Following the reopening of schools after the national lockdown in March 2020, the Department of Basic Education (2020a) in South Africa implemented the School Reform Plan to mitigate the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the loss of learning and teaching in schools. To date, limited information is available on the extent to which these measures have had an impact on pedagogical practices of teachers across the different poverty quintile schools. In this paper, we report on teachers' perceptions of how novel technological tools, introduced during the pandemic, altered their pedagogy practices across no-fee and fee-paying schools. Data was obtained from 1098 teachers and analysed using Engestrom's (1987) Cultural Historical Activity Theory as the framework. Findings indicate that two broad, ideal pedagogical types, reinforcement pedagogy and collaborative pedagogy, emerged in both no-fee and fee-paying schools from the use of technology in schools during the COVID pandemic. While reinforcement pedagogy is motivated by the need to cover the curriculum, the motivation behind collaborative pedagogy is to develop learners' understanding of concepts in class.

To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning, the School Recovery Plan (SRP) was implemented by the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. In this study, we explore the impact of the SRP on teachers' conceptualisation of new and different assessment practices. Data were obtained from 1098 teachers using an online survey and analysed using Cultural Historical Activity Theory. The findings revealed that the reduced emphasis on formal assessments and the enhanced emphasis on formative assessment had a positive impact on teachers' teaching practices. These findings point to a conducive environment for transforming teachers' assessment practices and for developing new patterns of learning that could potentially challenge prevailing accountability and performativity cultures. Additional research is required to determine whether the intent of the SRP can lead to sustained change in teachers' assessment practices across fee and no-fee schools, and its impact of on learners' learning.

Background: Formative assessment has been reported to improve learners’ learning in affluent contexts. However, very few studies have reported the impact of formative assessment on teachers’ knowledge and understanding in no-fee public schools located in a low socio-economic context. Aim: This article investigates the impact of the Assessment for Learning Capacity Development Programme (AfL CDP) on teachers’ formative assessment knowledge and understanding pertaining to the five formative assessment strategies: learning intentions and success criteria, questioning, feedback, peer and self-assessment. Setting: This study was conducted as part of the Assessment for Learning (AfL) in Africa project in one Gauteng district involving 20 Grade 3 teachers from six no-fee public schools. Methods: Teachers in this study participated in the AfL CDP, implemented using the reflect, mediate, acquire and adapt, plan, prepare, present, support (ReMAPS) intervention framework. Baseline and endline data were collected using the formative assessment reflection exercises (FARE) before and after the AfL CDP, while t -tests were used to determine differences in performance. Results: The results revealed significant improvements in teacher formative assessment knowledge and understanding across all five strategies. Conclusion: The ReMAPS intervention framework, applied in the AfL CDP, proved successful in supporting teachers to improve their formative assessment knowledge and understanding, even when implemented in challenging contexts, and provides a viable, practical model for implementing AfL pedagogical strategy by the Department of Education. Contribution: This study adds to the body of knowledge by providing research-based findings about how an AfL capacity development programme implemented in a challenging context in South Africa, benefited teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and understanding.

The focus of the South African Education Research Association's Assessment and Testing Special Interest Group (SIG) is to contribute to current initiatives and debates pertaining to the development and implementation of assessment systems for improving learning and teaching. In particular, the SIG's members aim to address dominant performativity discourses impacting schools and universities by (1) providing a common understanding of the purpose and use of assessment, (2) locating the different assessment applications across the broader system within which learning and teaching occurs, and (3) highlighting recent initiatives impacting on assessment policy and practices. We think it essential to highlight critical policy and practice questions, while simultaneously acknowledging ongoing challenges for implementing enabling assessment systems that support the specific pedagogical needs of learners, teachers, students, and lecturers. Notwithstanding the complexities of effecting change, increasing discourse on, as well as relevant critique of, policies and practices that fail to improve learning and teaching, enhances possibilities for implementing enabling assessment policy and practice that seek to address the elusive challenge of equity and quality within the education system.

