Influence of Afrocentric Evaluation Methods on Societal Norms among Secondary School Learners in Meru County, Kenya
1Joseph Muriungi Kirugua, 2Prof. George M. Muthaa & 3Prof. Njoki Wane
1Chuka University
3University of Toronto
The school system is expected to inculcate desirable societal norms in the learners. However, cases of unacceptable norms such as immorality, destruction of property, riots, strikes, drug abuse and disrespect for authority have been on the increase despite numerous interventions put in place by the government and individual educational institutions such burning of external exams, abolition of visiting days and holiday tuition. This study sought to examine the application of Afrocentric teaching methodology to enhance societal norms among secondary school learners in Meru County, Kenya. The study adopted exploratory descriptive research approach. The study used questionnaires and interview schedules to collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation. Inferential statistics used for data analysis was Linear Regression Analysis. The study found out that integration of Afrocentric evaluation methods into current Kenyan school system has statistically significant influence on societal norms among secondary school learners. The findings of this study will provide useful knowledge in regard to Afrocentric evaluation methods and societal norms and provide a basis for further studies.
Key Words: Influence, Afrocentric, Evaluation methods, Societal norms
Introduction
An assessment exercise refers to the process of collecting information about a student to help in making an evaluation about the progress and development of the student According to Chilisa (2012) Afrocentric evaluation strategies emphasize on making evaluation culturally relevant. It advocates for culturally responsible and acceptable practices through incorporation of African voices in the practices. This implies that an evaluation exercise should be guided by certain values that acceptable in one’s society. Tests and assessment tools should use a language that is neutral, meaning that it will neither give undue advantages to some learners nor will it hurt or unduly disadvantage others. According to Guba and Lincoln (2005) the world is diverse, culture is divers and therefore evaluation methods should take care of those diversities and not see learners backgrounds in one color.
A research study by Jeng (2012) on rebirth, restoration and reclamation, the potential for Africa centered evaluation and development models revealed that evaluation strategies should not blindly rely on Eurocentric models. An evaluation that would benefit African children should take into consideration the learners cultural backgrounds because learners’ cultural background and experiences form the learners’ foundation of learning and understanding the world. According to a research study by Muwanga-Zake (2009) on building bridges across knowledge systems: Ubuntu and participative research paradigms in Bantu communities in Africa, an evaluation exercise should consider aspects of communal nature and collective responsibility of indigenous African communities. This would promote those African values that should live beyond the contemporary globalization which is characterized by capitalistic nature of modern societies. According to a research study by Moore and Zenda (2012) on contemporary development challenges for Africa and their implications for evaluation, an evaluation exercise should aim at building a relationship between the learner and the evaluator. An evaluation exercise therefore ought to take into consideration the learners views and interest for that relationship to be well established.
Useful classroom assessments will provide feedback through corrective instructions in the spirit of giving students a second chance to demonstrate success thus helping them to learn and acquire intended skills, values and attitudes (Stiggins, 2002). Gronlund (2004) in his book titled assessment of student achievement shows that evaluation has numerous benefits including being an important component in improving education but not just ranking students or schools. Evaluation thus helps teachers to improve the use of results and align their teaching with desired norms and values. According to studies by Rogers (2006) on effective student assessment and evaluation in the classroom, credible evaluation guides students to know what they have learnt in the classroom, the skills and attitudes they have acquired and therefore are able to know where they need to put more effort to succeed. Evaluation thus helps students to plan and revise their classroom instructions.
According to Alberta Assessment Consortium (2005) scoring guide of an evaluation should not be complicated for students to understand and should avoid any content or language that is sensitive, sexist or offensive. After an evaluation exercise results should be promptly communicated. According to a research study by Fernard (2002) the evaluator should think of a general motivation as a reward to the learners based on their performance and collaboration. This is because students can be reinforced to learn what is desired by a physical stimuli such as food. Such an intervention would counter the learners’ negative feelings and lack of assertiveness when they consistently do poorly in an assessment exercise. According to Ndambuki, Rono and Frank (2006) affirming children and encouraging them will boost their social and emotional health.
