Pupils’ Academic Achievement in Genetics After Hands-on Teaching: Multiple-Choice Testing Versus Performance-Based Testing

Abstract

Pupils’ academic achievement in genetics can be assessed using different assessment techniques.  Effective assessment procedures are important for most biology teachers who usually face challenges to identify appropriate assessment tools to improve the teaching and learning of genetics in schools. However, literature regarding choice of a suitable assessment tool with respect to other tools available in measuring pupils’ academic achievement in genetics is unavailable. It is against this background that this study sought to determine the correlation between multiple-choice testing (MCT) and performance-based testing (PBT) on pupils’ academic achievement in genetics in the Copperbelt province of Zambia after hands-on teaching. The study showed a statistically significant difference in the effects of multiple-choice testing on pupils’ academic achievement in genetics from those of performance-based testing: Pupils performed better in multiple choice tests than in the performance-based test. The study also demonstrated that there was a weak correlation between multiple-choice testing and performance-based testing regarding pupils’ academic achievements in genetics for pupils taught genetics using hands-on method and those taught the subject using the conventional-based methods. The study further showed a small effect size (coefficient of determination, R² value) between MCT and PBT for all the four groups under study with the highest being 0.112 for the pre-test experimental group, E1. Based on the results, the study recommended that biology teachers should be employing MCT alongside PBT in assessing pupils’ academic achievement in genetics.

Keywords: Academic achievement, Multiple-choice testing, Performance-based testing, Hands-on teaching.