Assessment for Learning to Enhance Economic Students’ Performance in Gombe State Secondary Schools in Nigeria

Traditional methods of assessing student learning outcomes often fail to fully engage students or accurately measure their performance across various tasks. This study examined the impact of the Assessment for Learning Method (AFLM) on the academic performance of Economics students in Gombe State secondary schools. Guided by two research questions and corresponding hypotheses, a quasi-experimental design was employed. From a population of 30,430 students, a purposive and cluster sampling technique selected 68 Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) Economics students from two intact classes. Data was collected using a researcher-developed 40-item Economics Achievement Test (EAT), which demonstrated an internal consistency reliability coefficient of 0.81, as established by Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20). Hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 significance level using One-Way and Two-Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Findings revealed that the AFLM group showed a significant improvement in post-test scores compared to the Traditional Assessment Methods (TAM) group. Consequently, it is recommended that educational ministries and departments regularly organize and sponsor conferences, seminars, exhibitions, and workshops to train Economics teachers in implementing performance-based and self-assessment methods as integral components of the academic learning process.