Relationship between Teachers’ Professional Commitment and Formative Assessment Practices as a Part of Curriculum Implementation at Secondary Level in Punjab

Abstract

National Curriculum for English in Pakistan, reveals its intentions for acquiring language related international requirements concerning with career choices and furthering education. Formative assessment is at the center of students’ learning and is devised in the curriculum document providing basis for its implementation. Curriculum implementation is pivotal to classroom practices of teachers. Curriculum guides teachers to implement formative assessment. Professional commitment contributes enriching teacher’ classroom practices. Focus of the study was to examine formative assessment practices of teachers, as a part of curriculum implementation, in accordance with curriculum document and its relationship with professional commitment of secondary school English teachers. Study secures its significance for teachers, curriculum developers, and governmental agencies. Quantitative survey was the method adopted for the study and explanatory correlational design was used. Teachers, concerned with teaching of English at secondary level, from entire secondary schools working under the supervision of the Punjab province were the study population. Sampling procedure employed multistage stratified random sampling technique and 576 teachers were selected as study sample. Two questionnaires were developed that included questionnaire regarding implementation of formative assessment (QIFA) and teachers’ professional commitment scale (TPCS). Survey was conducted as a data collection strategy. In statistics, Mean and Spearman correlation were employed. Results revealed that professional commitment of teachers and their formative assessment practices were moderate. Results regarding relationship between the variables; professional commitment of teachers and their formative assessment practices were significant correlated. The study recommended school based teacher trainings to sensitize and enhance teachers’ awareness and practices towards formative assessment practices as a part of implementation process. Governmental agencies are needed to focus the situation of professional commitment of teachers and implementation of formative assessment as a part of implementation.