Examining Evaluation Practices of Secondary Schools Affiliated to Board of Secondary Education, Odisha

In the present study, an attempt has been made by the investigators to study the evaluation practices adopted by secondary schools of Odisha. The objectives of this study are to study the existing evaluation practices adopted by secondary schools of Odisha, to study the awareness of secondary school teachers towards evaluation practices in secondary schools and to study the CCE implementation related problems faced by secondary school teachers of Odisha. The descriptive survey method was followed in the present study. Sample of twenty Secondary Schools were selected randomly from Odisha. Hundred secondary school teachers and 120 students of 9 th class constituted the sample of the present study. Twenty Focus Group Discussions were done with students in different sample schools. An Interview schedule for teachers and a checklist were developed by the investigators to collect relevant data. Data were analyzed by using Qualitative Content Analysis. It was found that most of the teachers agreed that the present evaluation system measures holistically student performance. Both curricular and co-curricular activities are conducted in school. Tools and techniques like observation, rating scales, interviews and questionnaires are used to access student’s performance. Teachers are providing feedback regularly. It shows that teachers are mostly aware of the present evaluation system and maximum teachers know the formative assessment and summative evaluation. It was found that lack of training, guidance, supervision, pupil-teacher ratio and other activities are the major problems faced by the teachers while implementing the present evaluation system.


Introduction
The process of assigning symbols to phenomena to characterise their worth or value typically involves comparison to social, cultural, or scientific norms (Bradfield, 1957).Evaluation is the process of ascertaining or judging the value or amount of something by the use of a standard of appraisal, including judgments in terms of internal evidence and external criteria (Dictionary of Education, C.V Good).Evaluation helps the students to develop a sense of shared values, an integrated approach, a sense of community that leads to national integration, and the ability to adapt to various contexts and situations, education today offers a variety of courses and activities.When educational experiences are evaluated, they are compared to predefined instructional objectives to determine their efficacy.A teacher can use it to determine, assess, and improve his instructional methods and understand his students in-depth.
Evaluation helps us to know whether the instructional objectives have been achieved or not.It assists a student in building good study habits, conducting self-analysis, identifying areas of strength and weakness, improving motivation, developing abilities and skills, understanding the outcomes of progress, and receiving the right feedback.It is equally helpful to parents, teachers, administrators and students.Right to Education Act, 2009 in its section-29 (2), clause-h recommended for implementing Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE) practices.

Rationale of the Study
The National Education Policy, 2020 observes that the education system has to be geared up towards the need of the 21 st century by achieving the twin objectives i.e inclusion and excellence.By offering great education to everyone, it set the goal of creating a just and thriving knowledge society, which suggests changes to pedagogy, curriculum, and evaluation.The Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation approach helps to make teaching-learning process child-centric, activity based and joyful by deemphasizing memorization.But it has not been implemented in the same way and teachers are facing difficulties while implementing CCE (Marotrao, 2021).Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation has been implemented in all the schools but practical skills, knowledge and competencies are lacking among the teachers (Mishra & Mallik, 2014;Ndalichako, 2019).Majority of teachers are aware of the pattern of CCE and consider it helpful for the regular progress of students (Kumar, Kumari & Gourav, 2018; Singh & Pany, 2018).Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation is successful when there is regular dialogue and conversation between teachers, students, parents and community members.But most parents and teachers were not aware of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation.The lack of adequate teachers is a major reason for not implementing the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation scheme in true spirit (Mishra & Mallik, 2014).Students of the elementary schools of Odisha are unaware about their assessment in curricular activities and personal social quality although teachers are following different type of techniques and methods like written, oral, assignment, project, checklist, ratio scale etc. for assessing their students (Senapati, 2021).But the studies conducted by Hasan, 2018; Mishra & Pattnaik, 2019 revealed that, maximum students are aware about the use of variety of tools and techniques by their teachers.Private school teachers had more understanding of various types of evaluation systems than government schools (Mann 2019).Assessment for learning practices in the classroom by most teachers (Shafli, 2019).Realizing the importance of CCE since 2021, Board of Secondary Education, Odisha has been implementing a new scheme of assessment foe Secondary Level.In this scheme there is a provision of four formative assessments and two summative assessments in a year.After two formative assessments, one summative assessment is conducted.So far as the knowledge of the investigators, there is very less study conducted to study the existing evaluation system of the Secondary School of Odisha, which comes under BSE.So, the present study has emphasized on to find out the reality of evaluation practices implemented in the BSE Schools of Odisha and the awareness of teachers working in BSE Schools towards present evaluation practices.

Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the present study are as follows: 1.To study the existing evaluation practices adopted by secondary schools of Odisha.2. To study the awareness of secondary school teachers towards practices in secondary schools.

IJFMR23057227
Volume 5, Issue 5, September-October 2023 3 3. To study the CCE implementation related problems faced by secondary school teachers of Odisha.

Research questions
1. How far the evaluation practices done by the secondary school of Odisha meeting the demands of the learners?2. How far the secondary school teachers aware of the evaluation system? 3. What are the problems faced by the teachers during the implementation of the evaluation system in the secondary school of Odisha?

Methodology of the Study Design of the Study:
In this present study the investigators have employed a descriptive survey method to study the existing evaluation practices adopted by the Secondary Schools of Odisha.

