MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION

Introduction.

Measurement and Evaluation are essential components of teaching and learning. In this lecture we shall
learn the meanings of the terms “Measurement’’ and “Evaluation’’. We shall also learn the basic purposes
of measurement and evaluation as well as their application in classroom teaching.

Meaning of measurement.

If you want to know the length of a rope or root, you could use a meter ruler to find out. The distance from
one end of the rope or root to the other represents its length. That length is the measurement. The
measurement may be expressed (written) in centimeters for example. Similarly, you could find out the
weight of each child in your classroom. The weight may be expressed in grammes or kilograms. Both the
length and the weight are ‘quantities’ or ‘amounts’ obtained by using measuring instruments (the ruler and
the kilogram scale). The measured quantity or figure is a ‘measurement’.

Measurement is not just quantities or figures. With respect to classroom teaching and learning,
measurements can be seen as a process. This process includes preparation (construction), administration
and scoring of tests. It also includes the actual process of measuring.

‘Construction’ refers to the making or preparation of the test while ‘administration’ means giving out the test
to be done by the person it was constructed for. Scoring of tests, on the other hand, refers to the marking
and awarding of marks against the answers/responses provided by the candidate.

Types of tests.

Broadly speaking, there are several types of tests. Examples are:

 Achievement tests (for measuring acquisition of information or skills)
 Aptitude tests (for measuring innate Acquired or Potential abilities)
 Intelligence tests (for measuring intellectual capacity)
 Attitude tests (for measuring tendency to be in favour or against a given attribute)

In this lecture, we shall learn more about achievements

 Purposes of Measurement
Teaching is an educational activity or process. It is sensible therefore, for us to take stock and
gauge how the teaching process is fairing on from time to time. In other words, we should
measure our performance as teachers and that of the learners as well. Measurement will give us
data or information, which we should use to improve the performance of both parties— students
and teachers. Thus, measurement serves several purposes. The purposes are Instructional,
Administrative and Guidance-based. You can now read the following purposes critically:

(a) Instructional Purposes.

Provision of feedback to teachers concerning teaching objectives, procedures, materials etc.
Provision of feedback to learners on what they have done well and what they need to do to improve.
Provision of feedback to parents/guardians on the progress record of their children in order to provide
the necessary emotional, social academic and material support.
Provision of feedback to the local community on what it could do to supplement school effort in
improving the academic and social life of the learners.

(b) Administrative Functions.

 Determine the quality of education being given to the learners vis-à-vis the national goals of education
as well as the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. This way, appropriate measures can
be taken to address the issue.
 Facilitate research on the extant curriculum and suggest necessary amendments.
 Provide a basis for performance assessment and certification.

(c) Guidance and Counseling Purposes

 Obtain information for use in providing guidance and counseling services to individual children on
social and academic matters

Measurement is never done in a vacuum. There is always a purpose for it. In educational measurement,
the classroom teacher primarily concerns herself/himself with instructional purposes. These purposes in
turn provide a basis for administrative decision-making processes within the school and the local
community. Further, the outcome of classroom tests facilitates the compilation of data banks, which could
prove useful in assisting students to choose their careers.
 Classroom tests
A number of types of classroom tests are available for the teacher, to use when preparing
questions to test the learners’ understanding of some content (subject matter). In this lecture we
shall consider the following types of tests:

 Essay
 Structured
 Short answer
 Objective
 Practicals
 Project work
a. Essay tests.
Essay questions require the learners/candidates to provide answers through continuous prose.
They test the learners’ ability to organise their ideas and
communicate them through verbal expression. Examples of an essay question are:

 Discuss the consequences of scramble for Africa to the inhabitants of the continent.
 Explain the process of transpiration in plants.
 Evaluate the significance of science and technology of education in the
welfare of humankind.

b. Structured tests.
This is a form of “short answer” variety that requires the learner or candidate to provide answers to a
question based on a common theme. The question is usually in several parts and may be based on a
graph, table or a diagram or text.

c. Short answer Tests

The short answer question variety expects the candidate to give a brief answer to a question. The
answer may have to be provided on a limited space. Study these examples:

 Distinguish between a module and a model.

