Evaluating the Impact of Assessment Reforms on the Teaching of History in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State

ABSTRACT: The study evaluated the impact of assessment reforms on the teaching of History in Public Senior secondary schools in Rivers State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A total of 633 History teachers in public senior secondary school in Rivers State (386 male & 247 female) form the population. A sample size of 317 was determined using 50% of the entire population for the study. A proportionate sampling approach, multistage sampling technique and simple random sampling technique were used. A structured questionnaire titled: Evaluating the Impact of Assessment Reforms Questionnaire (EIARQ). The questionnaire validated by experts in History education and measurement and evaluation. Cronbach method was used to determine a reliability index of 0.83. The researchers personally administered 317 copies of the questionnaires with the help of trained assistants to ensure accurate distribution and 300 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer research questions, while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The study found that formative assessment reform has a positive effect between male and female History teachers on the teaching of History, standards-based assessment reform positively influence male and female History teachers on the teaching of History, integrated assessment reform has a strong positive impact on male and female History teachers on the teaching of History and monitoring and evaluation reform effectively enhance male and female History teachers the teaching of History in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. The study recommended among others that school principals should be empowered to enforce standards-based assessment for male and female History teachers by providing benchmarks supervision collaboration data use fairness orientation and instructional support to strengthen effective History teaching in Rivers State public schools. KEYWORDS: Assessment Evaluating, History, Impact, Reforms, Teaching.