An Evaluation of the Assessment Process used in an Education Development Programme: A Case Study of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) Project in Bloemfontein in South Africa

Abstract

The study aims to evaluate the performance of educators who participated in the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) project provided by the Motheo District and the assessment procedure employed to assess the competency of the participants. The participants were from two districts of the Free State Province, namely: Thabo Mofutsanyana (Qwa Qwa) and Lejweleputswa (Odendaalsrus). Twenty seven (15 females and 12 males) were from Odendaalsrus and twenty five (14 females and 11 males) were from Qwa-Qwa. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in this study. Quantitative interpretation of data was done using Microsoft Excel 2000 to map-out and display data. The questions were analyzed using Gowin’s epistemology V and Bloom’s Taxonomy. Through the use of assessing the examination question papers that the facilitators set for the educators and interviews with the participants it was evident that the manner in which assessment was conducted did not conform to the principles of setting a question paper that is questions asked should not be too easy or too difficult. They should be real examination questions covering all the competences of the students.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p1397