Lecturers Perception of the Quality of Assessment Methods in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Assessment is an important procedure employed in determining the extent to which students have demonstrated the expected outcomes in the teaching-learning process. Assessment for learning and assessment of learning are geared towards obtaining a holistic view of students' progress or otherwise during and after schooling. The various methods of assessing students especially in the institutions of higher learning are of great importance in the attainment of the desired goals in the educational sector. It is in the light of the foregoing that the study investigated perception of lecturers on the quality of assessment in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The population comprised all lecturers in the institution. A sample of 110 respondents selected through the simple random sampling technique was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was a researcher designed questionnaire titled: ‘Lecturers Perception of Quality of Assessment Methods Questionnaire' (LPQAMQ). The research questions were answered with mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistic. The result of the study revealed that written examinations, individual projects, course assignments, continuous assessment, etc are assessment methods used by lecturers; lecturers  perceive that assessment methods produce highly motivated, conscientious and brilliant students, challenges students to study harder, are valuable methods of feedback for lecturers, etc; there was no significant difference between male and female lecturers on the method of assessing students; and there was no significant difference between male and female lecturers in their perception on the assessment methods used. The study recommended that other assessment methods such as online assessment should be adopted by the university lecturers.