Relationship Between Continuous Assessment And Students’ Performance In Physics At O-Level Examinations In Mbale Municipality, Uganda

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between continuous assessment and students’ performance in physics at O’ level examination in Mbale municipality, Uganda. The research focused on the following objectives: To find out how documentation and implementation of continuous assessment in secondary schools in Mbale municipality. To examine the relationship between continuous assessment and students’ performance in physics at O’ level examination in private and public schools in Mbale municipality. To find out the teacher perception of whether students’ exposed to various continuous assessment strategies perform better in physics at O’ level examination. The study adopted cross- sectional research survey. The design was used by the researcher to gather data from a sample of teachers, director of studies and students’ records. The study population has covered 20 schools at out of which 4 schools were randomly selected with a total population of 922, and the researcher selected a sample size of 319 respondents, whom were students’, teachers’ and director of studies. Stratified random sampling techniques was used to select students’, teachers and purposive sampling was use to select director of studies. Data collection for this study was presented in frequency distribution and percentage tables. Correlation test was computed for each set of responses in the students’ records in order to find out the significant relationship between the variables. The findings of the study showed that variables such as assignment, exercise, teacher-made tests and practical tests have low relationship to academic performance of students’ in physics at O’ level examination in schools under study. The researcher concluded that the above variables are elements that have relationship on performance of students in secondary school in Mbale municipality. Teachers should participate in the implementation of those continuous assessment strategies in schools in other to have good performance among the students’. The stakeholders should put more emphasized on continuous assessment strategies being implemented in schools. Adequate supervision should be giving to the teachers to know the status of the students’ performance in schools.