Challenges Besetting Teachers in Classroom Assessment: An Exploratory Perspective

The purpose of this research was to investigate the challenges affecting teachers’ classroom assessment practices and to explore how these challenges influence effective teaching and learning. The study was qualitative and employed an instrumental case study approach. Semi- structured interviews, observation and document analysis were used in the investigation. Hargreaves’s theoretical framework underpins this study, which involves a case study in the North West Department of Education. The data were collected through classroom observations and interviews. Document analysis was used to triangulate the information collected through observations and interviews. Textual data were analysed using content analysis. The results revealed major challenges such as policy interpretation, assessment planning, implementation of assessment, the use of a variety of methods in assessment and time for assessment. Recommendations were formulated to strengthen classroom assessment practices.