Problems of Teacher-Made Tests: A Prime Concern for Quality of Education

Abstract

The quality of education could be attributed to a number of factors which include assessment. The type of assessment techniques employed by teachers affect the decisions they make about students and their instructional management. The validity and reliability of the decisions made depend on the quality of tests. In our educational system, the promotion and repetition of students in their schooling are determined by the achievements of students measured by classroom or teacher made tests. The quality of the tests is ensured by applying the principles and suggestions of item writing. Consequently, in this study 9 tests of various subjects prepared by teachers from higher learning institutions (Private Colleges), a TVET college, and Higher Education Preparatory Secondary Schools were analyzed for their quality. The results indicated that 100% of the tests had problems related to language use, consideration of item writing principles and suggestions, content validity, and other technical issues. The implication of the study is that the quality of education could be severely jeopardized by the nature of the tests developed and used by teachers. So assessments used by teachers should be the concern of all stakeholders. Ignoring this crucial element of the educational process is tantamount to paying no heed to the quality of education which leaves the objectives of the national policy unachievable.