TEACHERS' UTILIZATION OF AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF SCIENCES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The importance of sciences education cannot be overstated, as it plays a critical role in preparing students for the complexities of the 21st century. However, the traditional methods of assessment have been criticized for their limitations in promoting deep learning and understanding of scientific concepts. In response to this need, this study examined teachers' utilization of authentic assessment for  effective teaching of sciences in public secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the study . The study adopted descriptive research design.  The population of the study consisted of 6,598 teachers in all public secondary schools  in Anambra State, Nigeria. The sample of the study comprised of 430 teachers as respondents.  Stratified and  Simple random sampling technique were adopted in drawing teachers from the public secondary schools. The instruments for data collection were structured questionnaire titled “teachers' utilization of authentic assessment Questionnaire (TUAAQ)” and “Effective Teaching of Science Questionnaire (ETSQ)”. The instruments were subjected to face and construct validity by three experts.  The reliability of the instruments were established using Cronbach’s Alpha statistics, the average reliability coefficient showed a value of 0.71 for (TUAAQ) and 0.83 for (ETSQ), therefore the instruments were considered reliable and adequate for the study. The researcher visited the sampled schools with the aid of six briefed research-assistants to administer and retrieve the copies of the questionnaire. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test. The findings indicated that teachers' utilization of authentic assessment is to a low extent and significant for  effective teaching of sciences in public secondary schools in Anambra State  The study recommended the implementation of authentic assessment in the teaching of sciences, including integration with 21st-century skills, use of technology, and design of real-world applications. The study also recommended the need for professional development opportunities, resources, and policy support for educators to effectively implement authentic assessment in the teaching of sciences.