Abstract
To write about evaluation in contemporary education systems in Africa is a daunting task, since any generalizations that one might make could easily be challenged by instances in which they did not hold. This is because Africa, even if one focuses on the area south of the Sahara, exhibits great variety in the traditional cultural institutions and practices of the many ethnic groups that inhabit it, and in the extent to which these groups were in contact with non-African cultures. Variety in any of these conditions might go some way towards accounting for the current state of education on the continent, and for variation in attitudes towards, and the practice of, evaluation.
Michael Omolewa is currently the Nigerian Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO in Paris. He received considerable support from Akpovire Oduaran of the University of Botswana in the preparation of this paper.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ADEA (Association for Development of Education in Africa). (1999). 1999 prospective, stock-taking review of education in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.adeanet.org/programs/pstr99/en_str99.html
Afemikhe, O.A. (1989). Consumer evaluation of chemistry curricula in a Nigerian university. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 14(2), 77–86.
Akpe, C.S. (1988). Using consumer evaluation to improve college curricula in Nigerian teacher training. Journal of Education for Teaching, 14(1), 85–90.
Akpe, C.S. (1989). Using respondents’ free comments to improve college curricula: A case study of River State College of Education NCE primary programme. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 15, 183–191.
Ali, A., & Akubue, A. (1988). Nigerian primary schools’ compliance with Nigeria national policy on education. An evaluation of continuous assessment practices. Evaluation Review, 12, 625–637.
Arubayi, E. (1985). Subject disciplines and student evaluation of a degree program in education. Higher Education, 14, 683–691.
Arubayi, E. (1987a). Assessing academic programs in college of education: Perceptions of final year students. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 12(2), 105–114.
Arubayi, E. (1987b). Programme evaluation: An empirical study of a degree programme in education. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 13, 159–162.
Bajah, S.T. (1987). Evaluation of the impact of curriculum institutes: A Nigerian case study. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 13, 319–328.
Bhola, H.S. (1990). Evaluating “Literacy for Development” projects, programs and campaigns. Hamburg: UNESCO Institute for Education/Bonn: Deutsche Stiftung für Internationale Entwicklung.
Bray, M., Clarke, P.B., & Stephens, D. (1986). Education and society in Africa. London: Edward Arnold.
Bude, U., & Lewin, K.M. (Eds). (1997a). Improving test design. Vol 1. Constructing test instruments, analysing results, and improving assessment quality in primary schools in Africa. Bonn: Deutsche Stiftung für Internationale Entwicklung.
Bude, U., & Lewin, K.M. (Eds). (1997b). Improving test design. Vol. 2. Assessment of science and agriculture in primary schools in Africa;12 country cases reviewed. Bonn: Deutsche Stiftung für Internationale Entwicklung.
Chinapah, V. (1997). Handbook on monitoring learning achievement. Towards capacity building. Paris: UNESCO.
Gay, J., & Cole, M. (1967). The new mathematics and an old culture: A study of learning among the Kpelle of Liberia. Troy, MO: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Graham, D. (1992). An overview of ERA + 3. In H. Tomlinson (Ed.), The search for standards (pp. 1–14). Harlow, Essex: Longman.
Heyneman, S.P., & Ransom, A.W. (1990). Using examinations and testing to improve educational quality. Educational Policy, 4, 177–192.
Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation. (1994). The program evaluation standards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Jones, T.J. (1922). Education in Africa. New York: Phelps-Stokes Fund.
Jones, T.J. (1928). Education in Africa. New York: Phelps-Stokes Fund.
Kellaghan, T. (1992). Examination systems in Africa: Between internationalization and indigenization. In M.A. Eckstein, & H.J. Noah (Eds), Examinations: Comparative and international studies (pp. 95–104). Oxford: Pergamon.
Kellaghan, T, & Greaney, V. (1992). Using examinations to improve learning. A study in fourteen African countries. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Kellaghan, T, & Greaney, V. (2001). The globalisation of assessment in the 20th century. Assessment in Education, 8, 87–102.
Kellaghan, T, Sloane, K., Alvarez, B., & Bloom, B.S. (1993). The home environment and school learning. Promoting parental involvement in the education of children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kelly, G.P., & Kelly, D.H. (2000). French colonial education: Essays on Vietnam and west Africa. New York: AMS Press.
Kelly, M., & Kanyika, J. (2000). Learning achievement at the middle basic level. Summary report on Zambia’s national assessment project 1999. Lusaka: Examinations Council of Zambia.
Kgobe, M. (1997). The National Qualifications Framework in South Africa and “out-of-school youth”: Problems and possibilities. International Review of Education, 43, 317–330.
