In terms of assessment practices, in all facets of education there is a strong focus on assessment at the end of learning. New trends in the literature motivate for the continuous use of assessment strategies in classrooms, with a learner-centred approach. Many questions arise on this topic: When lecturers review their own higher education classroom assessment practices, what will be the extent of their discovery? Are they still inclined to do assessment after teaching and learning has taken place? Or are they moving towards continuous classroom assessment practices in line with the new trends? Is there still a place for classroom assessment at the end of teaching and learning? Should the one or the other be used or should there be a balance between the various strategies? With students perceiving assessment as being judgemental and oppressive and as the most political of all educational processes (Reynolds et al., 2000:268), how does the power struggle unfold in the classroom? By means of participatory action research I encouraged lecturers to reflect critically on their own classroom assessment practices. The lecturers engaged in critical discourses regarding their teaching, learning and assessment strategies and subsequently engaged in transformative actions resulting from their critical reflections. The aim of the research was to determine whether an emancipatory praxis had been developed and whether their reflections had brought about change and improved their classroom assessments. I wished to understand how the changes they had experienced were infused with theories of empowerment, emancipation and liberation. The nature of curriculum praxis of classroom assessment was investigated to determine the status of classroom assessment in a specific higher education context and to see how the balanced assessment system is reflected and how classroom assessment develops as an emancipatory praxis. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In terms of assessment practices, in all facets of education there is a strong focus on assessment at the end of learning. New trends in the literature motivate for the continuous use of assessment strategies in classrooms, with a learner-centred approach. Many questions arise on this topic: When lecturers review their own higher education classroom assessment practices, what will be the extent of their discovery? Are they still inclined to do assessment after teaching and learning has taken place? Or are they moving towards continuous classroom assessment practices in line with the new trends? Is there still a place for classroom assessment at the end of teaching and learning? Should the one or the other be used or should there be a balance between the various strategies? With students perceiving assessment as being judgemental and oppressive and as the most political of all educational processes (Reynolds et al., 2000:268), how does the power struggle unfold in the classroom? By means of participatory action research I encouraged lecturers to reflect critically on their own classroom assessment practices. The lecturers engaged in critical discourses regarding their teaching, learning and assessment strategies and subsequently engaged in transformative actions resulting from their critical reflections. The aim of the research was to determine whether an emancipatory praxis had been developed and whether their reflections had brought about change and improved their classroom assessments. I wished to understand how the changes they had experienced were infused with theories of empowerment, emancipation and liberation. The nature of curriculum praxis of classroom assessment was investigated to determine the status of classroom assessment in a specific higher education context and to see how the balanced assessment system is reflected and how classroom assessment develops as an emancipatory praxis. / MEd (Curriculum Development), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / Assessment is considered as integral to the teaching and learning process of Mathematics where various types of assessment are used to develop feedback for several purposes. Research has highlighted the challenge of the dominance of summative assessment in classroom assessment practices. In recent years, world countries have been acknowledging the use of assessment for learning (AfL) to enhance the learning process and thus improve learner performance. This research explored how Mathematics teachers applied AfL in their classrooms. A theoretical framework to support AfL was presented through an overview of constructivism theory, social justice theory, connectivism theory, TPACK theory and Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. A qualitative