Author: Jamal Jumanne Athuman

Abstract: This study investigated the assessment literacy of secondary school biology teachers in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania, within the context of the competence-based curriculum. The research aims to identify the level of understanding and knowledge among teachers regarding assessment principles and practices. A sample of 165 biology teachers was surveyed, and inferential and descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the data. The findings indicate that 40% of the teachers demonstrated a strong grasp of assessment principles, 30% exhibited a moderate understanding, 20% had limited understanding, and 10% showed misconceptions or significant gaps in understanding. Moreover, an inferential analysis revealed a significant difference in assessment literacy scores between teachers with more than 10 years of experience and those with less than 5 years of experience. Experienced teachers tended to have higher assessment literacy scores. A positive correlation was found between teachers’ assessment literacy scores and their student’s academic achievement. Higher assessment literacy among teachers was associated with better academic performance among students. The study provides valuable insights into the assessment literacy of biology teachers in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania, and the challenges they face in implementing competence-based assessment practices. The results emphasize the importance of ongoing professional development to enhance teachers’ competencies in assessment design and aligning assessments with the competence-based curriculum.

Keywords:  Assessment Literacy, Assessment Practices, Assessment methods, Competence Based Curriculum, Assessment Performance tasks, Classroom observation, and Professional development