Abstract:

Background. As part of the curriculum reform in Turkey, new primary school mathematics curriculum has been implemented since 2005. Probably the least studied aspect of the new curriculum is measurement assessment of student learning (Soycan 2006; Kalender, 2006; Tertemiz, Güven and Kılıç, 2007). There is a clear shift in curriculum design, content and rhetoric from highly behaviorist approach to a more constructivist approach. New mathematics curriculum requires teachers to use alternative assessment techniques and procedures. However, teachers often experience difficulties in implementing alternative measurement and assessment (Uchiyama, 2004; Cavanagh, 2006). These difficulties are due to teachers' lack of knowledge of alternative assessment procedures, their unwillingness to implement new practices, their dependence on past measurement and evaluation assumptions and practices, and lack of resources and equipment (Carnevale, 2006; Cavanagh, 2006). Purpose. The purpose of this study is to identify measurement and assessment problems experienced by 5th grade teachers in implementation of mathematics curriculum. Method. The sample of the study consisted of two hundred twenty six 5th grade teachers working in public schools in Adana. “The Measurement and Evaluation Questionnaire (MEQ) developed by the researchers and semi-structured interview forms were used to collect data. The findings based on the MEQ were analysed through descriptive statistics and content analysis was performed on the interview data. The qualitative data were inferred through thematic coding (Yıldırım and Şimşek, 1999). Discussion and results. Teachers reported that the most frequently experienced problems in the implementation assessment procedures were excessive paperwork and too many assessment sheets to be completed by teachers. Most teachers also reported that they did not have enough time to perform most of student assessment work prescribed in the curriculum. Lack of knowledge about alternative assessment techniques and assessment forms, reportedly, increased time needed for assessment. This problem is further elevated by overcrowded classrooms (Gelbal and Kelecioğlu, 2007; Korkmaz, 2006; Kartallıoğlu, 2005) and restrictions on flexibility of time allocated for mathematics courses (Soycan, 2006; Toptaş, 2006). Teachers reported that guide books for teachers provided limited information on alternative assessment techniques. Furthermore in service training activities did not provide teachers with adequate hands on training in measurement assessment aspects of the new curriculum. Therefore, lack of information on alternative assessment techniques was considered as a major factor leading to discrepancies between prescribed assessment procedures and actual implementation. This finding was also supported by some other studies (Nash, 1993; Carnevale, 2006; Erdal, 2007; Gelbal and Kelecioğlu, 2007; Baykul, 2005; Kutlu, 2005; Kartallıoğlu, 2005).

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