Statement of the Problem
Kenyan society has entrusted the school system with the key role of socialization. The schooling process is expected to inculcate desirable societal norms among learners. However, cases of undesirable behaviors that do not conform to acceptable societal norms such as immorality, destruction of property, riots, strikes, drug abuse and disrespect for authority have been on the increase despite interventions put in place by the government and the individual educational institutions to make the learning environment in schools learner friendly. This in-conformity with societal norms raises concern on the role and effectiveness of school system in inculcating societal norms. This study sought to examine application of Afrocentric evaluation methods into the Kenyan school system to enhance inculcation of desirable societal norms among secondary school learners.
Objective
The objective of the study was to establish the influence of Afrocentric evaluation methods on societal norms among secondary school learners.
Hypothesis
The following Hypothesis was addressed:
H0: There is no statistically significant influence of Afrocentric evaluation methods on societal norms among secondary school learners in Meru County, Kenya.
Methodology
This study used exploratory descriptive research design and correlation design. Descriptive design was applicable for the study because it embarks on investigating and finding the real nature of the problem. The target population was 86,700 subjects and sample size was 384. The validity of the instrument was ensured through assistance of the supervisors. Reliability of the instrument was ascertained through a pilot study and a correlation coefficient of 0.774 was established.
The current study sought to determine the influence of Afrocentric evaluation methods on societal norms among secondary school learners in Meru County, Kenya. The respective research findings are presented in Table 1.
Contemporary Evaluation Methods
Table 1 presents descriptive statistics for each of the contemporary evaluation methods variables measured. The researcher analyzed the information regarding contemporary evaluation methods and got means and standard deviations of the responses. The results are presented in Table 1.
Contemporary Evaluation Methods
|
|
N |
Mean |
Std. Deviation |
CV |
|
Classroom assessment tests don’t come as surprises to learners. |
376 |
3.35 |
1.232 |
36.819 |
|
Teachers give clear corrective instructions after an evaluation exercise. |
377 |
3.59 |
1.015 |
28.279 |
|
Teachers guide learners on what is to be evaluated |
377 |
3.34 |
1.131 |
33.821 |
|
Teachers don’t use test to rank learners but rather to get feedback on what they have taught. |
377 |
3.56 |
0.993 |
27.927 |
|
Evaluation helps learners to revise what they have learnt in classroom. |
377 |
3.63 |
1.036 |
28.506 |
|
Assessment tests do not use language that is sensitive and offensive. |
377 |
3.29 |
1.217 |
37.036 |
|
Tests and examinations cover both cognitive and behavior attitudes. |
377 |
3.29 |
1.153 |
35.042 |
|
Teachers evaluate what they have taught. |
377 |
3.47 |
1.185 |
34.103 |
|
Overall Mean Score |
377 |
3.45 |
1.113 |
32.351 |
The research findings presented in Table 1 show that evaluation helps learners to revise what they learnt in classroom had the highest mean score of 3.63. This implies that on average the respondents tended to agree that evaluation that is done in their schools is useful in helping the learners to revise what their teachers have covered in class. The least mean score (3.29) was registered on two parameters (Assessment tests do not use language that is sensitive and offensive and tests and examinations cover both cognitive and behavior attitudes). This implies that on average most respondents indicated that they had no opinion on the two statements. The findings further imply that the responses were neutral, meaning that the respondents could neither agree nor disagree with the given statements. Similarly these results imply that it is not very clear to tell whether the tests and examinations in secondary schools evaluate both cognitive and behavior attitudes of the learners. Information presented in Table 1 indicate that the statement teachers don’t just use tests to rank learners but rather to get feedback on what they have taught had a mean score of 3.56. This implies that on average the respondents tended to agree that teachers use the feedback they get through evaluation exercises to improve their teaching. The results further indicate that all the variables in study had close mean scores ranging from 3.29 to 3.63. The results therefore reveal that all the variables under study had moderate agreement with an overall mean score of 3.45 which implies that the responses were ranging between having no opinion and agreeing with the given statements. These results agree with research findings of a study by Hansan (2016) on teaching dispositional strategies which established that if teachers utilize feedback they get about their learners, they can reorganize their content delivery in a way that will assure them of achieving their set objectives.