The study reported on here contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the use of standard setting methods for improving the reporting and utility value of assessment results in South Africa as well as for addressing the conceptual shortcomings of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) reporting framework. Using data from the “verification” version of the Annual National Assessments (ANAs), we explored relevant technical and conceptual factors to consider for the application of standard setting methods. Two sets of panellists were trained to generate cut scores for Grade 6 mathematics and English First Additional Language (FAL), one using the Angoff method and the other the Objective Standard Setting (OSS) method. The findings indicate that the 2 methods generated different sets of cut scores across the performance levels for both subjects. While these cut scores had significant implications for the percentage of learners classified at each performance level, they were consistent with findings from other studies. We also identified 4 key factors to address when undertaking standard setting exercises: engagement with test content, resource requirements, requisite expertise and software, and collective accountability. We conclude that standard setting approaches should be the preferred option to the CAPS reporting framework when reporting assessment results in South Africa. More importantly, the decision on the most appropriate method for the South African context depends largely on the extent to which the 4 key factors identified can be addressed.

Background: Recent initiatives by the Department of Basic Education to support teachers to enhance their use of formative assessment are positive steps for improving teaching and learning. However, the nature and type of support required by teachers is unclear given the dearth of information on teachers' current pedagogical practices, and the extent to which formative assessment approaches are applied. Aim: This article explores teachers' pedagogical practices in relation to five key formative assessment strategies: introduction of lesson objectives and assessment criteria, questioning and learner engagement, feedback practices and peer and self-assessment. Setting: This study was conducted in two districts involving 96 foundation and intermediate phase teachers selected from 54 fee- and no-fee-paying schools. Methods: Data were obtained using lesson observations and document review schedules. The analysis comprised descriptive and chi-square statistics. Results: Some evidence of all the formative assessment strategies as well as the range of steps that characterised each strategy was observed in the pedagogical practices of teachers sampled for this study. However, only a minority of teachers were able to demonstrate effective use of any specific strategy. No significant differences were detected between teachers in fee-paying and no-fee-paying schools as well as between the foundation and intermediate phases. Conclusion: Evidence of various aspects of the formative assessment approach in teachers' pedagogical practices provides a positive platform for enhancing their formative assessment knowledge and skills. The key challenge pertains to ensuring the effective implementation of the formative assessment approach to address the specific learning needs of all learners, in both fee and no-fee schools.

Within initial teacher education there is increasing pressure to enhance the use of assessment data to support students to improve their knowledge and skills, and to determine what standards they meet upon graduation. For such data to be useful, both programme designers and students require meaningful and comprehensive assessment reports on students’ performance. However, current reporting formats, based on percentages, are inadequate for providing meaningful qualitative information on students’ mathematics proficiency and, therefore, are unlikely to be used for interventions to improve teaching and enhance learning. This article proposes standard setting as an approach to reporting the assessment results in formats that are meaningful for decision-making and efficacious in subsequent interventions. Mathematics tests, developed through the Primary Teacher Education (PrimTEd) project, were administered electronically on a convenient sample of first-year and fourth-year PrimTEd students ( N = 1 377). The data were analysed using traditional descriptive statistical analysis and the Objective Standard Setting method. The two reporting formats – one using a percentage score and the other using standards-based performance levels – were then compared. The study identified important distinguishing features of students’ mathematical proficiency from the two reporting formats, and makes important findings on the specific knowledge and skills that students in South African initial teacher education programmes demonstrate. We conclude that reporting assessment results in standards-based formats facilitates differentiated interventions to meet students’ learning needs. Furthermore, this approach holds good prospects for benchmarking performance across universities and for monitoring national standards.

