Teachers’ Administration of Formative Assessment Tests and Its Influence on Students’ Biology Performance in Secondary Schools in Siaya County, Kenya
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Date
2025-11
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Improving the value of the current system of education depends on the evaluation
methods used in class, which play both summative and formative roles. For several
years now, students have continued to perform poorly in biology in Siaya County
and across most secondary schools across the country. Therefore, this research
aimed at investigating how teachers’ administration of formative assessment tests
influences learners’ academic achievement in biology in high schools in Siaya
County, Kenya. The research is based on three major objectives: to determine how
feedback on formative assessment tests administered by teachers influence the
performance of learners in biology in Siaya County; to find out how frequency of
teachers’ administration of formative assessment tests influence the performance of
learners in biology in Siaya County; and to establish how learning through
assignments influence the performance of learners in biology in Siaya County. Ivan
Pavlov's (1929–1936) Classical Conditioning Model guided the study.
Questionnaires and in-person interviews were utilized to gather data. The study's
research design was descriptive in nature. The study targeted 159 secondary schools
in Siaya. The respondents, including principals, teachers, and deputy principals,
were selected at random to provide their primary data. The collected data were
analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies, percentages, means
and standard deviations. Content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data.
The estimations between the dependent and independent variables were based on the
results of both frequency and tabulation distribution charts. The instruments' validity
and reliability were also established. With the intention of finding instrument errors
during the research, a pilot study was carried out to determine the instrument's
appropriateness for the study before actual data collection began. Ethical, logistical,
legal, and HR concerns were also considered and upheld in this study. All
participants were asked to provide their appropriate consent before they could take
part in the study. The findings revealed that all three components of formative
assessment, feedback (r = 0.635, p < 0.01), frequency (r = 0.652, p < 0.01), and
assignments (r = 0.622, p < 0.01), had strong positive and significant correlations
with learners’ academic performance. The regression model indicated that feedback
(β = 0.326, p < 0.001), frequency (β = 0.235, p = 0.005), and assignments (β =
0.284, p < 0.001) significantly predicted students’ performance, jointly explaining
53.7% (R² = 0.537) of the variation in academic outcomes. The study concludes that
prompt and constructive feedback enables students to understand their learning
progress and address weaknesses, frequent formative assessments help teachers
adapt instruction to learners’ needs, and learning through assignments promotes
reflection, responsibility, and better academic results. Recommendations include that
school administrators and policymakers strengthen teachers’ capacity to provide
timely, goal-oriented feedback; promote regular formative assessments; and design
meaningful assignments aligned with clear learning objectives. Continuous
professional development, in-service training, and curriculum alignment toward
formative assessment practices are also recommended to enhance students’
performance in Biology and other subjects
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Administration) in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning of Kenyatta University, November, 2025
Supervisors:
1.Janerose Kibaara
2.Daniel Mange Mbirithi