Afrocentric Evaluation Methods
Information was sought on Afrocentric evaluation methods. The respondents indicated their agreement with given statements and mean and standard deviation were computed. The results are presented in Table 2.
Afrocentric Evaluation Methods
|
|
N |
Mean |
Std. Deviation |
CV |
|
Evaluation by observing how the learner works promotes sense of responsibility. |
377 |
4.22 |
0.806 |
19.107 |
|
Evaluation through participation in what is taught encourages honesty among learners. |
377 |
4.33 |
0.785 |
18.117 |
|
Evaluating the level of engagement during the learning process promotes integrity. |
377 |
4.27 |
0.790 |
18.489 |
|
Active involvement in productive work during the learning promotes hard work. |
377 |
4.42 |
0.740 |
16.737 |
|
Role playing enhances transparency and honesty. |
377 |
4.37 |
0.743 |
17.014 |
|
Evaluating the character of the learner promotes acceptable social values. |
377 |
4.30 |
0.768 |
17.841 |
|
Overall Mean Score |
377 |
4.32 |
0.772 |
17.884 |
The research findings in Table 2 indicate that active involvement in productive work during learning promotes hard work had the highest mean score of 4.42 while evaluation by observing how the learner works promotes sense of responsibility had the least mean score of 4.22. This implies that on average, the participants’ responses tended toward strongly agreeing. The results therefore imply that most of the respondents believed that involving learners in productive work during learning process can encourage students to work hard. The results in Table 38 also indicate that evaluating by observing how the learners work could promote sense of responsibility had the least mean score mean score of 4.22. This implies that the least responses to the statements were agreeing, implying further that no respondent disagreed with the given statements. The findings also show that for all the variables under study, mean scores were very close ranging from 4.22 to 4.42. Therefore for all the variables in the study, the agreements were high with an overall mean score of 4.32. This implies that on average the responses to all parameters of Afrocentric evaluation methods were above agreeing.
These results agree with Wilmot (2009) on African life and customs who indicated that application of Afrocentric perspectives in schools can improve education system and enhance desired behavior by blending Eurocentric and Afrocentric ideas for the good of African children. The findings also agree with Olaniyan (2006) who established that when emphasis is laid on African cultural traditions, values and symbols of communication, desirable behaviors can be instilled in the learners. Omolewa (2007) on traditional modes of education and their relevance in modern society supports the findings of the current study by asserting that Afrocentric principles in a school system facilitate for a holistic education in which children’s home experiences are linked to school learning.
Correlation of Evaluation Methods and Societal Norms
The objective of the current study was to determine the influence of Afrocentric evaluation methods on societal norms among secondary school learners. A correlation analysis was conducted in order to assess the relationships among the research variables. The results are shown in Table 3.
Evaluation Methods and Societal Norms
|
|
Societal Norms |
Contemporary Evaluation methods |
Evaluation Methods |
|
|
Societal Norms |
Pearson Correlation |
1 |
||
|
Sig. (2-tailed) |
||||
|
N |
377 |
|||
|
Contemporary Evaluation methods |
Pearson Correlation |
.436** |
1 |
|
|
Sig. (2-tailed) |
0.000 |
|||
|
N |
377 |
377 |
||
|
Integrated Afrocentric Evaluation Methods |
Pearson Correlation |
.484** |
.929** |
1 |
|
Sig. (2-tailed) |
0.000 |
0.000 |
||
|
N |
377 |
377 |
377 |
|
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
The results presented in Table 3 show varied degree of relationship between societal norms, contemporary evaluation methods and integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods. The results indicate that contemporary evaluation methods had a fair positive correlation with societal norms (r = 0.436, p-value < 0.01; sig 2-tailed = 0.000 < 0.05). The research findings further show that integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods had a fair positive correlation with societal norms (r = 0.484, p-value < 0.01; sig. 2-tailed = 0.000 < 0.05). This fair positive correlation therefore implies that integration of Afrocentric evaluation methods into the contemporary school system in Kenya fairly influences societal norms among secondary school learners.
