ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES IN IMPROVING LEARNERS’ PERFORMANCE IN ACCOUNTING: A CASE OF SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS

Abstract

As the educational environment evolves, and to address the gap in the literature administrators will continue to be interested in teaching and learning assessment research. Accounting educators see assessment as merely administering examinations rather than a tool to understand the causes of failure or success in teaching and learning. The purpose of this study is to assess the influence of assessment strategies in improving learners’ performance in accounting South African schools. A mixed-method sequential explanatory methodology was used to elucidate data from 162 accounting educators and 62 Heads of Department (HoDs) in North West districts Department of Education (DoE). An online questionnaire was first sent to accounting educators, and then an interview with HoDs from randomly selected schools. The findings from the quantitative phase revealed that educators and HoDs must be certain about the assessment strategies used to assess learners. In the second phase, the qualitative approach validated and explained that the HoDs are of the view that the assessment strategies used are old, lack adequate study materials and use the same old methods. The results suggest that in improving learner performance, accounting educators should ensure that the assessments used are not too easy or difficult, assess what has been taught, go through moderation processes, suit the cognitive level of learners, and train educators on the use of assessment in improving learners’ performance. This study adds to the body of knowledge and practice regarding the influence of influence of assessment strategies in improving learners’ performance.