Test, Measurement and Evaluation (Purpose and Scope of Evaluation)

Test: A test is one of the assessment instruments. It is used in getting quantitative data.

It can also be defined as an instrument or activity used to accumulate data on a person’s ability to perform a specified task. In kinesiology the content of these tests are usually either cognitive, skill, or fitness.

Measurement: A measurement takes place when a “test” is given and a “score” is obtained. If the test collects quantitative data, the score is a number. If the test collects qualitative data, the score may be a phrase or word such as “excellent.”

Evaluation: It is the estimation of the worth of a thing, process or program in order to
reach meaningful decisions about that thing, process or program.

The process of making judgments about the results of measurement in terms of the purpose of the measurement.

The process of obtaining information (data) and using it to form judgments, which in turn are used in decision making.

The purpose and scope of Evaluation:

According to Oguniyi (1984), educational evaluation is carried out from time to time for the
following purposes:

i.       to determine the relative effectiveness of the program in terms of students’ behavioral output.

ii.      to make reliable decisions about educational planning.

iii.     to ascertain the worth of time, energy and resources invested in a program.

iv.     to identify students’ growth or lack of growth in acquiring desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes and societal values.

v.      to help teachers determine the effectiveness of their teaching techniques and learning materials.

vi.     to help motivate students to want to learn more as they discover their progress or lack of progress in given tasks.

vii.    to encourage students to develop a sense of discipline and systematic study habits.

viii.   to provide educational administrators with adequate information about teachers’ effectiveness and school need.

ix.     to acquaint parents or guardians with their children’s performances.

x.      to identify problems that might hinder or prevent the achievement of set goals.

xi.     to predict the general trend in the development of the teaching-learning process.

xii.    to ensure an economical and efficient management of scarce resources.

xiii.   to provide an objective basis for determining the promotion of students from one class to another as well as the award of certificates.

xiv.   to provide a just basis for determining at what level of education the possessor of a certificate should enter a career.

Evaluation adds the ingredient of value judgement to assessment. It is concerned with the application of its findings and implies some judgement of the effectiveness, social utility or desirability of a product, process or progress in terms of carefully defined and agreed upon objectives or values. Evaluation often includes recommendations for constructive action. Thus, evaluation is a qualitative measure of the prevailing situation. It calls for evidence of effectiveness, suitability, or goodness of the program.

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