Regression Analysis and Hypothesis Testing
To assess the relationship between evaluation methods and societal norms, the following hypothesis was tested:
H0: There is no statistically significant influence of Afrocentric evaluation methods on societal norms among secondary school learners in Meru County, Kenya.
In order to test this hypothesis, a linear regression analysis was done at 95% confidence level (α = 0.05). The contemporary evaluation methods and the integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods were regressed against societal norms to establish the goodness oft, the overall significance and the individual significance of the Model. The results are presented in Table 4, Table 5 and Table 6.
To establish the percentage of variation in societal norms that is explained by independent variable in the Model, the researcher regressed contemporary evaluation methods and integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods against societal norms. The results are presented in Table 4.
The Goodness of Fit of Models
|
Model |
R |
R Square |
Adjusted R Square |
Std. Error of the Estimate |
|
Contemporary Evaluation Methods |
.436a |
0.190 |
0.188 |
0.53375 |
|
Integrated Afrocentric Evaluation Methods |
.484a |
0.234 |
0.232 |
0.51919 |
The information presented in Table 4 shows that contemporary evaluation methods had influence on societal norms among secondary school learners. The coefficient of determination is 0.190. This suggests that 19% of variation in societal norms is explained by current contemporary evaluation methods. The results in Table 4 also indicate that 23.4% of variation in societal norms is explained by integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods. The coefficient of determination is 0.234. Therefore based on these results, the study revealed that integrated evaluation methods contribute significantly towards societal norms.
The researcher conducted analysis of variance in order to assess the robustness and overall significance of the evaluation Model. The results are presented in Table 5.
The Overall Significance of the Models
|
Model |
Sum of Squares |
df |
Mean Square |
F |
Sig. |
|
|
Contemporary Evaluation Methods |
Regression |
25.114 |
1 |
25.114 |
88.154 |
.000b |
|
Residual |
106.832 |
375 |
0.285 |
|||
|
Total |
131.946 |
376 |
|
|||
|
Integrated Afrocentric Evaluation Methods |
Regression |
30.861 |
1 |
30.861 |
114.485 |
.000b |
|
Residual |
101.086 |
375 |
0.270 |
|||
|
Total |
131.946 |
376 |
|
|||
The research findings in Table 5 indicate that contemporary evaluation methods significantly influence societal norms with F statistics = 88.154 and a p-value 0.000 < 0.05. This implies that the regression Model is statistically significant at 5% level of significance. The results further show that integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods significantly influence societal norms with F statistics = 114.485 and a p-value 0.000 < 0.05. This also implies that the regression Model is statistically significant at 5% level of significance.
The researcher sought to establish the significance of the individual variables in the evaluation Model. The results are shown in Table 6.
Table 6
Individual Significance of the Model
|
Model |
Unstandardized Coefficients |
Standardized Coefficients |
t |
Sig. |
||
|
B |
Std. Error |
Beta |
||||
|
Contemporary Evaluation Methods |
(Constant) |
2.531 |
0.145 |
17.406 |
0.000 |
|
|
Contemporary Evaluation methods |
0.388 |
0.041 |
0.436 |
9.389 |
0.000 |
|
|
Integrated Afrocentric Evaluation Methods |
(Constant) |
1.788 |
0.197 |
9.095 |
0.000 |
|
|
Integrated Afrocentric Evaluation Methods |
0.548 |
0.051 |
0.484 |
10.700 |
0.000 |
|
The results in Table 6 show that contemporary evaluation methods were considered to be statistically significantly significant with t-value of 9.389 and p-value 0.000 < 0.05. This implies that for one unit change in contemporary evaluation methods, societal norms increase by a factor of 0.388. The study further revealed that there exists a statistically significant relationship between integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods and societal norms at 5% level of significance (p-value = 0.000 < 0.05) This implies that for one unit change in integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods, societal norms increase by a factor of 0.548.
