Effect of Periodic Assessment on Basic Science Achievement among Junior Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of periodic assessment on students' achievement in basic science at the Junior School level. Periodic assessment refers to the regular and systematic evaluation of students to ensure they are conversant with whatever content of knowledge that they are imparted. This can be done on a weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis. Periodic testing is crucial in the field of education to evaluate students' understanding and progress, to identify areas of weakness of students, to enhance knowledge retention of information and to prepare students for the next academic task which can be competitive in nature. A pretest-posttest, non-randomized control group design was employed to collect data from 81 junior secondary school class three (JSS III) students in two schools in Nigeria. The experimental group received periodic tests, while the control group did not. Results showed that students exposed to periodic testing during instructions performed significantly better than the students in the control group (who received no periodic testing) during instruction. These findings support the notion that regular assessment is crucial for enhancing learning outcomes in this subject. The study recommends increased implementation of periodic testing in schools and further research to explore its long-term effects.