National standardised achievement tests

a source of reliable formative feedback for teachers

Abstract

Namibia has been implementing the national Standardized Achievement Tests (SATs) since 2009. These tests (SATs) as a national assessment are aimed at overcoming constraints in the assessment system, especially at the primary school level as well as to improve the quality of education through learner assessment. The Namibian SATs are low-stakes in nature; hence they are not used for promotional purposes but rather to provide diagnostic feedback to schools, decision makers and other education stakeholders. Six years down the line, the SATs results have been showing improvement in learner performance at primary school level. A perception survey conducted amongst primary school teachers in Namibia (N =130) revealed a largely positive perception about SATs with majority of respondents agreeing with the relevance of this assessment and its continuation in the education system. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of Namibian SATs as well as to highlight teachers’ perceptions about this national assessment.