Secondary School Teachers Concern Regarding the Adoption of Competence-Based Assessment

Abstract

Tanzania introduced Competence-Based Assessment in the early 2000s alongside its Competence-Based Curriculum as an innovative approach to evaluate students’ learning. This study, informed by the Concern-Based Adoption Model, investigated secondary school teachers' concerns on adopting this assessment approach. The Stage of Concern Questionnaire and its Quick Scoring Device were used to collect and analyze, respectively, data from 30 teachers in eight purposively selected schools, with equal representation from high-performing and low-performing secondary schools. Teachers from both school categories had positive perceptions on the effectiveness of this assessment approach, but they lacked detailed information and doubted their ability to implement it. Comparatively, teachers from low-performing schools expressed somewhat intense concerns at all levels compared to their counterparts and thought to implement this innovation in ways different from those recommended by designers in Tanzania. Access to professional development and teaching experience variations contributed to these differences. The findings call for targeted interventions.