| Tartalmi leírás: |
Examinations are part of the institutional framework that influences teaching and learning. However, the influence of examination practices on the professional development practices of vocational teachers remains under-researched and more so in developing country contexts. Viewing teachers as ecologically rational, this study investigated how examination practices influence the teaching and professional development practices of vocational teachers in Kenya. Interview and questionnaire survey data were collected from TVET teachers in six vocational institutions in the Nairobi Metropolitan area and analysed using thematic and statistical analysis. A simplified mode of assessing students’ practical skills was found to have led to a narrowing down of instruction. The simplified assessment method, relying exclusively on pen-and-paper tests to assess mastery of practical skills, acts to dis-incentivize both teachers and students from improving their practical skills. In addition, examination-oriented teaching, inadequate Initial Teacher Education (ITE), and limited learning resources work together to reinforce the teaching and learning of theoretical content at the expense of practical content. The interaction of these factors demonstrated the need to adopt multi-pronged approaches to improve the quality of teaching and learning in vocational education.
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