Integrating Assessment for Learning into the Teaching and Learning of Secondary School Biology in Tanzania

Oct 15, 2026

Study investigates how integrating assessment for learning improves learning achievement among secondary school biology students in Tanzania. A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test design with non-equivalent control and experimental groups is used to compare outcomes. Two boarding schools from the Dar es Salaam suburbs are selected, with comparable prior national examination performances. Results indicate students taught with assessment-for-learning integrated teaching outperform those taught with conventional approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Assessment as evidence for learning progress

Using prior knowledge to inform instruction

Continuous assessment and just-in-time adjustment

Feedback, resilience, and motivation

doi: 10.26529/cepsj.958 Integrating Assessment for Learning into the Teaching and Learning of Secondary School Biology in Tanzania Albert Tarmo1 • The paper is about a study that investigated how the integration of assessment for learning enhances learning achievement among secondary school biology students in Tanzania. A quasi-experimental design involving pre-test and post-test of non-equivalent control and experimental groups was used to ascertain how the integration of assessment for learning into teaching and learning processes enhances students’learning achievement. Two boarding secondary schools located in the suburbs of Dar Es Salaam were selected. Students in the two schools had maintained equivalent performances in national examinations in previous years. The results showed that the students taught using teaching and learning processes integrating assessment for learning outperformed those taught using conventional approaches. The integration of assessment for learning is likely to have contributed to the higher learning achievement in the experimental group. The study contributes to our understanding of how teachers in resource-constrained classrooms can integrate assessment for learning techniques into their day-to-day lessons, thereby harnessing the power of assessment to enhance learning and raise standards. Keywords: assessment, educational assessment, learning achievement, Tanzania 1 School of Education, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; [tarmo50@outlook.com](tarmo50@outlook.com). 240 integrating assessment for learning into the teaching and learning of ... Vključevanje ocenjevanja za učenje v poučevanje inučenje pri pouku biologije v Tanzaniji Albert Tarmo • Prispevek predstavlja raziskavo, ki je preučevala, kako vključevanjeocenjevanja za učenje izboljša učne dosežke učencev biologije v Tanzaniji. Uporabljen je bil kvazieksperimentalni model, ki je vključevalpred-in potest neekvivalentne kontrolne in eksperimentalne skupine znamenom ugotavljanja, kako vključevanje ocenjevanja za učenje v proces poučevanja in učenja izboljša učne dosežke. Izbrani sta bili dve šoli iz predmestja Dar Es Salaam. Učenci obeh šol so imeli enake dosežke pri nacionalnem preverjanju znanja v letu pred izvedbo raziskave. Rezultati so pokazali, da so bili uspešnejši učenci iz skupine poučevanja zuporabo ocenjevanja za učenje kot tisti, ki so bili deležni poučevanja skonvencionalnimi pristopi. Vključevanje ocenjevanja za učenje je verjetno prispevalo k boljšim učnim dosežkom eksperimentalne skupine. Raziskava prispeva k razumevanju, kako lahko učitelji v z viri omejenihokoliščinah vključujejo ocenjevanje za učenje v vsakodnevno poučevanje ter tako izkoristijo moč ocenjevanja za izboljšanje učenja in dvig standardov. Ključne besede: ocenjevanje, izobraževalno ocenjevanje, učni dosežki, Tanzanija Introduction Assessment is widely considered a powerful tool for enhancing students’learning achievement when embedded in the teaching and learning process (Black & Wiliam, 2018; Ellegaard et al., 2018; Wiliam et al., 2004; Wiliam, 2011) . When integrated into the teaching and learning process, assessment serves toelicit evidence about students’ learning progress. For example, assessment during instruction provides opportunities for students to display their understanding and uncover the strengths and weaknesses of their thinking (Greenstein, 2010) . Teachers and learners can use such evidence to make decisions about subsequent learning steps (Wiliam, 2011) . For instance, teachers can tailor subsequent lessons in response to students’ learning needs and support their students’ cognitive growth (Greenstein, 2010) . Moreover, when teachers ask questions to elicit students’ prior experiences at the start of a new lesson, they generate evidence that becomes readily available to inform instructional decisions. Teachers can use information about students’ prior knowledge to determine students’ learning needs for a new les

FAQs

What does the study examine about assessment for learning in biology teaching?

It examines how integrating assessment for learning into teaching and learning enhances students’ learning achievement in secondary school biology in Tanzania.

What research design is used to evaluate the approach?

A quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test comparisons is used, involving non-equivalent control and experimental groups.

How do the results compare experimental and control groups?

Students taught using processes integrating assessment for learning outperform students taught using conventional approaches, suggesting the integration contributes to higher achievement.

Oct 15, 2026

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