The study conclusively revealed that contemporary evaluation methods and integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods influence societal norms at 5% level of significance. The null hypothesis that there is no statistically significant influence of Afrocentric evaluation methods on societal norms among secondary school learners, is not supported in the current study. The predictive Models for societal norms in respect to evaluation methods can be stated as follows:
Y = 2.531 + 0.388 X11 and Y = 1.788 + 0.548 X1
Where Y = Societal norms
X11 = Contemporary evaluation methods
X1 = Integrated Afrocentric evaluation methods
2.531 and 1.788 are constants
0.388 and 0.548 are regression coefficients.
The current study established that Afrocentric evaluation methods enhance societal norms. This study is in line with a study by Gronlud (2004) on assessment of students’ achievements in England which shows that evaluation has numerous benefits including helping teachers to improve the use of the results in order to align their teaching with desired norms and values. Gronlud (2004) established that an evaluation should guide learners to discover their strengths as well as their areas of need. The findings of this study also agree with Guskey (2003) who found that an evaluation assessment should not be a matter of do-or-die experience to the learners. The study confirmed that evaluation should be an on-going effort to help or guide students to learn values and that an evaluation that enhances societal norms therefore does not condemn learners on the basis of their performance outcome but rather encourages learners to revisit what was intended for them to acquire in class. Guskey (2003) further supports the findings of the current study by arguing that teachers need to be given adequate formal training on how to develop evaluation in forms of quizzes, tests and assignments.
Similar studies by Rogers (2006) on effective student assessment and evaluation in the classroom echo the findings of this study by revealing that learners’ behaviors are improved by credible evaluation that guides students to review what they have learnt in the classroom and the desired values and attitudes they are expected to acquire. Similarly the findings of this study are backed by Arrasian (2005) who reveals that an evaluation should not come as a secret to the students, especially at the middle grade levels. Informing students on evaluation time and areas to be covered assists the learner to master of what is to be evaluated and enables them to live according to the desired norms and values. The findings of the current study however disagree with the studies by Perkins and Craig (2006) on a successful social norms campaign to reduce college student drinking which reveal that evaluation methods have negative impact on societal norms because most evaluations strategies are only focused on cognitive skills. The results further agree with Ndambuki, Rono and Frank (2006) who revealed that affirming children after an evaluation exercise promotes good morals.
Conclusions
The findings of the study revealed that Afrocentric evaluation method contributes significantly to enhancement of societal norms at 5% level of significance. The study shows that Afrocentric evaluation methods have significant influence on societal norms. The study indicates that the highest percentage of variation in societal norms in the Model was as a result of integrating Afrocentric evaluation methods into the current Kenyan evaluation methods in school system. A unit change in integrated evaluation methods similarly resulted to the highest increase in societal norms compared to current Kenyan evaluation methods alone. From the results of this study, the researcher therefore concludes that integrating Afrocentric evaluation methods into the current Kenyan evaluation methods would significantly improve societal norms among secondary school learners.
Recommendations
The researcher made the following recommendations:
There is need to integrate Afrocentric evaluation methods into Kenyan school system for maximum enhancement of societal norms.
There is need to sensitize teachers and students on the importance of integration of Afrocentric evaluation methods into Kenyan school system.
References
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Guskey, T. R. (2003). How Classroom Assessments Improve Learning. Alexandria: Educational Leadership Vol. 60 Nr 5 Pg 6-11
Machado, E. A. (2016). Strategies of Promoting Values in Education. Retrieved from http://www.coe.int/en/web/Pestalozzi.
Perkins, H. W. & Craig, D. W. (2006). A Successful Social Norms Campaign to Reduce College Student Drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 67. Pp. 868– 879.
Rogers, W. T. (2006). Effective Student Assessment and Evaluation in the Classroom. Alberta: Retrieved from http://www.teaching quality.ab.ca/resources.
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