Kulpoo, D. (1998). The quality of education: Some policy suggestions based on a survey of schools. Mauritius. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.
Lewin, K., & Dunne, M. (2000). Policy and practice in assessment in anglophone Africa: Does globalisation explain convergence? Assessment in Education, 7, 379–399.
Little, K.L. (1960). The role of the secret society in cultural specialization. In S. Ottenberg & P. Ottenberg (Eds), Cultures and societies of Africa (pp. 199–213). New York: Random House.
Machingaidze, T, Pfukani, P., & Shumba, S. (1998). The quality of education: Some policy suggestions based on a survey of schools. Zimbabwe. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.
Motlotle, N.P. (1998). Bojale in Kgatleng, Zebra’s Voice, 25(3/4), 22–25.
Nkamba, M., & Kanyika, J. (1998). The quality of education: Some policy suggestions based on a survey of schools. Zambia. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.
Ogbu, J.U. (1982). Cultural discontinuities and schooling. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 13, 290–307.
Ottenberg, S. (1959). Ibo receptivity to change. In W.R. Bascom & M.J. Herkovits (Eds), Continuity and change in African cultures (pp. 130–143). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Parsons, O.N. (1984). Education and development in pre-colonial Botswana to 1965. In M. Crowder (Ed.), Education for development (pp. 21–52). Garborone, Botswana: The Botswana Society.
Pennycuick, D. (1990). The introduction of continuous assessment systems at secondary level in developing countries. In P. Broadfoot, R. Murphy, & H. Torrance (Eds), Changing educational assessment. International perspectives and trends (pp. 106–118). London: Routledge.
Putsoa, B. (1981). A review of inservice training of primary school teacher in Swaziland. In B. Otaala & S.N. Pandey (Eds.), Educational research in Boleswa countries. Proceedings of the Educational Research Seminar, University College, Gaborone, Botswana, May 4–7 (pp. 160–161). Gaborone, Botswana: University College.
Ross, K.N. (2000). Translating educational assessment findings into educational policy and reform measures: Lessons from the SACMEQ initiative in Africa. Paper presented at World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal, April.
Scanlon, D. (1960). Education. In R.A. Lystad (Ed), The African world. A survey of social research (pp. 199–220). London: Pall Mall Press.
Schapera, I. (1934). Western civilization and the natives of South Africa. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Schneider, H.K. (1959). Pakot resistance to change. In W.R. Bascom & M.J. Herkevits (Eds.), Continuity and change in African cultures (pp. 144–167). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Sebatane, E.M. (1981). The role of educational evaluation in Lesotho. Past, present and future. In B. Otaala & S.N. Pandey (Eds.), Educational research in Boleswa countries. Proceedings of the Educational Research Seminar, University College, Gaborone, Botswana, May 4–7 (pp. 68–84). Gaborone, Botswana: University College.
Sebatane, M. (2000).International transfers of assessment: Recent trends and strategies. Assessment in Education, 7, 401–416.
Townsend Cole, E.K. (1985). The story of education in Botswana. Gaborone, Botswana: Macmillan.
Umar, A., & Tahir, G. (2000). Researching nomadic education: A Nigerian perspective. International Journal of Educational Research, 33, 231–240.
UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). (2001). Making new technologies work for human development. Human development report 2001. New York: Oxford University Press.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). (2000). World education report 2000. The right to education. Towards education for all throughout life. Paris: Author.
UNESCO. (1999). Monitoring Learning Achievement (MLA) Project. Follow-up on Jomtien. Paris: Author.
UNESCO. (2000). The Dakar Framework for Action. Education for All: Meeting our collective commitments. Paris: Author.
Voigts, F. (1998). The quality of education: Some policy suggestions based on a survey of schools. Namibia. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.
Watkins, M.H. (1943). The west African bush school. American Journal of Sociology, 43, 666–674.
World Bank. (1988). Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Policies for adjustment, revitalization, and expansion. Washington DC: Author.
World Declaration on Education for All. (1990). Adopted by the World Conference on Education for All, Meeting Basic Learning Needs. New York: UNICEF House.
Worthern, B.R., & Sanders, J.R. (1987). Educational evaluation: Alternative approaches and practical guidelines. New York: Longman.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Omolewa, M., Kellaghan, T. (2003). Educational Evaluation in Africa. In: Kellaghan, T., Stufflebeam, D.L. (eds) International Handbook of Educational Evaluation. Kluwer International Handbooks of Education, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0309-4_29
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0309-4_29
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-0849-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0309-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive