The Impact of Using Rubrics as Assessment Tools on Pupils’ Academic Performance in Senior Secondary Mathematics: A case of Malela Secondary School, Copperbelt Province, Zambia.

Felix Chileshe ,Hamanenga Jacob

doi:10.7176/mtm/9-7-02

Abstract

This study was conducted to show whether or not using rubrics as an assessment tool has an impact on pupils’ academic performance in Mathematics at senior secondary school level. The problem of poor performance of Grade 12 pupils in Mathematics has been a matter of concern, especially at Malela secondary school. In this study, a rubric served as an assessment tool to gather information about pupils’ achievement levels in demonstrating both knowledge and skills. The study sample population included two (2) grade 12 classes, were one class was the experimental group (N=55) and the other one was a control group (N=55) and Six (6) teachers of Mathematics. The two (2) grades twelve (12) classes were selected from the target population of the five (5) grade twelve classes using simple random sampling, and the six (6) teachers were selected purporsively.The study was based on three (3) research questions and two hypotheses. The research method used was a mixed approach and the research design was a quasi-experimental design. Three topics were taught to both the experimental and control groups which included probability, geometrical transformations and linear programing using problem based learning strategies. The experimental group was assessed using rubrics while the control group was assessed using conventional forms of assessment. The two groups were subjected to a pre-test, end of topic tests and a post-test. Data was also collected using teacher questionnaires and classroom observations. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 20, where an independent sample t-test was conducted at alpha (α) = 0.05 significance level and qualitative data was analyzed by categorizing, describing and explaining. The study revealed that using rubrics for assessment was found to have a positive impact on pupils’ academic performance as the experimental group outperformed the control group. The study also revealed that Mathematics teachers had a limited way of assessing pupils in class. Hence the reason to recommend that alternative assessment tools (rubrics) should be made mandatory to teachers of Mathematics at senior secondary school level. Keywords: Rubric, Assessment, Assessment tools, Conventional forms of assessment, academic performance. DOI : 10.7176/MTM/9-7-02 Publication date : July 31 st 2019

Highlights

Assessment plays an important role in examining students understanding of a concept or skills being taught and it should include a variety of feedback as well as discussions to measure and evaluate the quality of the learning process that takes place (Stiggins, 2002).What matters most is not so much the form of the assessment, but how the information gathered is used to improve teaching and learning in that it should pin point pupils’ strengths and weaknesses
The findings of the study are discussed thematically with reference to the research objectives, 5.1 A rubric as an assessment tool Based on qualitative analysis from teacher questionnaire in table 4.1, the study revealed that using rubrics in assessment was not a common practice by teachers as it was indicated by approximately 33.3% of the teachers and 66.7% revealed that using rubrics as an assessment tool in the teaching and learning of Mathematics was very necessary
The findings of this study revealed that using a rubric as an assessment tool made the pupils aware of what the teachers could be looking for in a particular task, which is an ingredient of an effective assessment tool and this accounted for 87.3% as shown in table 4.1.Similar findings were reported by Andrade et al (2005).According to them, using rubrics in assessment increased pupils’ awareness of learning goals, clarify teachers’ expectations and explain the critical needed to meet a quality performance

Summary

Introduction

Assessment plays an important role in examining students understanding of a concept or skills being taught and it should include a variety of feedback as well as discussions to measure and evaluate the quality of the learning process that takes place (Stiggins, 2002).What matters most is not so much the form of the assessment, but how the information gathered is used to improve teaching and learning in that it should pin point pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. Brookhart (2013) in her discussion stated that analytic rubrics are useful in the classroom since the scoring criteria can help teachers and pupils identify pupils’ strengths and weakness while the holistic is usually used for large-scale assessment because it is thought to be easy to use, but both types of rubrics are used to maintain consistency in marking across students’ work as well as between different markers. Rubrics provide timely and constructive feedback to help learners understand how to conceptualize high levels of achievement in performance, (Moskal,2000).In this regard, if rubrics are to be used in any teaching and learning process, the learners need to be exposed to them (rubrics) before any given task so as to allow the teacher(s) to explain their expectations, standards and evaluation criteria, (Andrade, 2001).Where and when a rubric is used does not depend on the grade level or subject, but rather on the purpose of the assessment (Brookhart, 2003)

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