ESSENCE OF TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION OF CLASSROOM BASED ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN MALAYSIAN PRIMARY CLASSROOMS

Abstract

Classroom-based assessment is a two-way process in which both teacher and students interact to promote greater learning. Despite several workshops and trainings, teachers seem to struggle to implement CBA during lessons due to their lack of understanding and knowledge of CBA. Aforementioned research has provided evidence that there is a need to explore teachers’ knowledge construction of CBA to identify the gap of knowledge of CBA, not only to understand what teachers know about CBA and what they need to know more about, but by understanding how teachers construct their knowledge of CBA, policy makers will be able to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of the current way teachers are supported through the CBA initiative. This study is significant to explore as teachers’ knowledge construction of CBA shapes how they implement CBA in their classrooms. With close reference to Matsuo’s Experiential Learning Theory, this study aims to explore teachers’ experiences on how they construct their knowledge of CBA. The essence of teachers’ knowledge construction of CBA will be obtained through a phenomenological case-study approach with six primary school English teachers as participants of this study. Data will be collected via classroom observations, interview sessions and documents. The findings that will be deduced inductively through transcendental phenomenological analysis will enable policy makers to make sound decision in terms of trainings and workshops needed to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge of CBA.