approach and a case study design were applied involving nine Mathematics teachers from nine primary schools. Data, collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation and document analysis, were thematically analysed. The findings show a positive understanding of what AfL is and its importance to the teaching and learning of Mathematics. However, the application of AfL was found to be inconsistent with its purpose of creating an environment conducive to develop feedback that supports the learning process. Challenges that inhibit its application were found to outweigh successes experienced by teachers. Lack of theoretical understanding of the use of AfL, overcrowding, the language of learning and teaching and lack of resources emerged as some of the major challenges. Teachers pleaded for more in-service training opportunities to assist them with managing assessment for learning practices in Mathematics. / Assessering is onlosmaaklik met die onderrig en leer van wiskunde verbind. Wiskunde word op verskeie maniere geassesseer sodat terugvoering om allerlei redes verkry word. Volgens navorsing oorheers summatiewe assessering in klaskamers. In die laaste jare word assessering vir leer (AvL) wêreldwyd aangewend om die leerproses en leerders se prestasie te verbeter. In hierdie studie is nagevors hoe wiskundeonderwysers AvL in die klaskamer toepas. ʼn Teoretiese raamwerk vir AvL is opgestel uit ʼn oorsig van die konstruktivistiese teorie, die sosialegeregtigheidsteorie, die konnektivismeteorie en die TPACK-teorie en Bloom se Hersiene Taksonomie. ʼn Kwalitatiewe benadering en ʼn gevallestudie-ontwerp is gevolg in die verkenning van nege wiskundeonderwysers by nege primêre skole se assessering. Data is deur halfgestruktureerde onderhoude, waarneming sonder deelname en dokumentontledings versamel en tematies geanaliseer. Daar is bevind dat die onderwysers geweet het wat AvL is en die belang daarvan in die onderrig en leer van wiskunde besef het. Die toepassing het egter nie met die oogmerk van AvL gestrook nie. Die oogmerk is om ʼn omgewing tot stand te bring wat assessering bevorder om leer te ondersteun. Die toepassingsprobleme van AvL oorskadu die welslae wat daarmee behaal word. ʼn Gebrekkige teoretiese begrip van hoe AvL gebruik word, oorvol klaskamers, die taal van onderrig en leer, en ʼn gebrek aan hulpbronne is van die grootste uitdagings. Onderwysers bepleit indiensopleiding sodat hulle die assessering van leerpraktyke in wiskunde beter kan bestuur. / Ukuhlola kuthathwa njengento esemqoka ohlelweni lokufundisa nokufunda imethamethiksi lapho izinhlobo ezahlukahlukene zokuhlola zisetshenziswa ukwakha umbiko wakamuva ngesizathu sezinhloso ezimbalwa. Ucwaningo selukhombise inselelo yokuhamba phambili kwenhlobo yokuhlola i-summative assessment lapho kuqhutshwa umsebenzi wokuhlola emagunjini okufunda. Eminyakeni esandakwedlula, amazwe omhlaba kade amukela ukusetshenziswa kohlelo lokuhlola ukufunda (AFL) ukuqinisa uhlelo lokufunda kanti lokhu kuthuthukisa izinga lokufunda lomfundi. Lolu cwaningo beluhlola indlela uthisha wesifundo semethamethiksi ebesebenzisa uhlelo lwe-AFL emagunjini abo okufundisa. Isakhiwo sethiyori esiqonde ukuxhasa uhlelo lwe-AFL lwethuliwe ngamafuphi ngomqondo phecelezi we- -constructivism theory, social justice theory, connectivism theory, TPACK theory kanye ne-Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. Indlela yocwaningo eyencike kwingxoxo (qualitative approach) kanye nedizayini yocwaningo lotho (case study design) zisetshenziswe kuxutshwa phakathi othisha bemethamethiksi abayisishiyagalolunye abavela ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi. Idatha iqoqwe ngokwenza inhlolovo eyakhiwe kancane, kanti kuye kwabhekisiswa imibono yalabo abangadlalindima kanye nokuhlaziywa kombhalo kuye kwahlaziywa ngokuthi kubhekwe indikimba. . Ulwazi olutholwe wucwaningo lukhombisa ukuthi uhlelo lwe-AFL kanye nokubaluleka kwalo kuzwisiseka kahle kakhulu ohlelweni lokufundisa nokufundwa kwemethamethiksi. . Yize kunjalo, ukusetshenziswa kohlelo lwe-AFL kuye kwatholakala ukuthi akuhambisani nenhloso yalo yokwakha isizinda esifanele sokwakha umbiko wakamuva oxhasa uhlelo lokufunda. Izinselelo eziqukethe ukusetshenziswa kwalo lolu hlelo ziye zatholakala ukuthi zedlula impumelelo eyenziwe ngothisha. Ukwentuleka kokuzwisisa umqondo wokusetshenziswa kohlelo lwe-AFL, inani eliphuphumayo labantwana, ulimi lokufunda nokufundisa kanye nokwentuleka kwemithombo yokufunda kuye kwavela njengezinye izinselelo. Othisha baye bacela ukunikezwa amathuba okuqeqeshwa basebenza ukuze lawo makhono abancede ukuqhuba izinhlelo zokuhlola imisebenzi yokufunda imethamethiksi. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Phil. (Education (Curriculum Studies))