Assessment Practices in Mathematics at the College of Education, Arts, & Sciences of Capiz State

Abstract

This study explored the assessment practices of mathematics teachers in the College
of Education, Arts, and Sciences of Capiz State University. Using qualitative
descriptive research, a population of six mathematics teachers and eight
purposively selected BSEd mathematics major students were covered in the study.
Open-ended questionnaire was utilized and documentary analysis was done to
obtain the needed data. The data gathered were analyzed using the General
Inductive Approach to draw significant views of the participants relevant to the
research objectives. Results show that teacher-participants use a combination of
traditional and authentic assessments in their mathematics class; the former for
pedagogic functions, while the latter for enhancing instruction, summarizing
learning, and testing students’ ability to apply the concepts learned in real-life
context. Traditional and authentic assessments have their own strengths and
limitations as perceived by the participants. Issues and concerns surrounding both
methods of assessments are related to the preparation, implementation, evaluation,
and communication of results. An assessment program that captures students’
thought processes and enhances mathematics learning not tapped by written exams
is proposed. Further, diagnosing individual learner to determine the kind of
intelligence they possess as well as their varying backgrounds is recommended for
a more improved and informed assessment practice in mathematics class.