significant role in learner academic achievement, and it is, therefore, imperative that teachers’ practices produce creative learners, problem solvers, and reflective scholars. Despite increasing realization of the importance of assessment, teachers are either not using assessment or failing to use it meaningfully to mediate economics curriculum implementation. Assessment is a process of collecting data to have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of learners’ learning. If the assessment is used meaningfully, it has the power to inform how teaching and learning can be modified to enhance learners’ understanding of concepts as opposed to being used just for certification and eligibility for further education studies. Effective Economics curriculum implementation is dependent on the teachers’ understanding of the role and use of meaningful assessment. This interpretivist study was couched in Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) theory and made use of a qualitative multiple case study. Three teachers from three different schools in the Northern Cape Province were purposefully selected to generate data through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Data was analyzed using a constructivist approach of thematic analysis. The findings of this study showed that, although there are pockets of good assessment practices within the research sites, there is still a lack of understanding of the role and use of meaningful assessment in mediating Economics curriculum implementation. In light of the findings, the study suggested the need for training Economics teachers on how to use assessment meaningfully. Keywords: Curriculum implementation, Mediated Learning Experience, Meaningful assessment, Teaching, and Learning.