Abstract

This work is entitled ‘‘the effects of feedback on students’ assignments and academic performance.’’ Was aimed at finding out the effects of feedback on students’ performance in Government Secondary Schools in the Muyuka Sub-Division which was directed in answering the following research questions.

Testing of students, evaluation, and comments on assignments, measurement Data was analyzed descriptively using percentages, frequencies, and tables. Findings revealed that tested students perform well in assignments.

When students are not tested, they are bound to perform poorly, also parents do not help their children at home which marred their performance. Parents who explain what comments are like; excellent, good on papers, their children will perform well. Strengths and weaknesses will be identified.

It was also observed that in measurement, some teachers have their own method of measuring scores- some teachers write terrible comments on students’ papers which reduce performance. When teachers encourage and motivate students, their performance increases.

The following recommendations were made: parents should endeavor to give priority to the education of their children, parents should assist the children at home after school, and parents should motivate their children when they do well and even when they fail.

Parents should employ private teachers in case their level of education is not high.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Feedback on students’ assignments is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving students learning. It involves setting goals and standards for students learning and then gathering and analyzing the evidence to determine how well a student’s performance matches those expectations and standards.

The main goal of feedback on students’ assignments is; to document what learning is taking place and to use the results of assessment activities to improve students’ learning.

Feedback moves to related concepts and skills that are learned in particular subjects, it is also interested in evaluating students learning and over broader goal areas as well which is what assessment of students learning is all about to determine positive feedback.

Also when students know about their own learning it will help them in their evaluation and career planning because each area has its own goals of concern for instance: general education has its goals thus communication, critical thinking, natural sciences, mathematical and logical reasoning.

To add, history and social behavioral sciences, humanities and fine arts, human diversity, global perspective ethical and civic responsibility, and the environment and people can be achieved by using various assessment methods and techniques whose results are used to determine whether learning goals are being met or they are to be improved upon.

If an area that already was assessed does not reach the expected level for the goal area, then changes to the curriculum and program can be made to facilitate students’ effective learning in the said area and this will help improve students learning positively.

Feedback is essential to the working and survival of all regulatory mechanisms found throughout the living and nonliving nature and also systems such as educational systems.

In the organizational context, feedback is the information sent to an entity or individual group about its prior behavior so that the entity may adjust its current and future behavior to achieve the desired result. Feedback occurs when an environment reacts to an action or behavior.

Background to the study

In 1995, the education commission released a report to make quality education, this report proposed some attributes of which one of which was assessment and prompt feedback in the classroom.

This they said will help learners cope with learning difficulties, they also improve efforts to develop effective tools for assessing students’ assignments which intend to provide information about evaluation and assessment activities ranging from macro-level to departmental levels as such the call for assessment and feedback.

Huba and freed (2000), in the later years, college enrollment was expanding and several changes occurred as well in the educational system so the population of students attending colleges became more diverse and concerns were raised owing to the fact that students who left school did not have skills and ability needed in the society, this then called for the improvement of feedback positively to enhance learning.

One of the founders of quality improvement of feedback on assignments is W.E Deming, who created principles for continuous improvement in education and encourage the gathering of data for informed decisions. It later became clear that the best way for institutions to be accountable is to assess students learning on a regular basis and have the required feedback needed.

In 2009, there was a review on the components of assessment that schools should use with the objective of improving students’ outcomes which to them included; assessment, teacher appraisal, and school evaluation.

This review went further to advise schools on how feedback can be embedded in order to improve the quality, equity, and efficiency of the school.

Statement of the Problem

Feedback on students’ assignments can be very challenging to the teacher which if not well managed may be detrimental to the academic performance of the students they teach.

If the frequency is high, the subject matter will be mastered and if the frequency is low, the students will not master the subject matter.

Also, testing the students’ assignments will help students study up to standard but if this is not done study habits will not be updated as such low output, if assignments are tested then they should be measured and evaluated to complete the assessment process and also have the required feedback.

This will in a long run affect students’ academic performance either negatively or positively.

It is based on this that the researcher sets to find out how feedback on students’ assignments affects students’ academic performance in government secondary schools in the Muyuka subdivision.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to find out the extent to which feedback on students’ assignments can affect their academic performance.

Objectives of the Study

General Objective

To find out if feedback on students’ assignments has an influence on their academic performance in secondary schools.

Specific Objectives

1. To find out if testing students’ assignments affect their academic performance.
2. To find out if the evaluation of students’ assignments affects their academic performance.
3. To find out if the measurement of students’ assignments affects their academic performance.

Research Questions

General Research Question

To what extent does the feedback on students’ assignments affect their academic performance?

Specific Research Questions

1. Does testing of students’ assignments affect their academic performance?
2. Does the evaluation of students’ assignments affect their academic performance?
3. Does the measurement of students’ assignments affect their academic performance?