Alternative ways of evaluating student performance

In this paper, a study proposal on the alternative ways of evaluating student performance is done. Use of Tests and Exams in Schools is an Inadequate Way of Testing Students’ Understanding What They Have Been Taught The field of education is broad in nature and is often viewed by many the only gateway to successful careers and lives. Majority of careers and life situations require the adequate application of knowledge learnt from schools in the course of a person’s educational journey. Millions of people go through an education system and graduate on a yearly basis and for many, this is a step further in their careers (Silins et al. Tests and exams are usually applied to gauge the understanding of students across different academic disciplines.

Different factors contribute to students not giving their best in exams. The factors range from health, poor understanding of certain concepts to unfavourable circumstances at home or in the lives of the students. As a result of this, this research aims to answer the following research questions; RQ:1 What are the alternative ways of testing for academic success among students other than the use of exams? RQ2: Are exams an adequate way of testing academic understanding in students? To answer this question, the research aims to adopt an ethnographic research method to collect the relevant information that will provide adequate answers (Bishop 10). Under this research method, in-depth research of students in agriculture-related programs across the United States will be done. The approach will adopt three specific actions.

According to Kirkpatrick and Zang, this system aims to control what students know and what they don’t (39). This type of education system, therefore, manifests itself as oppressive to one’s social and academic lives. In such an education system, use of exams downplays the core components and purposes of education, which include, but not limited to, critical thinking. In another study, Karande & Madhuri opted to find out the causes of poor performances in Indian schools (962). In the findings, several factors that affect the performance of students and schools, in general, were highlighted. The study aimed at finding the way forward for quality education in the country. In the findings, the majority of the respondents indicated that the societal preferences of having an education certificate for passing exams were the main cause for malpractice among students (127).

Respondents, who were students, cited that one could be clever in a certain area or topic and since exam questions only focused on a single or small area of learning, no other option existed other than engaging in malpractice. This, coupled with societal pressures of doing well in the exam, created a culture of students not believing in the importance of the education system (128). Petters & Maureen further found out that there were no government plans to help reshape the fate of those who failed exams in schools (129). further alludes that certain top organizations have already gone into partnerships with some of the universities and colleges to supply them with the best performing students as their future employees. In most cases, some of these institutions of learning tend to focus on the best performing students with little focus being placed on those who aren’t good academically (312).

Additionally, McClelland et al. allude that these institutions impart, in most cases, the knowledge that is meant to help the student pass exams and not impart knowledge that can be applied in real-life situations. McClelland et al. During exams, students who can perfectly reproduce the information gained through cramming have high chances of passing with higher grades. Employers, who are always looking for the top performing students, rush to incorporate some of these students into their workforce (Siau et al. The inability to apply the knowledge gained in schools among these employees is usually evident in the lack of skills and knowledge to perform certain functions in their job descriptions. Emphasis on academic excellence has overshadowed the purpose of education among certain schools (Coe et al.

Little or no focus is placed on extra-curricular activities that certain students are good at. Students may have demonstrated a clear understanding of what they have been taught but issues such as the framing or design of the final evaluations tests may result in failure. Additionally, final exams only focus on a few questions that are used to determine who progresses their careers. The questions asked may not be in the scope of the students’ understanding. According to Shohamy et al. , a broader approach that examines students from all areas taught is required (310). Quantitative Research Proposal After a review of existing literature on the topic, the research needed needs to focus on collecting information from students and key stakeholders of the exam-oriented education system.

Quantitative research methods are needed to collect the relevant required information. The following hypotheses have been proposed for the study: Hypotheses 1 H0: There is no statistical significance in applying other academic evaluation techniques. H1: There is statistical significance in applying other academic evaluation techniques. Hypothesis 2 H0: There is statistical significance between applying an exam-oriented education system and career success. The challenge of accessing some of the key stakeholders in the education sector is expected. In such a case, the researcher will try and communicate in advance with the targeted respondents in order to have an overview of who is easy to approach or access (Jeszka 31). Conclusion The use of exams to evaluate the performance and understanding of concepts in students is inadequate.

The exam-oriented system focuses on the final results of the students in tests and often determines the next course of their careers. Those who pass are granted lucrative opportunities to excel their careers while those who fail are branded as failures and left to decide the fate of their lives on their own. Routledge, 2012. Jeszka, Anna Maria. “Research Problems and Hypotheses in Management Sciences. ” Organization and Management, vol. 2013, no. 1007/bf02731673. Kirkpatrick, Robert, and Yuebing Zang. “Correction: The Negative Influences of Exam-Oriented Education on Chinese High School Students: Backwash from Classroom to Child. ” Language Testing in Asia, vol. 4, no. "Children at risk for early academic problems: The role of learning-related social skills. " Early childhood research quarterly 15. Peña-López, Ismael. "Creating effective teaching and learning environments: First results from TALIS.