2014年-世界发展银行全球_Papua_New_Guinea_Student_Assesment___SABER_Country_Report_2014_48页_578kb

Papua New Guinea Student Assessment Summary

Core Content

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has implemented a student assessment system aimed at improving education quality and learning outcomes. The system is evaluated through the World Bank's Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) program, specifically the SABER-Student Assessment component. The country's assessment system is categorized as Emerging in most areas, indicating partial presence of the desired attributes and the need for improvement.

The system includes three main types of assessment: classroom assessment, examinations, and large-scale, system-level assessments. Each type serves different purposes and has varying levels of development.

Main Assessment Types and Their Status

1. Classroom Assessment

• Level of Development: Emerging
• Key Features:
  • Guided by the National Assessment and Reporting Policy (2003) and the National Curriculum Statement (2003).
  • Teachers receive in-service training and have syllabi and teaching guides.
  • Classroom assessments are used for daily feedback on student learning.
  • However, they are generally considered weak and inconsistent.
  • Focus on recall and multiple-choice questions.
  • Concerns about grade inflation and uneven application of standards.
  • Limited use of assessment results for improving teaching practices.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Provide teachers with sample activities and scoring guides aligned with the national curriculum.
  • Establish moderation panels to standardize scoring.
  • Integrate classroom assessment training into pre-service teacher programs.
  • Support teachers with guidelines and forums to develop and share assessments.

2. Examinations

• Level of Development: Emerging
• Key Features:
  • The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the main examination used to certify secondary school completion and select students for tertiary education.
  • It has been in operation for over 20 years and is used to inform pedagogy.
  • The HSC is managed by the Department of Education (DoE), with oversight by the Board of Studies (BoS).
  • Teachers are not mandated to receive national training, though some ad-hoc workshops are offered.
  • There are no mechanisms to monitor the consequences of the examination on students, teachers, and schools.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Consider reducing the scope of the examination program to free up resources for large-scale assessments.
  • Monitor the impact of the examination on pedagogy and student selection.
  • Provide national-level preparation materials for the HSC.

3. National Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA)

• Level of Development: Emerging
• Key Features:
  • The Curriculum Standards Monitoring Test (CSMT) is used to monitor numeracy and literacy.
  • Piloted in 2003-2004 and fully administered to Year 5 and 7 students in 2008 and 2010.
  • The CSMT is intended to evaluate student progress towards national curriculum goals.
  • There are no formal mechanisms to ensure quality, and the MSB lacked sufficient human capacity to implement the assessment in 2012.
  • Results are not effectively communicated to educators.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Secure stable funding and human resources for the NLSA.
  • Improve communication of assessment findings through educator involvement in report design.
  • Align the assessment framework with the national curriculum through collaboration with curriculum developers.

4. International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA)

• Level of Development: Emerging
• Key Features:
  • PNG participated in the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) in 2012.
  • PILNA is a regional tool developed by the South Pacific Board for Educational Assessment (SPBEA) and UNESCO.
  • It measures literacy and numeracy skills aligned with PNG's learning goals.
  • The country complied with all technical standards and is expected to have its results included in the international report.
  • Initial implementation faced logistical challenges, leading to a participation rate of about 50%.
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Develop a formal policy document to authorize and guide participation in international assessments.
  • Ensure consistent and effective implementation by addressing logistical issues.
  • Provide ongoing training and support for teachers and assessors involved in international assessments.

Key Policy Considerations

Quality Drivers of an Assessment System

The effectiveness of an assessment system is driven by three main factors:

1. Enabling Context: Includes policies, leadership, funding, and institutional arrangements.
2. System Alignment: Refers to the congruence between assessments and learning goals, curriculum, and teacher training.
3. Assessment Quality: Encompasses the psychometric quality, design, administration, and reporting of assessments.

These drivers are cross-referenced with the different types of assessments to form a framework for identifying and evaluating indicators of assessment system development.

Education Context in PNG

• PNG is a lower-middle-income Pacific Island nation with a GDP per capita of $2,184.
• The country has a high population growth rate and a dispersed rural population, leading to challenges in education access and quality.
• The primary net enrollment rate is 53%, and only 60% of enrolled students complete the basic education cycle.
• The Universal Basic Education Plan (UBE) aims to increase primary net enrollment to 90% by 2019 and ensure that 90% of Year 8 graduates meet learning objectives.

Conclusion

Papua New Guinea's student assessment system is in the Emerging stage, indicating the need for strengthening in several areas. The system has some policy and institutional foundations but lacks consistency, quality assurance, and effective use of assessment data. Improvements in classroom assessment practices, examination management, and large-scale assessment implementation are essential to support the country's education goals. The SABER-Student Assessment framework provides a useful tool for benchmarking and guiding these improvements.