Investigating the Perceptions of School Teachers on Classroom Assessments and Practices of Primary Education at Parwan Province, Afghanistan

Abstract

Classroom assessment plays a crucial role in shaping teaching practices and improving learning outcomes in primary education. This study investigates how school teachers perceive and implement assessment practices in classrooms at Parwan province. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of school teachers on classroom assessment and practices in primary Education in Parwan province, Afghanistan. A mixed-method of research (qualitative and quantitative) was employed to collect the data of the study. A total of 40 school teachers were randomly selected to participate in this study. A questionnaire consisting of 10 items based on Likert-scale was designed to gather the participants’ perceptions.  In addition, five school teachers were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview in order to collect the qualitative data of the study. The findings of the study indicate that most teachers view assessment as a tool to support learning rather than merely assign grades. Teachers favored creating their own assessment tools, gave timely feedback, and integrated peer and self-assessment. Moreover, participants valued diverse assessment strategies such as classroom questioning and end-of-unit exams. However, challenges such as large class sizes, lack of training, limited resources, and the absence of standard rubrics were commonly reported. Overall, the study concludes that while teachers demonstrate a positive attitude towards using assessment to support learning, there is a strong need for targeted professional development, standardized tools, and greater resource availability to enhance assessment effectiveness in primary education.