Developing programs that adequately prepare teachers to address the key challenges of quality and equity in schools remain an ongoing challenge in the new, democratic South Africa. This chapter reviews the changes effected in the Professional Studies theory and teaching practicum component to enhance student teachers’ knowledge and skills for teaching in South African classrooms. Key changes were effected to the course content, methods, and approaches used in teaching the course, materials developed for the course, student assignments and final project, and the evaluation of the teaching practicum. Data was obtained from surveys and focus group interviews conducted as part of a larger sector study across four initial teacher training programs in South Africa. Findings highlight the positive impact of the changes effected to the Professional Studies course, with significantly more students from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) reporting being better prepared for the teaching practicum, receiving greater support from their lecturers, and reporting higher gains in assessment knowledge and skills from their teaching practicum experiences. Several challenges were also noted during the interviews regarding their preparedness to address issues of inclusivity and deal with the challenge of the different languages of learning and teaching at schools. However, as these students enter the teaching profession, it remains unknown whether their newly acquired knowledge and skills, especially with regard to assessment, will impact on their classroom practices to address the challenges of improving learning for all.

In this article we propose a framework for reporting mathematics results from national assessment surveys (NAS) such that effective use of the resulting reports can enhance teaching and learning. We explored literature on factors that may contribute to non-utilisation of assessment data as a basis for decision-making. In the context of South Africa, we identified the form and formats in which results of NAS are reported as a possible limiting factor to the effective use of summative assessment results for formative purposes. As an alternative, we propose a standards-based reporting framework that will ensure accurate measurement of, and meaningful feedback on, what learners know and can do. We illustrate how, within a properly designed reporting framework, the results of a NAS in mathematics can be used for formative purposes to enhance teaching and learning and, possibly, improve learner performance.

Often excluded and overlooked at the national level, poor and marginalized communities within low- and middle-income countries also frequently slip through international efforts to raise global education outcomes. When the focus is on average country-level performance, those who face the most barriers to education and learning continue to be left out. This book shifts the conversation to bring more attention to learning inequalities within countries. It is rooted in discussions on learning that first took place during an international conference held by the University of Pennsylvania, in the United States, on 2-3 March 2017. The premise is that by focusing more on marginalized communities within poorer countries equity can be improved and overall national levels of learning will increase. Quality education and learning play central roles in the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the development goals are largely normative, meaning that too little attention has been given to variations within countries and to those who are performing at the lower end of the social pyramid. Dan Wagner, UNESCO Chair and senior organizer of the conference, has called for greater attention to the 'learning equity' agenda as a way of reinforcing the potential and impact of the UN goals. Featuring essays and commentaries from 36 international experts, the book is a cutting-edge resource for those seeking to understand the science of learning in low-resource settings worldwide. It explores the complex nuances of the phrase bottom of the pyramid, looks at how to measure learning in marginalized populations, and ways that new policy approaches can improve learning for all. Greater knowledge on learning in low-income societies is crucial if we are to achieve both inclusion and equity in improving the quality of education worldwide.

This article reports on a study conducted to determine Grade 2 teachers' knowledge and understanding of learning, teaching and assessment for use in the planning and implementation of a large-scale professional development programme on Assessment for Learning. A baseline survey was used to collect data from teachers in 86 schools, randomly selected across fee paying and no-fee schools in two Gauteng districts. Teacher responses across both school types indicate a predominant emphasis on teacher-centred approaches, despite acknowledging the importance of effective learner engagement in their lessons. An overwhelming majority displayed limited knowledge of formative assessment, often conflating formative with formal assessment. More concerning however, was the absence of a deeper understanding regarding the use of assessment for enhancing learner participation and for identifying specific learning needs of learners. The implications of these findings for supporting teachers to develop and implement formative assessment approaches are explored further. The paper concludes by noting areas for further research to determine whether professional development programmes, implemented within the context of learning and teaching in South African schools, can succeed in enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills for the effective use of formative assessment approaches to improve learning for all.

This article proposes the use of a standards-based approach to reporting results from large-scale assessment surveys in South Africa. The use of this approach is intended to address the key shortcomings observed in the current reporting framework prescribed in the national curriculum documents. Using the Angoff method and data from the Annual National Assessments, the article highlights how standard setting procedures should be conducted to develop meaningful reports that provide users with relevant information that can be effectively used to identify and develop appropriate interventions to address learning gaps. The findings of the study produced policy definitions and performance level descriptors that are proposed for use in enhancing the reporting of results for grade six English and mathematics. Moreover, the findings also indicate that the reporting of the Annual National Assessments using the national curriculum reporting categories overestimates the percentage of learners classified at the lowest performance levels and underestimates those in the next category. This finding has serious implications for the implementation of targeted interventions aimed at improving learning for all. The paper concludes by noting areas of further research for enhancing the use of results of large-scale assessment surveys and for supporting schools and teachers in addressing specific learning needs of all learners, especially the poor and marginalised.

