Abstract:
Assessment is a powerful tool for raising the standards of teaching
and learning of mathematics at the junior high school level. This study therefore
explored the perceived influence of assessment on the teaching and learning of
mathematics in junior high schools of OLA Circuit in Cape Coast Metropolitan
area. The research design used for the study is a concurrent triangulation mixed
method design. A simple random sampling technique was used to select four
(4) public junior high schools out of eight (8) schools in the circuit. A multistage
sampling procedure was employed to select the schools and participants
for the study. A total of 134 participants comprising 15 teachers and 119
students participated in the study. The data for the study were mainly collected
through questionnaires and interviews. Findings of the study revealed that class
exercise, homework, and trial work were the most common mode of assessment
used by teachers during mathematics instruction. Again, the study discovered
that teachers faced some challenges in the implementation of classroom
assessment. The study therefore makes certain recommendations likely to
improve on the quality of assessment practices in mathematics classrooms in
the focal schools.
