Introduction:
Consistent with the education system of Bangladesh, students pass their adolescent in secondary education which is the best time to build up and prepare for the future. Traditionally, in almost all educational institutes (schools), activities like class exercises, class tests, home works, sports, cultural programs etc. are being observed regularly. Although these co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are crucial for their behavioral, social and practical knowledge based development, students have been evaluated only on the basis of terms examination and final examination marks. These activities have been paid minor significance and being optional or kept out of evaluation criteria, majority of the students were left with the scope to ignore them and remain out of the activities.
SBA: School Based Assessment (SBA) is a continuous process of evaluating the learning improvement of students directed by the teachers. This process ensures within certain span of time that a student achieves all the learning purposes. Under the SBA system, for each subject, semester based examinations will comprise 70% marks and the remaining 30% marks will be on the basis of the following criteria.
A) Class performance and willingness for learning
B) Evaluation (Class base)
C) Assignment (Individual/group)
D) Behavior, perception and honesty
E) Speech presentation, individual/group discussion
F) Leadership
G) Discipline
H) Participation in cultural programs
I) Dexterity in sports and
J) Scientific practical classes
SBA is a comprehensive process that includes the following three major activities:
i. Coursework: Evaluation of a student’s text and curricular activities at classes and home all the year long. The coursework of an SBA student includes the following activities:
- Class test: Class test is generally a written test which is taken after the completion of a certain chapter or unit of the syllabus.
- Classwork and practical: Works done in the class i.e. listening, reading, writing, drawing etc.
- Home work: Work done at home assigned and guided by the teacher.
- Assignment: Assignment refers to home work in broader sizes that require the use of extra curricular text and information.
- Oral presentation: Students are allowed to speak and present their own works and accomplishments.
- Group work: Group works help build the habit of paying attention to others’ opinion and feelings and attain the skills of working together and characteristics of leadership.
ii. Personal Development: Evaluation of behavioral, social and co-curricular participation in school. Personal development includes the following features:
* Behavior of students at school: The school behavior of a student includes – following the rules at school, polite behavior, consideration for others and their assets, helping attitude around the school and in classes, taking the responsibility of leadership and accomplishment of the same, and passion for study and hard labor.
* Personal and social perception of students: Personal and social perception aims at developing the students’ ability in various fields including differentiate between justice and injustice and appreciate the importance of honesty and truthfulness, consciousness about own responsibility and right as a family member and learner, to have compassion for those who are different in culture, religion, and eligibility, to be proud of own nation, religion, family and country, and to be aware and work for the issues related to environment.
* Participating in the co-curricular activities: The co-curricular activities provide the opportunities of attaining skills and appreciation in enjoyment except for the curricular activities. These activities include- cultural function, sports, performing in the scout and girl guides etc.
iii. Evaluation of improvement in terminal and final examinations: These are written tests that evaluate students’ memory and thinking skills. We all are used to these tests but the exception brought in by the SBA is, instead of 100% marks these will be retaining 70% of the evaluation marks.
Statement of the Problem:
As per the traditional system, studies for secondary students in our country would mean hours spent in memorizing information by rote. As a result, their assessment was based on how much information they could retain, as opposed to how much information they could process, understand and retain as knowledge. There was little scope to evaluate the skill of applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating the achieved knowledge and ability of the student. Hence, their assessment was largely flawed as it was no meaningful indication of what they had actually learned. It was the recognition of these problems that lead to the final implementation of SBA by the Government of Bangladesh.
Objective of the Study:
The study is intended to examine the throughout features of the SBA process along with its feasibility in the secondary schools of our country. The main objective is to find out the advantage and disadvantages with an attempt to evaluate the potential effectiveness of the process in the perspective of our secondary schools.
Literature Review
To enrich the research vast information could collect. But unfortunately I have to do the work in a very short time frame. So I did not able to contact with so many sectors. More over I tried my best to develop this research. Related books, features published in the daily news paper have followed before starting the research.
The following literature is reviewed
i. Shikkhok Nirdeshika (SBA for class six to nine)
ii. The gadget of Ministry of education about SBA. The gadget of directorate of Secondary and Higher education about SBA.
iii. Different journals from internet.
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