Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Nipael Mrutu

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Winston Massam

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

Kenya implemented a new curriculum, CBC, due to the flaws experienced by the 8-4-4 system. The realization was made possible by borrowing ideas from countries with success anecdotes in CBC across the globe. A key component of the curriculum design book, the formative assessment rubrics, is a new concept especially in rural public primary schools, Kenya that have limited resources, infrastructure, and teachers. With just over five years of operation, opportunities and challenges are expected in its adoption. However, there is scant literature about the use of rubrics in primary schools in Kenya and therefore, this study sought to explore how formative assessment rubrics is used in schools to support teaching and learning. An exploratory qualitative case study design was conducted in one public primary school in the rural context to collect data. The study engaged six teachers and employed interviews, observation, and document analysis which revealed the findings as; teachers viewed rubrics as an assessment tool that paved way for other functions including individualized learning, grouping learners, and for providing feedback; and they use the rubrics for gauging teaching, learning, and assessment, grading learners and providing feedback. However, the challenges that hindered the effective use of the rubrics were revealed as considerable time consumed in adjusting the rubrics, dilemma of grading learners using rubrics, overcrowded classrooms and expenses incurred while trying to conform to the initiative. The study therefore recommended that the MOE should employ more teachers and build more classrooms to ease teachers’ burden of teaching in overcrowded classrooms, MOE to fund schools with the required resources, MOE and KICD to intensify in-service training with an additional practical approach, teachers to embrace creativity in facilitating learners on improvising learning aids to reduce on costs, and teachers’ communities of practice to be activated for timely support from peer teachers.

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