PREDICTIVE POTENCY OF TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT PRACTICES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS IN NSUKKA EDUCATION ZONE, ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive potency of teachers’ assessment practices on secondary school students’ academic achievement in Mathematics in the Nsukka Education Zone, Enugu State, Nigeria. A correlational survey research design was adopted. A sample size of 342 Senor Secondary Two (SS II) Mathematics students in Nsukka education zone was used for the study. Teachers’ Assessment Practice Questionnaire (TAPQ) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) were used for data collection. Reliability coefficients of 0.93 and 0.91 were obtained for TAPQ and MAT respectively. Linear regression analysis was used to answer research questions 1-5 while research questions 6-7 was answered using multiple regression analysis. Regression t-test was used to test hypotheses 1-5, while hypotheses 6 was tested using regression ANOVA. All hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that formative assessment predicted 38.4%, diagnostic assessment predicted 37.1%, peer-assessment predicted 32%, and self-assessment predicted 26.4% of the variation in students’ academic achievement. Summative assessment accounted for 5.2% of the variance. Importantly, the combined effect of all assessment practices jointly predicted 65.7% of students’ achievement, indicating a significant and substantial influence of teachers’ assessment practices on Mathematics achievement. The study concludes that assessment practices, particularly when used in combination, play a critical role in enhancing students’ understanding, engagement, and learning outcomes in Mathematics. The study recommends that teachers adopt an integrated approach to assessment by combining formative, summative, diagnostic, self-, and peer-assessment strategies, and that educational authority provide professional development and policy support to strengthen the effective implementation of these practices. The findings highlight the importance of diverse and continuous assessment strategies as tools for improving academic achievement in secondary school Mathematics.