A Comparative Analysis of Assessment Practices and Their Impact on Student Achievement in Rural vs. Urban Government Secondary Schools in Islamabad

Abstract

This research study aimed to examine and compare the assessment practices utilized in rural and urban secondary level students of government colleges of Islamabad. Diagnosing the critical role of effective assessment practices in the enhancement of learning outcomes, the current study focused on the identification of the differences in assessment methods, challenges faced and its effect on students’ achievement in rural and urban settings. This research followed descriptive research design. Moreover, this quantitative research study was conducted using sample of 362 students enrolled at secondary level and 79 teachers from selected colleges selected through double stage sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire constructed by the researcher. This questionnaire contained various dimensions to measure their performance. To analyse the data statistical analyses including descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to compare assessment approaches and their relationship with academic results. The research findings exposed the existence of disparities between colleges located in urban and rural area of Islamabad. These inequalities could be observed in the conduction of assessments, the extent to which assessments are conducted and provision of feedback to the students. The results identified that formative assessment which focuses on student centred approaches positively correlates with their academic performance.  In contrast, the colleges located in rural areas largely depend upon traditional approaches of assessment. As a result, they are behind the urban colleges in the development of critical thinking among learners. Additionally, various challenges that hinder the effectiveness of assessment practices like limited teachers training and inequalities in the system are highlighted. On the basis of detailed findings, the researcher provided recommendations.