Issues in Assessment Practices at Botswana Private Tertiary Institutions as Perceived by Undergraduate Students
Keywords:
assessment practices, perceptions, Botswana private tertiary institutionsAbstract
This study investigated undergraduate students’ perceptions on the issues pertaining to assessment practices at Botswana Private Tertiary Institutions. The purpose of the study was to investigate their perceptions on the issues relating to assessment practices. A survey research design was used for the study. A close- ended questionnaire, with four point Likert scale was developed regarding the issues on assessment practices and administered to a randomly selected five hundred (500) undergraduates from five (5) randomly selected tertiary institutions of higher Education in Botswana. Out of which four hundred and thirty six (436) undergraduate tertiary students responded to the questionnaire and their responses were coded, analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency distributions, mean, standard deviation of responses), exploratory factor analysis, independent t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results revealed eight (8) main issues of assessment practices as perceived by Botswana Private Tertiary undergraduate students which were as follows: Limited assessment strategies used by lecturers; Inadequate feedback; Non-challenging quality of test items; Assessment to be structured for teaching and learning; Assessment by lecturers not fair and valid; Assessment items focuses more on low order cognitive questions; Timing of assessments not strategic; Marking of assessments by lecturers not consistent.
The study further determined if gender and the different tertiary institutions had a significant influence on the undergraduate students’ perceived issues on assessment practices at the different private tertiary universities. It was found that that gender and university of study had significant influence on students’ perceptions with regard to some issues on assessment practices. Based on the findings, all these issues perceived by the undergraduate students would inform institutions of higher education in Botswana tertiary institutions. Recommendations and way forward were suggested to improve the assessment practices at Botswana  private tertiary institutions.
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