Institutionalising Continuous Assessment in Primary Teacher Education

Abstract

The Handbook for tutors in Primary Teachers' Colleges on how to conduct Continuous Assessment (CA) has been designed to address the integral components of the teaching and learning process. The Handbook has been designed in harmony with the revised PTE curriculum (2009) in which CA has been embedded to improve on the assessment mechanisms in PTCs. which for a long time has been mainly theoretical and examination oriented. In line with the Millennium Development and Education for All Goals (2002) the handbook consolidates provision of quality education by meeting the set standards among the PTE teacher trainees and the newly qualified teachers on probation and the already practicing teachers in the primary schools. The handbook aims at building capacity of teacher educators in implementing Continuous Assessment for delivery of quality pre- and in-service teacher training. Further the handbook is to help tutors in PTCs to internalize the concepts, theories. principles and practices of assessment in general and Continuous Assessment in particular. The handbook will also act as a support mechanism to the already existing policies, initiatives. reforms and innovations in PTCs and primary schools curricula. It will also support the assessment of education of teacher trainees, practicing teachers and learners with Special Education Needs in PTCs and primary schools. The handbook is useful to both pre- and in-service tutors. It provides guidance and support strategies on assessment of Thematic Cuniculum (P.1-3), transition class (P.4) and upper primary (P.5-7) curricula. The Handbook will continually help tutors practice the values learned in the CTEP course (2007) which focused on the protocols of reflective practice, action research, reflective papers, professional portfolio development, institutional development, education planning and management, support supervision, mentoring and coaching.