 State two functions of the liver.
 Define a “paddle” as used in geography.

d. Objective tests
 Objective type questions are so called because it is relatively easy to obtain the same score on a
candidate’s score if the script is marked by more than one examiner. Objectivity is not linked to the setting
of the questions, as there could be subjective bias. A marking scheme for objective tests allows for only
one correct answer per question. That is why the marking is said to be objective –hence the name given to
this type of test.

Multiple choice, true/ false, matching and completion are examples of objective type formats. Multiple
choice consists of a stem and a number of options. One of the options is the key orthe correct answer. All
incorrect options are called distracters for they draw away some candidates from choosing the key. The
entire question from stem to options is called an item. It is possible to test various cognitive levels such as
knowledge, understanding (comprehension), application of knowledge, analysis and evaluation of
information (see Bloom’s taxonomy for details)

e. Matching
In matching, each question consists of two unequal columns in which the candidate is required “match” an
item in one column with another item in the other column for example:

COLUMN A COLUMN B
Liver Site for red blood cell manufacture.
Tibia Regulates blood sugar.
Sebaceous glands Removes amino groups from food substances.
Insulin Site for enzyme activity.
Found on top of the skin.
One of the supporting vertebrae

“Column A contains names of body parts of a mammal. Match each part with the corresponding function in
column B by drawing a line from column A to B.

NOTE: Making the columns of unequal length checks against guesswork or getting the item correct
through an elimination process.

f. Completion:

This is where an incomplete statement is provided for the candidates to supply the missing part e.g.

Tall is to short as weak is to

g. True/False:
 Here the candidate has to indicate whether the statement provided is true or false e.g. The boiling point of

water is 100C everywhere in the world.

TRUE FALSE

h. Practical:
Questions for practical tests and examinations will provide opportunities for the learners to exercise what
they have learned in theory lessons. This is an opportunity for manipulation of apparatus and other
materials as well as the application of scientific thinking and investigative skills. IN short, it is a means of
testing how well learners can work systematically as practising scientists do.

You have no doubt been involved in practical work examinations. Two examples of such
examinations may be:

1. Examine the two specimens P and Q provided and

a. identify the specimens

b. state two functions of each specimen
c. draw and label the main external features of specimen Q

2. Using the reagents provided, determine the food substance present in the
samples provided. Outline the procedure you have followed and comment on your results.

Different criteria may be used to assess practical work. However, in general you could consider the
following:

 Ability to follow instructions correctly

 Description of procedure
 Suitability of data recording technique
 Accuracy of and consistency of results
 Appropriateness of inferences made
 Neatness of presentation
 Discussion of results
a. Project work
Projects are extended, independent academic tasks that are usually practical in nature. This work involves
identification of a study problem, collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data. Usually, the
student chooses the project topic though the teacher may at times suggest some areas of study. Once the
area of study has been chosen, the responsibility of designing (planning) and executing (carrying out) the
project rests upon the student. The teacher serves as a facilitator or adviser.

Types of Projects
Projects may be structured, unstructured or semi-structured. Structured formats are selected topics
from which students make choices. Definite operational procedures are prescribed the student’s role being
that of an implementor. Examples may include:
 Hardness of water in Kahawa river, Nairobi.
 Identification and description of AIDS’s orphans Homes.
 Insect collection and classification.

Unstructured projects on the other hand necessitate project assigning, investigating, analysis and reporting
of findings by the student. The teacher provides guidance as necessary. An Example of an unstructured
project could be:

Investigate the extent of environmental pollution in your local community’

The Semi-structured variety lies in between the structured and unstructured formats.The student is given
some guidance and direction to follow, using some broad guidelines which he/she has to interpret in the
light of given course objectives, for example:

‘Given the attached interview schedule, find out the attitude of your local community towards civic
education’.