Sample and Sampling Technique:
The population of the proposed study constituted all Secondary Schools of Odisha.At first, investigators selected twenty schools randomly.From each secondary school, all teachers (20 schools @5 teachers= 100 teachers approximate) and 6 students from each school for constituting a focus group (20 schools @6 students= 120 students approximate) were selected randomly.

Tools and techniques of data collection:
In this study, three self-made scales were used by investigators for the collection of data.That's are an interview schedule for teachers to assess teachers' awareness, evaluation practices carried out and problems they faced, FGD for Students to assess students' awareness, evaluation practices carried out and problems they faced and a checklist to assess the evaluation practices carried out in the schools.

Tools and Techniques of Data Analysis:
In this present study, both inductive and deductive approach of content analysis was used to analyze the collected data.

Analysis and Interpretation of Data Relevance of the present evaluation system:
The practice of present evaluation system in secondary school: Twenty sample schools have implemented Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation.All the schools are assessing the student's performance in curricular areas, co-curricular and other curricular areas.Grades are assigned to students as per guidelines.As per the interview schedule and focus group discussion regarding the evaluation which is in both curricular and co-curricular areas, it is revealed that a variety of tools and techniques are used to assess student performance.The majority of the teacher says that the present evaluation system help in de-emphasizing memorization.

Holistic development:
As per the interview schedule majority of teachers says that through present evaluation system measures holistically student performance based on three domains that are cognitive, affective and psychomotor domain.Various tools and techniques are used to access students that are observation, checklist, rating scale, project, etc.About all the techniques uses to access both curricular and co-curricular areas.9 th class students also agree with this and they said that teachers are assessing both curricular and co-curricular areas of students.Curricular broad area: As per the interview schedule majority of teachers mentioned that all school subjects like-Mathematics, General Science, and Social Science subjects are measured through a formative assessment which is conducted four times and summative evaluation conducted twice in a year.The cognitive domain is covered in the curriculum, which aims to foster children's intellectual growth.Assessment techniques used in assessing curriculum subjects include teacher-made unit tests.

Co-curricular broad areas:
As per the interview schedule there are various co-curricular activities conducted in their school which aims to holistically development of students.The subject like Art Education, Health Education and Work Education taught in school comes under co-curricular broad area.All students are taking part in art education, health education and work education and this worked observed by concerned teachers.When students are working on projects in groups or in the classroom, teachers evaluate their internal performance and projects in these areas.The report of co-curricular activities is shared with students and parents through report cards.Various programmes conducting regularly in school and students are taking part in that programmes which will help them to develop cooperative felling.Games and sports are also organized in the school to develop the psychomotor domain of students.Drill class is also there for developing the psychomotor domain.

Types of tools and techniques:
The majority of sample teachers said that they used Observation, checklist, rating scale, anecdotal record, portfolio, project, interview and questionnaire to access both curricular and co-curricular activities of students.But students said that observation, rating scale, interviews, and question techniques have been used to access their performance.

Provision of remedial measures:
As per the interview schedule and checklist majority of teachers mentioned that they are providing feedback regularly.They identify the weakness of students regularly.They also provide feedback in answer scripts written, in-class orally and by progress card.After completion of a unit, they conduct a unit test and find out the problem and provide feedback to students and in some cases they also provide remedial treatment.Most teachers responded that they provide feedback to students after formative assessments are complete and that they also offer remedial instruction to students who need it.It helps to improve students' performance.
Teacher's awareness of the current evaluation system: As per the interview schedule, most teachers are aware of the current evaluation system.It shows that teachers are mostly aware of the present evaluation system which may imparted attributed to the inservice training provided to them on continuous and comprehensive evaluation.As per the interview schedule, maximum teachers know the formative assessment and summative evaluation.They are aware of the frequency of assessment which is under the guidelines of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation.They are aware of different types of tools and techniques used to assess students in both curricular and co-curricular content areas.
The problem faced by teachers in the evaluation system: As per the interview schedule majority of teachers are facing problems while implementing the present evaluation system.High teacher-pupil ratio, lack of proper guidance and supervision, problems due to individual differences and other activities of the school are the problems faced by teachers while implementing current evaluation practices.

Discussion
From the above study, it was found that, the majority of schools employed formative assessment techniques like written tests, oral exams, projects, observation, and interviews.Teachers also use the students' answer scripts to identify any learning challenges they may have and then offer remedial instruction.Most schools employed techniques like portfolios, rubrics, rating scales, anecdotal records, and checklists.Most teachers are aware of the different dimensions of the current evaluation system.It shows that the majority of teachers are aware of the present evaluation system which may be imparted attributed to the in-service training provided to them on continuous and comprehensive evaluation.Most teachers are aware of the frequency of assessment practices that comes under the guidelines of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation.They are aware of different types of tools and techniques to use to assess students in both curricular and co-curricular content areas.Lack of training on CCE, high teacher-pupil ratio, lack of proper guidance and supervision, problems due to individual differences, and blockages of other activities of the school are the problems faced by the teachers while implementing of present evaluation practices.

Conclusion
Evaluation plays an important role in the teaching-learning process.After the implementation of the new scheme of the evaluation process in Secondary education in Odisha attendance of students has increased.Students' answer scripts help teachers discover their learning disabilities and they also give them remedial instruction.Present evaluation systems develop interest among students in learning.The present evaluation system creates internal motivation among students toward the study.Parents know regularly their son's or daughter's performance.The present study is related to the present evaluation system of secondary education in Odisha.