A study published in The International Journal of Assessment and Evaluation has found that the Fijian education system is overburdened with exams and that exams are viewed as unreliable forms of reflection and discourage students’ holistic development.
The findings are based on research carried out by Sarika Vandana Singh, a postgraduate scholar, School of Education, College of Humanities and Education at the Fiji National University in Lautoka and Satish Prakash Chand, an Assistant Professor in Education, College of Humanities and Education at the Fiji National University in Lautoka.
The two sought approval from the Ministry of Education before embarking on the research project that included talking to students and teachers.
Their findings are titled Effects of the ExaminationDriven Education System on Teachers and Students in Primary Schools in Fiji.
The authors state examinations have been a part of the Fijian education system since formal schooling was introduced.
Exams, according to the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts (MEHA), are a yardstick for determining a student’s stock of knowledge after a specific year of schooling.
Examinations are beneficial, but they also have negative consequences for both teachers and students.
Some of the key findings are:
- The current Fijian education system is overburdened with exams;
- Exams are viewed as unreliable forms of reflection and discourage students’ holistic development;
- Students are psychologically stressed and pressured to perform well by their teachers and parents during the examination period, leading to the development of a fear of failure, generalised anxiety disorder, and low self-esteem;
- Examinations jeopardise effective classroom teaching because rote learning is encouraged when teachers teach to the tests, and students are expected to memorise and reproduce the same when tested;
- Fijian primary education system is laden with examinations that include term-end and midterm exams from Years 1 to 8, LANA for Years 5 and 7, and Years 6 and 8 appear for the external examination set by MEHA in the third term of the school academic year; and
- Fijian education system is still entrenched in the colonial examination practices from which it evolved.
The authors, however, have found that exams are viewed as useful in determining how well teachers teach and how well students learn.
“Exams help students meet the high expectations set by schools and the MEHA. This study recommends that current examination practices be reviewed to improve student learning outcomes and skill development.”
The research found the situation in Fiji is such that students are judged through examination results. The findings suggest that external exam results in Fiji are the determinants of the schools’ success, so teachers highly value examinations.
“The quality of exam papers remains a solicitude affecting student performances. The results showed that the students blamed the question types and content tested for unfavourable results.
Results demonstrated that teachers and students were psychologically stressed, and students were pressured by teachers and parents to do well, causing them to develop a fear of failure, generalised anxiety disorder, and low self-esteem during the examination period.”
The authors state the likely cause of these issues seems to be the quality of examination paper because, if designed poorly, assessment can hinder learning by causing anxiety, low self-esteem, low motivation for learning and inappropriate study behaviours such as surface approaches to learning and cramming among the students.
“The findings reveal that exams encourage rote learning instead of effective teaching and learning.
The external exam results are the determinant of entry into the Fijian workforce or admittance into tertiary institutions. Results are used to make final judgments about the students’ academic performance and for educational selection and accountability purposes.
“The authors found exams keep students on their toes. The results consistently reflect that students were against the norm of ranking and grading. Students felt looked down upon and were embarrassed to attend school. “The policymakers must seriously view this in the MEHA.”
The authors also discovered what they state is “new yet disappointing results” where students have to go through harsh punishments, such as being verbally abused and beaten at home.
“The students fear to reveal their test scores as these might be the likely causes of cases such as truancy and suicide attempts by students. Study results also suggest that exams discouraged holistic development as some lessons were ignored at the expense of other subjects while preparing for exams.
“There is a likely chance of undeveloped student skills if exams remain the focus of teaching and learning. The findings contribute to the literature concerning the effects of examination on teachers and students, have practical implications for teachers, and recommend that MEHA modify the assessment and examination policies in Fiji.”
Students currently sit for end-of-year examinations in Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12 and Fiji Year 13. In addition, the Literacy and Numeracy Assessment is tested for Year 5 and 7 students.
MEHA states examinations and assessments serve specific functions and are typically designed to measure specific elements of learning.
Assessments are also used to identify academic weaknesses and strengths so that educators can define pathways for improvement that takes many forms and requires an assortment of refined strategies and techniques.
The ministry states examination plays an indispensable task as it serves important purposes, like identifying what students have learned, what are students strengths and weaknesses and provides a way to measure a teacher and school’s effectiveness.