Assessment of projects: A general format or guideline for assessing project work is provided hereunder:

 Consider whether the project topic has been originated by the student or the teacher.
 Consider the suitability of the work for instructional purposes.
 Determine how relevant the work is to the learner’s daily life experience.
 Gauge the general assembly of the work.
 Consider the durability of the final product.
  Consider ease of storage of the product.
 Consider accuracy of information/assembly presented.
 Consider potential for student learning from the project.
 Consider link of the project to the local community and the world of work

14.7 Construction of Classroom Tests

Construction of tests means preparation of test items and papers for purposes of determining specified
objectives. In constructing achievement tests it is important that:
 the objectives of the syllabus, scheme of work and lesson plans be kept in mind
 the academic level of the candidates be known
 the specific topics taught be outlined
 A table of specifications or specifications grid be prepared to guide in deciding the number and type
of questions (test items) to be written against each topic. The grid could look like this:

Kn & Skills Questions. OBS. REC. ANALY. INTERP INFER. DRAWING

.
Content(Topics) Totals
HIV AIDS 1 1 1 - - - 3
NUTRITION 1 - - 1 2 1 5
POLLUTION 1 1 2 2 3 1 10
CIVIC EDUCATION - - 2 3 - - 5
Totals 3 2 5 6 5 2

The number of questions per knowledge/skill will depend on:

 Amount of subject matter covered.
 Nature of the instructional objectives.
 Duration of the test.
 Types of tests to be administered as required by the instructional programme.
 Types of resources and facilities available.
Necessary adjustments have to be made to end up with a balanced test paper

Once a Table of Specifications has been prepared it is necessary to decide the format of
questions to be followed (essay, objective, practical, project) in order to test the achievement of
instructional objectives in a variety of ways. The variety is especially necessary since learners
are not endowed with the same kind of abilities (e.g. following instructions, drawing, controlling
variables during an investigation and so on.)

Abalanced test which uses various test formats will be fairer for the learners than one that uses only one
format. Further, each test format has specific merits and demerits (advantages/disadvantages) hence the
need to expose the candidates to a variety of test formats.

Table showing some merits and demerits of classroom tests

Test Type Merits Demerits

Essay promotes thought scoring can be

organisation subjective

provides for self-expression time consuming to mark

encourages meaningful few topics covered.
study
Objective marking is objective difficult to prepare a sound
test.
wide coverage of syllabus encourages scanty revision

marking takes short time

Practicals provides for relatively expensive.
discovery/
manipulative skills

theory is put into practice pre-trial necessary which is

an added expenditure.

EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES.

You have learned that one can measure the achievement of instructional objectives through classroom
tests. This exercise is called measurement or assessment. In assessment you determine your learner’s
competencies or abilities. The information you put together can be used to determine the worth,
effectiveness or value of your subject with respect to overall educational goals. The making of a value
judgement on the worth or significance of an educational programme is referred to as Evaluation.
Thus, classroom tests can contribute valuable information about the quality and relevance of the curriculum
with regard to wholesome development of the learner. They can also be used as a means of detecting
syllabus strengths and weaknesses.

In order to pass a comprehensive judgement on the quality and relevance of an educational programme, it
is necessary to obtain information from a variety of stakeholders such as learners, teachers, school
administrators, parents / guardians, and local leaders among others. Further, it is prudent to use a variety
of data collecting procedures and instruments in order to obtain a rich assortment of information. Among
the instruments and their attendant procedures are the following:

 Classroom observation schedules –class visits are meant to see teachers in action.
 Questionnaires - administered to individual learners, teachers, school administrators and other
relevant parties to seek their opinions on specific aspects of the educational programme.
 Interview schedules –used with samples of relevant people (e.g. learners, teachers, curriculum
developers, school inspectors) to obtain an in-depth view on specific educational matters.
 Focus group discussion (F.G.D)-specific groups of interest (e.g.. teachers, parents), numbering
about 8-12 are for an open discussion on specific issues about education or specific curriculum.
 Document analysis – This is a scheme that seeks to obtain information from institutional records
(class test scores, availability and use of resources, staff turnover, learner enrollment e.t.c.)