Over the last decade a number of studies have been conducted to determine the impact of formative assessment on student performance. However, most of these studies were based on small samples, often applied research designs that were not amenable to reporting the impact of interventions, and were conducted in developing nations, with limited research emerging from developed nations.This paper reports on a randomised control trial, conducted in 200 South African schools, to enhance teacher assessment knowledge and practices to improve learning, as well as to implement a sustainable programme for improving district officials' support provided to schools. The programme, titled the "District-wide professional development programme in assessment", is expected to run over a two-year period and aims to improve teacher assessment knowledge and practice, student classroom engagement and performance as well as district support staff's assessment knowledge and skill to better support schools to improve their use of assessment for improving learning and teaching.The paper begins with an overview of the context within which the study is conducted, highlighting the disparity between the different schools selected for the study. Next the theoretical framework and implementation model is presented, followed by the evaluation design applied. Key issues noted include: the challenge of training trainers, the development of relevant learning and teaching material and the selection of an appropriate design for the randomised control trial. The paper concludes with an overview of the limitations, and highlights the challenges expected in the successful implementation of the programme for ensuring improvement in learning for all students.

This study explores foundation phase teachers’ assessment literacy, and their understanding and use of formative and summative assessment. Using questionnaires, observations and interviews, data were obtained from Grade 1, 2 and 3 teachers from a school each in quintile 2, 3 and 5. Teachers from all three schools demonstrated equally low levels of assessment literacy. While understanding of summative assessment was noticeably higher, all teachers demonstrated very poor understanding of formative assessment. Notwithstanding the small sample size, the study highlights the need for professional development programmes to focus on enhancing teachers’ assessment literacy. It also calls for additional research on a conceptualisation of assessment literacy that is relevant to South African teachers, and for determining the impact of concepts and practices advocated in the national assessment and curriculum policies on teachers’ use of assessment to address the learning needs of all learners across schools in the different quintile categories.

This paper reports on the perceptions and experiences of primary school teachers of the challenges they faced and the prospects of using data from the Annual National Assessments (ANAs). While the majority stated that information from the ANAs can assist teachers to improve learning, responses on the use of the ANAs in the classroom were mixed, with most reporting that teachers did not know how to use ANA results to improve learning, and that no plans were in place at their schools for the use of ANA data. A significant proportion also indicated that they received little or no support from the school district on how to use ANA results. These findings were consistent across the school quintiles as well as the foundation and intermediate phases. Given the potential value of the ANAs, the paper highlights two initiatives aimed at enhancing the meaningful use of ANA results to improve learning and teaching in schools.

This paper reports on the evaluation process and outcomes of a large-scale school intervention project conducted in South African schools. Known as the Quality Learning Project (QLP), the project intervened simultaneously at the district, school and classroom levels of the education system, focussing on achieving substantial improvements in learner performance. Two strategies of interventions were selected: capacity building to improve the functioning of districts, schools and classrooms; and effective teacher support to improve learning. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies and indicators were utilized to build greater confidence in the results. The findings indicate that improvements in learner performance can be attributed to the interventions. The paper highlights emerging lessons from the evaluation of the QLP for efforts to improve the quality of education in South Africa. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p792

This chapter critically reviews the role and use of assessment in the learning and teaching process. Assessment is pivotal in learning, and the use of assessment in early childhood and school education is considered. It is argued that striking a balance between the assessment of and for, learning is crucial for the effective education of all learners, particularly the most marginalized and disadvantaged. We also advance the view that well-designed assessment systems are important for accountability and for ensuring the success of educational reform efforts.