FACTORS INFLUENCING DESIGN OF BUSINESS STUDIES TESTS IN FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: A CASE STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MOUNT KENYA REGION IN KENYA

Abstract

Abstract The current Kenyan education system favours academic certificates from national standardized examinations as indicators of achievement and a major tool for both academic and professional mobility. Consequently, this has a trickledown effect on what happens at the school level on how students and teachers view formative assessment tests.Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the factors influencing design of business studies tests in formative assessment with particular focus on whether the given tests were to aid learning or to offer an opportunity to practice whatwas tested in the end of secondary education course national examinations. The population of the study included all the business studies teachers in the area of Mount Kenya. The study was based on a case study research design. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select eight secondary schools offering business studies at form four levels and teachers in charge of business studies from these schools were included in the study. A focus group discussion guide was used as research instrument to facilitate collection of the desired data which were analyzed thematically. It was observed thatowing to the fact that teachers' professional efficiency and effectivenesswas determined by results from national standardized tests given to students, there existed a shift of focus from testing to aid further learning to that of practicing national standardized examinations. Therefore, factors such as testing frequency, sources of question items, need for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education model examinations, general need for excellent results, language of the examination, compulsory syllabus areas, benefits of excellent results and treats from dismal results influenced the design of business studies formative assessment tests by teachers in the secondary schools