Towards The Improvement Of Practical Teaching Assessment

Abstract

The focus of this study was to find ways of improving current methods of teaching practice assessment with a view to promoting student-teacher development as well as improving interaction between the student, the host-teacher and the supervisor with regard to appropriate and productive teaching behaviors. One hundred and sixty questionnaires were distributed to teacher training colleges-and to members of the University of Zimbabwe’s Faculty of Education. A 72% response was received. The results revealed that although most institutions have set guidelines for the assessment of student teachers, these were not often followed and the bases of criteria used varied enormously. It was also revealed that the majority (75%) of the institutions have lists of criteria used for assessment in written form. Despite this, impressionistic, rather than analytic methods for assessing teaching practice are still prevalent. This study indicates that there are serious weaknesses in the current system of teaching practice assessment and suggestions on how this could be improved are made.