Knowledge and Utilization of Authentic Assessment Techniques by Lecturers in Botswana College of Agriculture

摘要

This paper examined knowledge and use of authentic assessment techniques (a performance based assessment requiring learners to utilize their knowledge in a meaningful context) among lecturers in Botswana College of Agriculture. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 40 lecturers from 96. The results show that in terms of use, 47.5% of lecturers use authentic assessment while 52.3% do not. Lecturers were more knowledgeable on items such as authentic assessment requires students to applyskills and abilities as they would in real life (100%); and authentic assessment involves direct examination of student's ability to use knowledge to perform a task that is encountered in real life (100%). The most prominent constraint to the use of authentic assessment is that it is time consuming (90%). Significant determinants were teaching experience (t = 3.61), educational level (t = 4.36), holding administrative positions (t = -4.71) and knowledge of authentic assessments (t = -3.90). It is important therefore that the use of authentic assessment is popularized among lecturers.