Formative assessment in the social studies classroom: How senior high school (SHS) teachers in Ghana actualise it

Formative assessment of students’ learning is said to have a positive impact on students’ learning, and thus the call on teachers to employ this mode of assessment in their classroom practices. There is however little indication that teachers in Ghana have heeded to this call. This study therefore sought to examine the formative assessment practices of six Senior High School (SHS) Social Studies teachers; conveniently drawn from the Northern and Central regions of Ghana. The study adapted the ‘Formative Assessment Classroom Observation and Lesson Planning Tool’ (FACOLPT) for data collection. Data collected were thematically analysed. The study reveals that the assessment practices of these teachers are not in congruence with contemporary established practices. It is therefore being recommended that teachers are given enough pre-service and in-service training in formative assessment so as to increase their understanding of the concept and also help reorient their beliefs. It is believed that teachers, when adequately trained in this direction, will begin to see assessment more positively and use it not only to improve students’ performance but also to improve their own instructional practices.